OnStar Opens Crisis Assist Emergency Services to Those Affected by Hurricane Earl

OnStar Provides All Services to All Active Subscribers Affected, Regardless of Plan

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Sep 03, 2010, 03:59 ET

DETROIT, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- OnStar is offering Crisis Assist services to its active subscribers in areas affected by Hurricane Earl. With a simple push of the OnStar button in GM vehicles, subscribers will be put in contact with specially-trained Crisis Advisors. Crisis Assist services are currently being offered to subscribers along the coastal areas of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Virginia. Since evacuation began on August 31, 2010, OnStar has seen a 40 percent increase over typical call volume in these evacuated areas.

OnStar's Crisis Assist capabilities include specially trained Crisis Advisors, who will help with:

Emergency Services: Advisors can contact emergency responders if needed and direct them to the subscriber's exact vehicle location, using OnStar's embedded cellular system and Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite technology. OnStar Advisors can also use GPS technology to provide subscribers with evacuation routes.

Central point of contact for assistance: Advisors can provide crisis information and centralized assistance for evacuation routing, food, water, shelter locations and hotel accommodations along with information on road closures, power outages, and weather updates.

Keeping subscribers connected: Subscribers who are without power in their homes or cannot recharge cell phone batteries can push the OnStar blue button to stay connected.

Reporting new incidents: OnStar encourages subscribers to act as Good Samaritans and contact an Advisor whenever they witness someone with an emergency need, so that the Advisor can inform appropriate public safety officials of the location of the incident.

In addition, OnStar can assist state and federal agencies by providing them with real-time/on-the-ground crisis information from OnStar subscribers.

"Preparation is the best defense in any kind of crisis," said Scott Kubicki, Vice President, OnStar Subscriber Services. "From the severe winter storms that pounded the northeast this past winter, to the devastating floods this year in Tennessee and the threat of the tsunami in Hawaii, OnStar is available round the clock to support its subscribers in need."

OnStar continues to offer its full range of services, including navigation and hands-free calling, for subscribers who are affected daily by crisis events at no extra cost, regardless of their subscription plan. For more information on OnStar Crisis Assist, visit www.onstar.com.

About General Motors – General Motors, one of the world's largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 208,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, FAW, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.

About OnStar

OnStar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and communication services. OnStar is available on more than 30 MY 2010 GM models. OnStar provides services to nearly six million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. Shanghai OnStar Telematics Co. Ltd., a joint venture between OnStar, LLC, Shanghai Automotive Industry Sales Co., Ltd. and Shanghai General Motors, provides services in China. More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.com. OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is a recipient of the 2010 Edison Award for Best New Product in the technology category.

SOURCE General Motors