Posts Tagged ‘National Preparedness Month’

Preparing Your Emergency Plan

Is your emergency plan for your home and your work prepared, and is it up to date?  Do you know what to do in case of an emergency at work?  Is your home one of the 50+% in the U.S.A. that has no emergency plan?  Do you know what steps to take to start an emergency plan? Here are just a few guidelines to help you prepare your home or office in case of an emergency.

For additional tips and ideas, check out Ready Georgia.

Supply Checklist for Severe Weather emergencies

  • Do you have a stored water supply of at least 3 gallons per day per person?
  • Do you have a 3 day non-perishable food supply for your family?
  • Do you have a manual can opener, batteries, flashlights and a NOAA alert radio?
  • Do you have a fully stocked First Aid kit?
  • Are you prepared for a cold weather emergency if the power goes out?
  • Are you familiar with your local community’s or agency’s emergency plans, warning signals, evacuation routes and locations of emergency shelters.

Fire & Medical emergency preparation for your location or home:

  • Are there two ways out of your home or office?
  • Have you established a meeting point once you have evacuated?
  • Do you have a First Aid kit?
  • Are emergency phone numbers posted at every phone?
  • Do you know who has First Aid training at your location?
  • Do you have a fire extinguisher? If so, does your family know where it is and how to use it?

Flooding preparation:

  • Is your home located in a flash-flood-prone area? To find out, contact your county planning department.
  • Have you planned or practiced a flood evacuation route with your family?
  • Do you know what items you want to take with you during an evacuation?
  • Do you have emergency contact numbers in case roads are flooded in your area or at your location? Have you identified that out-of-town family member or friend who will serve as the family contact in case your family is separated during a flood?
  • Have you identified potential home hazards and know how to secure or protect them before the flood strikes?
  • Have you identified that out-of-town family member or friend who will serve as the family contact in case your family is separated during a flood?

This is just a short list of items to consider as you begin to develop your emergency preparation plan. A few minutes of preparation can save a life or make you far more comfortable in case of an emergency situation.

September is National Preparedness Month

To promote the importance of preparing before disasters strike, Gov. Nathan Deal – in cooperation with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security’s Ready Georgia campaign – is encouraging statewide participation in National Preparedness Month this September. Ready Georgia and local emergency management agencies statewide are hosting a variety of events all month to raise awareness and encourage more people to prepare for emergencies.

National and international disasters, ranging from Ebola to wildfires to major earthquakes, have dominated the headlines in recent weeks. Plus, we are entering the most active month of hurricane season. Governor Nathan Deal has proclaimed September as National Preparedness Month in Georgia – a great time to make sure you and your loved ones are disaster-ready. This year’s theme is “Be Disaster Aware; Take Action to Prepare.”

“Knowing the appropriate way to prepare for and respond to disaster can help you survive the emergency and recover faster,” said Lisa Janak Newman, public information officer with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security (GEMA). “It can also help reduce the fear and anxiety that accompany disasters.”

To learn more about how you can be more prepared for an emergency, check out the Ready Georgia mobile app and visit www.ready.ga.gov.