Thursday, December 30, 2010

Be Ready in 2011: Make a Plan

Be Ready in 2011: Make a Plan: " Originally Posted By: Rachel Racusen, Director, Public Affairs FEMA

We make plans for almost anything. In a typical day, you might plan for how you’ll make your morning commute, what you will have for lunch, how you will accomplish projects at work, and what meal you will have upon returning home.

As the New Year approaches, we’re encouraging Americans to take three simple steps to get prepared before a disaster strikes: get a kit, make a plan, and be informed. Planning for a potential emergency can ease the stress of an emergency situation, and can ultimately save your life, or the life of someone you love.

We hope you will take this opportunity to Resolve to be Ready in 2011 and create your emergency plan today. Here are a few tips from Ready.gov, FEMA’s preparedness website, to get you started:
  • Write down your family’s plan, and store it in a safe place (preferably with your emergency kit).
  • Decide on a safe meeting place in your home, in your community, and in a nearby town. In case your home or community is damaged, family members will know where to go.
  • Review (and practice!) your family emergency plan at least two times per year.
  • Decide how family members will communicate after a disaster. Text messaging often works despite phone network disruptions, so teach family members how to use text messaging.
  • Subscribe to alert services in your area. Many communities now have systems that will send instant text alerts or e-mails to let you know about bad weather, road closings, local emergencies, etc. Sign up by visiting your local Office of Emergency Management web site.

What creative ways does your family, or workplace, practice its emergency plan? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

Image of the Resolve to be Ready campaign banner
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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Preparedness Presentation at the Federal Courthouse


Bob George, Marny McLee and Justin Kates of Delaware Citizen Corps provided two separate Preparedness Presentations at the Federal Court House in Wilmington (one in the morning and one in the afternoon). Members of the United States Attorney General’s Office, United States Marshals’ Service, United States Attorney’s Office, Federal Public Defender’s Office, United States Probation Office, United States District Court Clerk’s Office, and the United States Bankruptcy Court Clerk’s Office attended the training .  The presentations were done jointly with the Wilmington Office of Emergency Management, Director George Giles and Margie Williams which briefed on the cities evacuation plan. The POC’s for the Presentation were Joe Papili of the U.S. Marshals Office and Bob Prettyman of the U.S. Attorneys Office.