CU-LOCATE helps CUs in time of need
WASHINGTON (8/4/06)--As Tropical Storm Chris approached land near South Florida, the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) launched its Credit Union National Emergency Information System (CUNEIS), with its toll-free number for credit union information.
That number, 1-877-CULOCATE or 1-877-285-6228, is up and ready for use. It's intended to help credit unions stay in contact with members in the face of a disaster--including a hurricane.
While Tropical Storm Chris has been downgraded and is not expected to wallop Florida, CUNA is building on lessons learned during the devastation of last year's ruinous hurricanes.
"When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast last year, one of the biggest problems was communication, including between credit unions and their members," said Scott Earl, CUNA's director of disaster preparedness.
"1-877-CULOCATE is the credit union movement's answer to this problem, so that credit unions have a consistent and simple method for letting members, the news media, first responders and others know the status of the credit union," he said.
The free service is available to all credit unions across the country. CUNA Strategic Services, a subsidiary of CUNA in partnership with credit union leagues, is funding the CUNEIS operation. An electronic "post-office box" has been reserved on the system for each credit union in the country to use.
Earl pointed out that some credit unions may believe that they are in locations or situations where the chances of a major disaster are remote.
"Even so, power outages, terrorist attacks and severe storms can strike anywhere," Earl said. "1-877-CULOCATE opens the door for any credit union, anywhere, to inform their members and their communities about how the credit union is maintaining services in the face of any of these sorts of disasters."
Earl added that CUNEIS is designed to provide only very basic information to members and others on the status of individual credit unions. Credit unions are encouraged to have alternative emergency numbers that provide additional, in-depth information. These numbers can also be referenced in recordings accessed through 1-877-CULOCATE.
To activate the system for use by members, credit unions are being asked by the leagues to set up at least two messages on the CUNEIS system--one to post on 1-877-CULOCATE during a crisis and a second to post in non-crisis times. Additionally, credit unions may update their information as often as needed.
Details for credit unions about how to record their messages--including tips on how messages can be phrased--are being provided to credit unions by their leagues.
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