The Sidney Police Department would like to encourage all Shelby County residents to become better prepared in the event of an emergency. Disasters do happen. Being prepared can help you safely and effectively manage the situation.
The Sidney Police Department is committed to helping residents become better prepared. Being mentally prepared for emergencies is not something that we talk about often when we discuss disaster preparedness, but it may be the most important survival skill of them. Having a physical plan and the supplies needed for an emergency will help take care of your physical needs, but the proper mental preparedness is what will help you survive.
Five ways to help you mentally prepare for an emergency situation are:
• Develop mental toughness. Push yourself at times with physical exercise, live a disciplined life, take something out of your comfort zone and work through it.
• Practice a positive attitude: Attitude can be one of the most important survival skills in an emergency. Believing you can survive and overcome anything can mean the difference of survival or not.
• Know some basic relaxation techniques: The event will be stressful. Consider practicing meditation, breathing techniques or anything that works for you to calm you down.
• Do your homework prior to emergency: Knowing what to do before you need to do it will help you mentally survive.
• Trust yourself: You are capable of doing amazing things and are stronger then you think. Trust your instincts and trust yourself that you are going to able to tackle any situation.
Any survival situation will require the mental toughness to keep you positive and prepared to tackle it. Foster them now and you will increase your chances of overcoming the situation later.
To learn more about how you can be better prepared in the event of an emergency visit: www.ready.gov/
Sidney Police Department is a member of the Shelby County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). The main emphasis of the LEPC is related to chemical emergency preparedness and response, however, the committee is also involved in other relevant issues of emergency preparation. For more information on the Shelby County LEPC visit http://co.shelby.oh.us/emergency-management-agency/4480-2/
Chief William Balling
The Sidney Police Department
