CELL PHONES PROVIDE SAFETY AND SECURITY IN CROWDED AREAS

U.S. Cellular Provides Tips for Keeping in Touch and Staying Safe at the Washington Missouri Town and Country Fair.

WASHINGTON, MO., – As upwards of 95,000 people make plans to head to the Washington Town and Country Fair for five days of jam-packed fun, it is important to be mindful of the importance of safety. In addition to hosting a booth, giving away free St. Louis Cardinals tickets and affording one lucky fairgoer the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at an upcoming game, U.S. Cellular is offering several key safety tips for families to keep top of mind as they head to the crowded fairgrounds.

U.S. Cellular encourages families to:
Come Prepared With families busy remembering to bring cash, cameras, cell phones and other necessities, it’s easy to forget the basics like emergency phone numbers. Bring cell phones already programmed with family and friends phone numbers to crowded events to avoid losing those wanderers in the party.


Meet Me In Front of the "Family Fun Center" Ever make a plan to meet, only to be quickly disoriented by new surroundings? Don’t just set a meeting location, take a picture of it and a nearby landmark using a camera phone so finding the group after the event is easy.

Say What!? After venturing into the crowd, it’s difficult to hear friends and family in loud locations. Communicate over the noise and get details across by sending text messages.

Time Flies When having fun, the schedule to go home is easily forgotten. Avoid losing track of time and missing the group by setting a "meeting reminder" using the alarm function on your cell phone.

Don’t Panic Children are always on the move and can easily slip out of sight in a crowd. Take a picture of children at the beginning of the outing, so that if a child gets separated and officials need to get involved, there is an accessible and accurate description of what the child is wearing.

Start Young Children should practice repeating their home phone number as well as their parent’s cell phone numbers for emergencies. If children are too young to verbalize the numbers, parents should write down their cell phone numbers for their children to keep in their pockets or pin to their shirts in case they get lost. This will allow officials to get in touch with parents and reunite the family.
"Cell phones are a must-have for any crowded event," said Michelle Groves, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in St. Louis, which includes the Washington store. "Communication is the key to staying safe and cell phones keep you connected."