As the wildfires across the province have triggered a provincial state of emergency, with resources being brought in to combat the wildfires, The Olds Fire Department, who has sent four members of its team to help combat the fire in Drayton Valley, took to social media to offer residents tip on how to utilize technology to best keep in touch with friends and family during a disaster.

(Video provided by OFD crew members deployed to Drayton Valley.)

In a social media post, the department stated that it's best to use non-voice channels like text messaging, email, or social media when keeping touching friends and family.

"These use less bandwidth than voice communications and may work even when phone service doesn’t," The department advised.

Other tips include keeping a conversation brief and conveying only vital information, which will help to prolong the battery life on one's phone. However, if for whatever reason your phone call isn't going through, one should wait 10 seconds before redialing to help reduce network congestion.

"Keep a charger for your mobile device in your emergency kit and keep your contacts up to date on your phone and email," another tip states. 

Another way to conserve your phone's battery is to reduce the screen’s brightness, place your phone in airplane mode, and close apps you are not using.

Emergency Preparedness Week began this week and will run till May 13. The City of Airdrie is urging residents to familiarize themselves with various tools and strategies in order to be better educated and prepared for a possible emergency.

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com