National Preparedness Month has been observed in September since 2004 and has already reached its 10-year anniversary. The objective of this declared observance is to encourage Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, schools, and communities. Some of these steps include building emergency supply kits, making a family emergency plan and communications plan, staying informed on disaster information and related risks, and taking advantage of opportunities to get involved in preparedness/response efforts. There are a number of exciting things going on in the preparedness community this month which can be found @
http://www.ready.gov/september
During National Preparedness Month we will be looking at different themes each week related to preparedness. Week 1 focuses on developing strategies to reconnect with your family following a disaster. There are a number of potential scenarios, both natural and manmade, that can occur when we least expect it and we may not be together with our loved ones when they do. Ready.gov offers the following tips for developing a plan to reconnect with your family, if separated, when disaster strikes:
• Identify a friend or relative living out-of-state who family members can notify they are safe. Make sure to tell this person that you are listing them as your emergency contact.
• Make sure every family member knows the phone number of your emergency contact and has a way to contact them – a cell phone, prepaid phone card or coins. If you have a cell phone, you can program the emergency contact as "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) in your phone.
• Make sure family members know how to use text messaging. It may be easier to communicate by text message during a disaster.
• Sign-up for alerts. Many communities have systems that will send text messages or emails about bad weather, road closures and other emergencies. For those that live, work or play in Orange County please visit Alert OC to sign up for these notifications at www.alertoc.org
• Develop a family communications plan using the templates at the following site: http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/34330
• Register yourself on the American Red Cross Safe and Well website following a disaster or search for loved ones using this service https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php This service is available if you find yourself in an American Red Cross Shelter following a disaster and can be a very effective way of communicating your safety and well-being with concerned family members; particularly when other means of communication are unavailable.
For additional preparedness information specific to Orange County please visit Ready OC @
http://www.readyoc.org/
For additional preparedness information specific to UC Irvine please visit our page on the ZotPortal @
https://portal.uci.edu/uPortal/f/u30l1s6/p/webproxy-cms-file-view.u30l1n140/max/render.uP?pP_cmsUri=public%2FMainMenuEmergencyManagement.xml
Be Smart. Take Part. Prepare.
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UC Irvine Police Department
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