There’s no better time for families to make an emergency preparedness plan than now. September marks yet another National Preparedness Month, and local authorities encourage all residents to establish and communicate strong emergency preparedness plans with family members and friends.
One of the top ways emergencies present themselves is through natural disasters. Whether it be tornados, lightning strikes or superstorms, these natural phenomena can cause serious and even fatal implications. To best prepare, families should develop a plan based on an individual’s whereabouts, including whether he or she is at home, work, school or outdoors, and identify a safe place to take shelter and have frequent drills to practice these techniques.
“The general theme for preparedness is the mantra: plan, prepare, practice, stay informed and participate,” William “Corky” Lowe, the emergency management coordinator of the Tabernacle Office of Emergency Management, said. “Plan for emergency situations in general and for those specific to the community. In Tabernacle and Shamong, that includes wildfire and winds. It also includes communication with family members in an emergency.”
Families should also have knowledge about the county where they live, keep a highway map nearby to follow storm movement from weather bulletins and have a NOAA Weather Radio with a warning alarm tone and battery back-up to receive warnings. If severe weather threatens, it should also remain a priority to check on people who are elderly, very young or who are physically or mentally disabled.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, initial steps to take when designing a family disaster plan should include gathering information about hazards to find out what type of disasters could occur and how you should respond. Next, a family should meet together to create and discuss a thorough plan that includes two places to meet — a spot outside of the home for an emergency and a place away from the neighborhood in case the family cannot return home. An out-of-state friend should be a designated “family check-in contact” for each member to call in case of separation.
“The first theme of National Preparedness Month is ‘Don’t wait. Communicate. Make your emergency plan today.’ Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to plan ahead about how your household will receive information, warnings and emergency alerts,” John Lyons, the emergency management coordinator in the Shamong office of emergency management, said. “Consider where you might go for a safe location during an emergency. How will your family communicate in case of phone or internet outages?”
When implementing a family’s plan, it is imperative that emergency telephone numbers be posted by a phone, that safety features such as smoke detectors or fire extinguishers be installed in the house and that the house is also inspected for potential hazards. Teaching all members of the family basic safety measures, such as CPR, first aid and how to call 911 are also a must. Additionally, it is a good idea to keep enough supplies in the home to last for at least three days.
“Other themes during National Preparedness Month include how to get involved in your community and how to prepare individually, including what supplies to keep on hand at home and how to prepare a ‘Go-Bag’ for a quick exit,” Lyons said. “Experts recommend one gallon of water per person, per day with at least a three-day stash. Additional water is needed for pets, washing, cooking and flushing toilets. Non perishable food supplies of three days minimally, preferably a week, should be on hand for families and pets.”
In the interest of keeping residents informed in times of critical incident, residents are encouraged to join the Pinelands CERT. Even if they do not participate actively, the training will be of value. Residents are also encouraged to sign-up for Swift 911 alerts (phone, email and/or text) to receive information through this communication system and to reach out to their local Office of Emergency Management for information on any of these topics or if they have questions or concerns.
“Stay informed means educate yourselves about risks and places to get trusted information. The Internet, including Facebook, must be used with care. The is a great deal of uninformed chatter on Facebook,” Lowe said. “But Shamong and Tabernacle have good emergency management Facebook pages people should like. Both township emergency management coordinators have access to and use telephonic alert system. Families should be familiar with them and do not block their calls.”
