Families Can Plan For Disasters During National Preparedness Month

OSWEGO COUNTY – September is National Preparedness Month, and it’s a good time for families to prepare for any kind of emergency or disaster.

“If you’ve seen the news lately, you know that an emergency can happen unexpectedly in communities like ours, to people like us,” said Dale A. Currier, director of the Oswego County Emergency Management Office. “In addition to what we see happening across the country, New York State has had 11 confirmed tornadoes this year, according to the National Weather Service.”

Derechos, ice storms, and shoreline and small stream flooding are other hazards that threaten Oswego County, and all can cause long-term power outages and other events.

“Fire, emergency medical services, and law enforcement personnel may not be able to reach you quickly during an emergency or disaster,” Currier said. “The most important step you can take in helping your first responders is being able to take care of yourself and those in your care. The more people who are prepared, the more quickly our community will recover.”

Ready.gov, a national public service campaign sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal partners, urges people to plan for a minimum of three days without electricity, water service, access to a supermarket or local services.

“We urge people to be prepared for at least five days following an emergency, or even more,” Currier said. “It may take many days before first responders can reach you.”

Ready.gov suggests the following steps in becoming prepared:

• Stay informed. Information is available from federal, state, and local resources. Access Ready.gov to learn what to do before, during, and after an emergency. Register your cellular telephone on Oswego County’s Hyper-Reach sign-up page at https://secure.hyper-reach.com/comsignup.jsp?id=12481 so you’ll receive local emergency alerts.
• Make a plan. Discuss, agree on, and document an emergency plan with those in your care. Sample plans are available at Ready.gov. Make sure to include plans for your pets. Work together with neighbors, colleagues and others to build community resilience.
• Build a kit. Keep enough emergency supplies – water, nonperishable food, first aid, prescriptions, flashlights, and a battery-powered radio – on hand for you and those in your care.
• Get involved. The whole community benefits when everyone participates in programs and activities to make their families, homes, and places of worship safer from risks and threats.

For more information, visit www.ready.gov or http://oswegocounty.com/emo.shtml.

The Oswego County Emergency Management Office can be reached at 315/591-9150.

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