Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness begins with developing an emergency plan, testing and revising the plan and then executing the plan if an emergency arises. These steps apply to all levels of Emergency Preparedness including your home or business.

As recent natural and man made disasters have shown, it is not reasonable to expect government agencies (federal, state or local) or utility companies to have the resources and manpower necessary to immediately respond to a major disaster. The responsibility to protect your property and family in the days immediately following a disaster belongs to you.

Plan Ahead

The first question you need to ask yourself is are you prepared for an emergency that will affect your home or business? The answer for most of us is probably no, but a good place to start is by reading "Are You Ready", an in-depth guide to citizen preparedness from FEMA which will help make you better informed and prepared for the natural and man-made disasters that may impact our community.

Scenarios

Also available from FEMA are these resources to Plan Ahead for:

• Earthquake
• Fire
• Flood
• Heat
• Thunderstorms
• Hurricane
• Tornado
• Winter Storm

Additional Guides

In addition to the Are You Ready guide, you may want to check out the following pages to help you:

• Get informed
• Plan for emergencies
• Assemble a disaster supplies kit
• Effectively shelter
• Guidelines for managing water supplies
• Guidelines for managing food supplies
• Get your children involved (FEMA For Kids site)
• Special needs and concerns
• Care for pets and livestock

Protect Your Property

Everyone faces the risk of natural disaster and no plan to protect property can be complete without insurance coverage against potential damage and loss. It is important to know exactly what coverage you may need and what coverage is available to protect your property against all of the natural hazards it may be exposed to, so that you are not underinsured or not insured at all. Check with your insurance company or local insurance agent. FEMA strongly encourages property owners and renters to fully explore their insurance needs and obtain adequate coverage before a disaster strikes.

• Buy flood insurance
• Find out if your home or prospective home is in a flood zone
• "How-to" Guides
• Prepare financially for disasters

The links we provided here have only touched the surface of the information that is available to you to become better informed and prepared to meet the disasters that may affect you. If you wish to do additional research, check out the FEMA or American Red Cross websites.

Contact Us

Lastly, you can always  email the Office of Emergency Management with your questions and we'll do our best to get you an answer.