Full Notification

September is National Emergency Preparedness Month

During National Preparedness Month, the Tustin Police Department is taking the opportunity to remind residents and other community members to prepare themselves for the effects of earthquakes, fires, floods or other major incidents by completing some basic tasks.

1. Establish an Emergency Supply Kit
To ensure that immediate needs are met following a disaster, assemble a family or business supply kit or individual kits with enough provisions to last each person three to five days. Supplies can include food, water and medicine. Residents should tailor their supply kit based on specific family needs, such as including extra eyeglasses or food and medicine for pets.

For those who may be in a vehicle, utilizing mass transit or at work may also consider keeping additional basic emergency supplies in a backpack in the event that roadways are blocked or damaged and you are unable to return home for an extended period of time. Items to consider placing in the backpack include comfortable walking shoes, a light jacket, snacks, water and a flashlight.

2. Develop an Emergency Communications Plan
When a disaster strikes, family members may be in different locations. Families should develop a communication plan in case telephone services, e-mail or social media are not available. Identifying an out of area telephone contact for all family members to contact, and establishing a safe meeting location may be useful alternatives. As most communication methods are electronic, keeping extra batteries or alternate power sources in a convenient location(s) is an absolute necessity in an emergency.

To receive emergency alerts and information residents and people who work in Tustin are strongly encouraged to register their mobile phones and email addresses with the AlertOC system at www.AlertOC.org In addition, the Tustin Police Department also posts frequent updates to Facebook and Twitter (@TustinPolice) which may be helpful in a disaster.

3. Join the Tustin Community Emergency Response Team
The Tustin Police Department and the Orange County Fire Authority are committed to providing emergency preparedness training to community members through the Tustin Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course. This 22 hour course provides a hands-on opportunity to learn and practice basic preparedness and response skills from professional responders to respond to the immediate needs of your family, neighbors, coworkers and the community in the aftermath of a disaster. For more information, visit www.tustinpd.org and click on Disaster Preparedness for a course schedule and an application.