One of the responsibilities of the Shelby County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is to gather information about hazardous materials in the communities and develop an emergency plan. Included in the plan are different methods on how the public is notified and actions they should take to stay safe in the event of a chemical emergency.
This year’s LEPC full-scale exercise is based on the scenario of a simulated chemical release. While the exercise is meant to test and train the local first responders, residents should also test and exercise their very own family or household preparedness plans. By preparing your family for emergencies you increase your chances of maintaining a safe standard of living during the time of a large-scale emergency. This includes building a basic emergency supply kit and making a communications plan.
There are many informative websites that offer recommendations for building an emergency supply kit and developing a communications plan such as Ready.gov. There are apps available to download on your mobile devices from the American Red Cross to help you be prepared and be ready for many potential hazards.
A family emergency disaster supply kit should plan on having three days of non-perishable foods, water, medications, and toiletries to last up to 72 hours. Flashlights and batteries, a hand crank weather radio, and first aid kit are essential items, too. Consider your family’s needs when building your kit. How many members are in your family? Do you have an infant, elderly member, or someone with a functional need? How about pets? If so, you may need to consider diapers and formula, prescriptions, water and food for your pet. An emergency kit is very important to have in your vehicle, also. Keeping blankets and extra clothing in your car is always a good idea.
Just as it is important to build a supply kit, it is also important to maintain it. Write dates on your supplies, and keep them in a dark, dry, and cool area. Swap out your food and water supplies every six months, and put your newer items in the back, and move your older ones to the front. If possible put them in containers that would allow them to be mobile if you had to leave in a hurry. Consider the seasons and exchange items in your kit accordingly. It won’t help to have sweaters and mittens during the hot summer months or bug spray and sunscreen in the winter!
Today’s families are on the move with lots of activities going on in different locations. When making an emergency plan, consider how you will communicate with each other just in case you are not together if an emergency occurs. How will you receive emergency alerts and warnings? Do you have a safe location to shelter from the storm? What if internet and cell phone services are down? After an emergency, does your household have a meeting place and how will they get there?
One way to receive emergency alerts and warnings is to register with the county’s emergency notification system. Severe weather warnings and community alerts, such as water boil alerts, or other lifesaving information are sent through the system. You can register your cell phone, landline, text, email, or a combination to receive warnings through the Shelby County website. On the main page there is a large yellow icon that will take you to the HyperReach registration page. www.co.shelby.oh.us
Shelby County is authorized to use the Integrated Public Alerting Warning System (IPAWS). Public safety officials can use this system to effectively alert and warn the public about serious emergencies. When in use, this system will alert any cell number in a warning area including those traveling through the county. Learn more about IPAWS at http://www.fema.gov/integrated-public-alert-warning-system-authorities
Other alerting systems that IPAWS uses to alert residents of danger and emergencies include Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio. WEA’s will automatically alert your phone at no cost to you. You can learn more about WEA’s by visiting https://www.ready.gov/alerts
For weather related incidents, a NOAA weather radio for your home and workplace will notify you when the National Weather Service (NWS) issues watches and warnings. Sirens are designed to warn those out-of-doors, while a weather radio is a reliable source of notification for those indoors. There are many good weather apps available for cell phones, too.
If a chemical or hazardous material incident were ever to happen, the Shelby County Local Emergency Planning Committee has collected information pertaining to the hazardous materials. Instructions will be given out to the public through various methods on what they should do. You may be asked to evacuate the area. If you are asked to do so, please evacuate immediately. Be sure to take your emergency supply kit with you! Another method that may be used is Shelter-in-Place. This means you take shelter indoors, where you are. Bring everyone to an interior room above ground (not the basement), and don’t forget your pets. It means to seal the room; to prevent outdoor air from coming in. Close all the windows in a room, cover with plastic, and seal with duct tape. Place wet towels at the bottoms of doors and windows. Turn off HVAC and close vents. Per Ready.gov, for a completely sealed room, “Ten square feet of floor space per person will provide sufficient air to prevent carbon dioxide build-up for up to five hours, assuming a normal breathing rate while resting.” (Ready.gov). It is unlikely that officials would have you shelter in place for that length of time.
Building an emergency supply kit and developing a communications plan are two components of your own family or household emergency plan that will better prepare you for the unexpected.
For more instructions on how to build a Family Emergency Disaster Kit, or how to plan for hazardous material incidents, visit the website, www.ready.gov.
