September is National Preparedness Month!

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September is National Preparedness Month!

National Preparedness Month (NPM) is managed and sponsored by FEMA’s Ready Campaign. The Ready Campaign aims to educate and empower Americans throughout the year to prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies.

Imagine: It is a Saturday and you are at home, your kids are with friends at the mall and your spouse is running errands. The area has a large and damaging earthquake. Power is out, cell signals are jammed, a neighbor says a road collapsed, and you hear sirens – where do you safely meet up with your family? How to you communicate? A family disaster plan is important so the entire family is prepared to respond, no matter what the situation.

We urge everyone to plan for emergencies now.

1. Make a Kit
2. Make a Plan
3. Be Informed

  1. Build your emergency stay kit with at least a gallon of water per person, per day, a several day supply of non-perishable food, a flashlight and a battery-powered radio. Also include a first aid kit, medications, supplies for infants or pets, a multi-purpose tool and personal hygiene items, cell phone chargers, blankets, maps of the area and emergency contact information. Keep copies of important papers in your kit (keep copies on a flash drive). Include the needs of your pets in your stay kit.
  2. Plan what to do if you have to evacuate. Make sure to coordinate your plan with your child’s school, your work and your community’s emergency plans. What is your plan if your family is separated? Have Go bags ready for each member of your family and Pet Go Bags for your pets. Plan in advance to find pet-friendly hotels are in your area. Have a car kit in your car at all times.
  3. Stay informed by finding out what emergency situations may occur where you live, work and go to school, how local officials will contact you during a disaster and how you will get important information, such as evacuation orders.

California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services  (Cal OES) has a prepared an expansive and practical Family Preparedness Guide that covers the various natural hazards in our state. As the guide points out, disasters are a matter of when, not if. 

Year-round preparedness includes the importance of recognizing the signs of terrorism-related suspicious activity and how to report it to local authorities. The Department of Homeland Security has designated September 25 as See Something, Say Something Day visit here for information.

Martinez Area CERT wants to make sure you are prepared in case of an emergency.  We have pulled together a 12-month guide that breaks down preparedness into monthly tasks. The guide is full of tips, lists, reminders and links to reliable resources. You can download the 12-month guide here or the September guide here. Interested in learning more? We hold Basic Training classes each spring and fall and all classes are FREE. Visit our training page here. Check out the  Resources page for info you can download.

GET ALERTS

SMART 911

Get alerted about emergencies and other important community news by signing up for Martinez Alerts. This system enables The City of Martinez to provide you with critical information quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, police activity, missing persons and evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods. You may specify your home, mobile or business phones, email address, text messages and more.

THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY COMMUNITY WARNING SYSYEM

The Contra Costa County Community Warning System (CWS) is one of the nation’s most modern and effective all-hazard public warning systems. CWS is an all-hazards system designed to alert the community of an emergency through multiple communication tools. CWS is generally not used for traffic alerts. Sign up to receive important alerts from CWS here.

KNOW YOUR ZONE

Be prepared for wildfires that may affect your home. Know when to take action and what action to take. These notices are issued for a Zone with an evacuation status. Find out your home’s zone at CWS Know Your Zone . Zone Aware is now called genasys. Learn more here.

CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES

California EOS provides alerts and messaging with critical information. Don’t let earthquakes catch you off guard! Seconds of advance warning can provide opportunity to take life-saving actions. Register for California Earthquake Early Warning. Wireless Emergency Services (WEA) is a nation-wide system providing lifesaving information for the State of California sent by state and local public officials. Register for these free services at Cal OES Alerts .

Visit our Resources page for more!