When was the last time you used a payphone? During a regional emergency the phone system is often disabled, but contrary to what you might think, as service is restored, pay phones come back on line sooner than residential phone lines or cellular service. And you’ll be much more likely to reach a friend or relative living across the country (since they live outside the affected area) than someone in your hometown.

Consequently, in addition to having a local contact, the Red Cross and FEMA recommend identifying someone (family member or friend) who lives outside your region as your personal emergency contact.

But payphones expect to be paid. Long distance phone cards are convenient and would be easy to store for an emergency, unfortunately they usually have expiration dates. So unless you’re diligent about rotating them, they shouldn’t be your first option. That leaves a roll of quarters as the simplest way to protect yourself from rummaging through your house looking for loose change during an emergency.

Take note of where the closest payphone is to your home, school and/or workplace — since the advent of cell phones, they can be few and far between. It’s a good idea to try out your designated payphone every six months and report any repairs it might need to the payphone vendor. Oh…and Martha reminds us not to forget to pack our emergency call list (wrapping a copy around the roll of quarters works well), dress appropriately when leaving home, and drop the quarters in slowwwwly.