How to alert loved ones you're safe during mass shootings

Facebook offers check-in to mark yourself as safe during incidents

DETROIT – Amid the chaos in Las Vegas, thousands of people rushed to safety, leaving loved ones to wonder if they made it out OK.

There's a quick and effective way to let friends and family members know if you are safe when a major incident takes place.

When it comes to checking in, some people send out a quick tweet or try to text a loved one. The American Red Cross also has a hotline you can call during a national disaster, in order to put yourself on a safe list.

But Facebook has become the easiest way to let people know your status.

On the left-hand side of the Facebook home page, scroll down to find the crisis response page. There, you'll see a list. You can click on the one that applies to you, and at the top, you can mark that you're in the affected area.

Then, you click if you're OK. You can also search for friends in the area to see if they've marked themselves as safe.

Watch the video above to see Hank Winchester's breakdown of how to use Facebook's feature.


About the Authors

Karen Drew is the anchor of Local 4 News First at 4, weekdays at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. She is also an award-winning investigative reporter.

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

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