Are you
prepared for a flood, tornado, or earthquake?
Do you have emergency numbers posted and a fire escape plan?
Do you have a plan if your family is at school and work?
There are simple steps you can take that can give you and your family
peace of mind. If your family is
safe, you will be better prepared to help your neighbors and your community
recover from a natural or man-made disaster.
The health department, The Red Cross, and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency can provide you with information about family preparedness.
The
health department is working with the community to be prepared for all emergency
events. We are developing
agreements with hospitals, emergency response agencies, schools, and employers
to be better prepared for public health emergencies.
Bioterrorism, pandemic influenza, anthrax releases, floods, tornadoes,
and earthquakes are some of the events that could affect the health of an entire
community. Individual citizen and
community preparedness are both important to this effort.
The United
States is better prepared than ever for a public health disaster.
Medications and medical supplies are stored at key locations throughout
the country and can be deployed in just a few hours.
Disaster medical teams can be dispatched.
Disease surveillance has been improved.
With federal assistance, state and local health departments are better
able to detect and respond to all emergency related events.
The
health department promotes and participates in training through the CERT
Program, Medical Reserve Corps, and volunteer organizations.
If a disaster occurs, many volunteers will be needed to assist health and
public safety organizations. The
better prepared our citizens are, the better able they will be to protect their
families, their neighborhoods and their community.
