Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management issued the following announcement on Sept. 6.
September 8th through 14th is the National effort focused on Make a Plan to Prepare for Disasters for September’s National Emergency Preparedness Month. Disasters can strike at any time, your family may not be together, so it is vital to make and practice your plan. When making an emergency plan consider the following:
How will my family/household receive emergency alerts and warnings?
Make sure all household members are able to receive alerts from local officials. You may register for Anne Arundel County’s mass notification system at Office of Emergency Management’s website and download the Regroup Mobile App – AlertMe to stay informed with alerts set specifically to your area. Use the registration code 6a2377784f when downloading the app. Follow us on Facebook at Anne Arundel County OEM and Twitter at AACO Emergency Management to receive emergency alerts and important information regarding emergencies.
How will my family/household get to a safe location for relevant emergencies?
Develop a plan on how and where everyone will arrive. Selecting an alternative place to meet such as a local coffee shop, parking lot, etc. will allow you and your family to plan for a safe place to meet if you are unable to access your community or house. Be aware of the transportation available to you, is a co-worker, neighbor, friend, etc. able to provide transportation in an emergency if you do not have transportation available?
Develop a family/household emergency communications plan that includes:
•Phone Numbers (work, cell, office)
•Social Media
•Medical Facilities, doctors, service providers
•School/Day Care Center
While preparing your family, consider family members in facilities such as; nursing homes, assisted living, group homes, etc. by contacting the facility’s administrator to learn more about
the facility’s emergency plans. Make sure the facility has your family’s communication plan and contact numbers in case of an evacuation.
How will my family/household stay in touch if cell phone, internet, or landlines are out of service?
While developing your family emergency plan consider the ways you can communicate if service affects cell phones, internet, or landlines. In some cases, texting is functional while making phone calls are not due to the overwhelming calls being made in the area. Also, selecting a family member outside of the state is an alternative way to let loved ones know you are safe.
Once you have developed your plan make time to practice your plan with your family. Here are few tips for practicing your plan:
•Review your plan with everyone in the household.
•Create drills to implement your plan. Don’t just drill for fires, include tornadoes, earthquakes, power outages, etc.
•Discuss with your family what happened during the drill, what everyone experienced, and update your plan if needed.
•Develop a schedule to conduct drills.
To learn more about preparing your family and friends attend the Office of Emergency Management’s Emergency Preparedness Expo on Saturday, September 21, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Marley Station Mall. To receive event notifications text Join 2019Expo to 30890.
Topics: Emergency Management, Press Release
Original source can be found here.
Source: Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management
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