September is National Preparedness Month-Tip of the Week
9/7/2011
September is National Preparedness Month!
Tip of the Week (Sept. 26): Financial Readiness
The ability to maintain financial stability in the event of an emergency will help your family get back on its feet faster. Operation Hope, Inc. (OHI) is America’s first non-profit social investment bank and a national leader in providing financial literacy and economic empowerment programs. In partnership with Citizen Corps, Operation HOPE developed the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK). This is a simple tool designed to assist you and your family in assembling all necessary financial information in advance of an emergency. To complete this planning guide, visit http://www.operationhope.org/effak.
You can complete the EFFAK as an individual or as a household, but you should include information on all accounts for which you have a legal responsibility or obligation. You may want to retain copies of the following items in a water and fire-proof container:
• Bank statements and account numbers
• Mortgage or car loan
• IRAs
• Tax records
• Important phone numbers
• Wills, insurance policies, contacts, deeds, stocks and bonds
• Passports, social security cards, immunization records
• Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates), as well as legal papers such as divorce, immigration or citizenship records.
Remember, September is National Preparedness Month – the perfect time to Get Ready. Visit www.ready.wv.gov for more information on what to do before, during, and after an emergency.
Also, you may view or download the ReadyWV! Family Emergency Guide at: http://www.ready.wv.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/Ready%20WV%20Family_Emergency_Guide%20Access%20PDF%208-10%20(2).pdf
Tip of the Week (Sept. 19): Communication Plan
After a large-scale disaster, the first question most victims want answered is: “When can I go home?”
Unfortunately, after a devastating event, it may be some time before you can return to your house or even your hometown. That’s why it’s important to establish a communication plan your family can follow quickly and easily should disaster strike.
Your communication plan should include designating a family meeting place and an out-of-town emergency contact, in case you are required to evacuate an area for a certain amount of time.
Spend a few minutes this week talking to your family about where you will go and who you will call if you can’t stay at your own home. Make it a goal to establish your family meeting place and out-of-town emergency contact by this time next week.
Remember, September is National Preparedness Month – the perfect time to Get Ready. You can start by filling out the attached Family Emergency Plan form. Visit www.ready.wv.gov for additional information and stay tuned for more weekly tips from the WV National Preparedness Committee.
Tip of the Week (Sept. 12): School Emergency Plan and Youth Preparedness
School is now in session for kids all across West Virginia but it’s time for parents to do a little homework of their own.
Moms and Dads, do you know what the emergency plan is for your child’s school? Do you know where students will be taken if the school needs to evacuate? Are you and your kids prepared?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, take a minute this week to stop the principal at your child’s school and find out. Also make time to share this information with your kids. To learn more about how you and your children can be prepared, go to www.ready.gov and click on Ready Kids, then complete the attached crossword puzzle to see what you have learned!
For additional resources you can utilize to teach children about safety and disaster preparedness, go to:
Fire Prevention Lesson Plans
Ready Kids!
Sesame Street - Let's Get Ready!
Remember, September is National Preparedness Month – the perfect time to Get Ready. Stay tuned for more weekly tips from the WV National Preparedness Committee.
Tip of the Week (Sept. 5): Text, Don't Call!
I M OK.
R U OK?
In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, networks can become jammed with people trying to call their loved ones to find out if they are okay. For instance, during last month’s East Coast earthquake, concerned friends and relatives called to check on their families, causing the phone systems to shut down. Unable to get through, text messaging proved to be a quick and reliable means of communication. People were able to communicate with their loved ones in an instance.
Remember, if your need is not emergent, text first, don’t call! This will leave lines open for emergency responders to communicate with each other, as well as those who are in critical condition and need help.
Sending short text messages is a quick and effective way to establish contact with family members and friends without tying up vital airwaves. Tell the important people in your life that texting is your preferred method of communication in the event of a disaster. Make sure everyone in your family, particularly parents and grandparents, knows how to text. Then, conduct a quick emergency texting drill by simply texting “R U OK?” and waiting for others to respond “I M OK.”
Remember, September is National Preparedness Month – the perfect time to Get Ready. Visit www.ready.wv.gov for additional information and stay tuned for more weekly tips from the WV National Preparedness Committee.
Tip of the Week (Aug. 31): Make an Emergency Kit
In 2010, West Virginia experienced four federally declared disasters, prompting nearly 4,200 households to seek disaster assistance. As a result, state and federal officials have distributed nearly $20 million in disaster relief funds and loans to homeowners, renters and business owners across 37 counties.
Still think you don’t need to worry about being prepared?
September is National Preparedness Month, the perfect time to make a plan to protect yourself, your family and your business. Getting started is easy. One of the simplest things you and your family can do is to begin putting together an Emergency Supply Kit. On your next trip to the grocery store, pick up a few items to get the ball rolling, such as:
* Non-perishables/canned food
* Flashlight
* Bottled water * Extra batteries
Keep adding to the kit each week or month until you and your family members have enough food, water and supplies to sustain yourselves for a few days in the aftermath of a disaster. For more suggestions on what to include in your kit,
click here.
Be sure to visit
www.ready.gov for more information on how you can Get Ready.
Thank You,
WV NPM Committee
West Virginia
West Virginia's Common Weather-Related Risks
Click the links for preparedness information for common weather risks in your state.
Contact Information
West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
1900 Kanawha Blvd E
Charleston, WV 25305
Phone: (304) 558-5380
Fax: (304) 344-4538
www.dhsem.wv.gov
Volunteer West Virginia
www.volunteerwv.org
Citizen Corps
Get Involved in Preparing your Community. Citizen Corps, Homeland Security's grassroots effort, localizes preparedness messages and provides opportunities for citizens to get emergency response training; participate in community exercises; and volunteer to support local first responders. To learn more and to get involved, contact your nearest Citizen Corps Council by visiting www.citizencorps.gov (sitio en inglés).
West Virginia STATE Citizen Corps Council - The mission of the West Virginia State Citizen Corps Council is to harness the power of every individual through communication, education, training, and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to disasters of all kinds, natural and man-made.
West Virginia Citizen Corps Council
710 Central Avenue
Charleston, WV 25302
Phone: (304) 558-0111
Toll Free: 1-800-WV-HELPS
www.ready.wv.gov
Contact Information
September is National Preparedness Month
West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance
Angela Meadows, Executive Secretary to Cabinet Secretary