It reminds people to be ready in case of emergencies.
Frederick, Md (KM) When a disaster strikes, it’s important to know what do ahead of time, and to be prepared. That’s according to Dennis Dudley, the Director of Frederick County’s Department of Emergency Preparedness. “If you receive a tornado warning, the time to ask what should I do is not when you receive the warning,” he says. :”It’s to plan ahead, be prepared.”
Dudley says the first thing you need to do is know the risks in your community, and what to do if you must evacuate, or shelter in place. In addition, it’s important to have fully stocked emergency kits. “So if you need to stay at home, you have an emergency kit for your home. Or if you need to evacuate, you would have an emergency kit you would take with you.
That emergency kit should contain “water, at least a gallon per person per day for three days; food, three-day supply of non-perishable foods such as canned foods or peanut per person. And have it in containers that you can move quickly.,” says Dudley. And, he says, make sure you haver a can opener.
He also advises the food be rotated. “If you have canned tuna, you use your canned tuna. If you have peanut butter, you use you peanut butter. But you keep it replaced. You have those non-perishable foods for emergencies,” says Dudley.
As you watch the weather forecast, Dudley says don’t be lulled into thinking it can’t happen here; such as believing that hurricanes only happen in Florida. “We may not get hit with a hurricane directly, but we may be affected by that hurricane,”: he says. “Or we may just have severe weather. Could be severe thunderstorms, heavy rains, or, as we’ve all experienced in Frederick County, heavy snows that can shut things down for a couple of days.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says the theme for this year’s National Preparedness Month is “A Lasting Legacy: The life you’ve built is worth protecting. Prepare for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you and your family.”
For more information on what do to during an emergency, go on line to www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/READY.
By Kevin McManus