Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)® Offers Last House Standing™ Gaming App as Novel Approach to Disaster Safety

Nonprofit offers free, whimsical game to introduce millennials to disaster-resilient building practices

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Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)

Jun 24, 2015, 09:03 ET

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)^® partnership today launched its latest creative take on disaster safety awareness with the introduction of a social gaming app entitled, Last House Standing (LHS). The free smartphone and tablet app is offered by the same team that created the award-winning StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes^®, life-saving Turn Around, Don't Drown^®, and Go Tapeless^® public awareness campaigns. The app uses fun to introduce the next generation of homebuyers, homebuilders, homeowners, and renters to one central point—that how and where you build is the most fundamental element of disaster survival for families and homes.

The project idea grew from research, including FEMA's Preparedness in America report on public preparedness and perceptions that indicated that 58% of 18 to 34-year-olds surveyed failed to recognize disaster safety as a priority. Specifically, survey respondents expressed the need to know "where to begin" to be protected and resilient in the face of hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and more. Through dynamic game play, Last House Standing allows users to experience the dramatic impact of building element choices and site location as severe weather unfolds.

"With more than one hundred feature choices and millions of potential outcomes, the game will keep every audience engaged," said former Walt Disney Imagineer and FLASH Board Member, Joe Tankersley. "In today's crowded app world, serious games have to be informative and fun. FLASH has accomplished this with Last House Standing."

According to PopCap Games™ Social Gaming Research, two-thirds of the country is participating in social gaming each day, and more than one hundred Fortune 500 companies use some form of gaming to train employees.

"Our goal is to introduce players to the idea that their choices help determine their level of disaster resilience," said FLASH President and CEO, Leslie Chapman-Henderson. "The app does this by wrapping serious options about whether to build using hurricane shutters or other strengthening features like metal connectors inside dozens of fantasy options from castle moats to space domes. With only three minutes and a $100,000, players have to think fast to survive the disasters, but they learn that it can be done."

From research to conceptualization through to delivery, the Last House Standing project brought together FLASH partners spanning academia, building science, creative writing, computer gaming, emergency management, engineering, futurism, graphic design, insurance, leadership, journalism, meteorology, modeling, product manufacturing and risk communication. Last House Standing is available for download in the iTunes Store and Google Play.

About FLASH

Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is the country's leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters. FLASH collaborates with more than 120 innovative and diverse partners that share its vision of making America a more disasterresilient nation including: BASF, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Florida Division of Emergency Management, The Home Depot^®, International Code Council, Kohler^® Generators, National Weather Service, Portland Cement Association, Simpson Strong-Tie^®, State Farm™, and USAA^®. In 2008, FLASH^® and Disney opened the interactive weather experience StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes^® in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Learn more about FLASH and gain access to its free consumer resources by visiting www.flash.org or calling (877) 221- SAFE (7233). Also, get timely safety tips to ensure that you and your family are protected from natural and manmade disasters by subscribing to the FLASH blog – Protect Your Home in a FLASH, and following the FLASH Twitter and Facebook accounts.