Are you prepared for potential hazards that are our communities may face? From flooding to snow storms to tornados to terrorism, there are a wide variety of natural and man-made disasters that could impact our community. September is National Preparedness Month, part of an effort to help us better prepare for and respond to the potential hazards our communities may face.
Being prepared can help save your life or the lives of loved ones. It can make a disaster less impactful on your life and save property. Bringing your family together to discuss what to do in the event of an emergency is one of the simplest steps you can take to help ensure your safety. Have an agreed upon place to meet both near your home and outside of your neighborhood, and make an evacuation plan for all family members — including pets. Consider putting together an Emergency Preparedness Kit. Onondaga County has put together a list of suggested supplies every household should have in case of a natural disaster or other emergency.
Have you tested your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors lately? Having these detectors functioning could save your life in case of a malfunctioning furnace or a fire. According to National Fire Prevention Association, one of every five fire-related deaths was caused by fires in properties in which smoke alarms were present but failed to operate. In 2010, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 80,100 non-fire incidents in which carbon monoxide was found, an average of nine such calls per hour. Properly functioning carbon monoxide detectors have been credited with saving many lives.
It’s important to stay up to date on approaching severe weather, highway closures and other emergencies in your area. Consider signing up to receive alerts by phone, email or text through the NY-Alert system. For more information on this vital program, you can visit nyalert.gov, call 1-888-697-6972 or download the program’s mobile app, iAlertz. Or, for general help in Onondaga County, feel free to contact the county’s helpline by calling 2-1-1; assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To learn more about how you can take steps to protect your family should a disaster hit your community, I encourage you to visit ready.gov/september. I hope you find these tips useful and will consider taking steps to prepare your family for the emergencies and disasters that could affect our communities. As always, my door is open. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected] or by calling 452-1115.
