FLOYDCOUNTYGA.ORG
Floyd County Government Online

RESOLVE TO BE READY

PREPAREDNESS TIPS
Provided by the Department of Homeland Security

For Families:

• Get an emergency supply kit. Be sure to consider additional items to accommodate family members’ special needs:
• Prescription medications and glasses
• Infant formula and diapers
• Pet food, extra water for your pet, leash and collar
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children
• Make sure your family has a plan in case of an emergency. Before an emergency happens, sit down together and decide how you will get in contact with each other, where you will go and what you will do in an emergency.
• Determine a neighborhood meeting place, a regional meeting place and an evacuation location.
• Identify an out-of-town emergency contact. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact is important to help communicate among separated family members. Be sure every member of your family knows the out-of-town phone number and has coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. You may have trouble getting through, or the telephone system may be down altogether, but be patient.
• You may also want to inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time, such as their place of employment. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one.
• Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together in the event of an emergency. You will be better prepared to safely reunite your family and loved ones during an emergency if you think ahead and communicate with others in advance.

 For Parents:

If you are a parent, or guardian of an elderly or disabled individual, make sure schools and daycare providers have emergency response plans:

• Ask how they will communicate with families during a crisis.
• Ask if they store adequate food, water and other basic supplies.
• Find out if they are prepared to "shelter-in-place" if need be, and where they plan to go if they must get away.

For Workplaces:

• Take a critical look at your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system to determine if it is secure or if it could feasibly be upgraded to better filter potential contaminants, and be sure you know how to turn it off if you need to.
• Think about what to do if your employees can't go home.
• Make sure you have appropriate supplies on hand.

 For Communities:

• Find out what kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, are most likely to occur in your area and how you will be notified. Methods of getting your attention vary from community to community. One common method is to broadcast via emergency radio and TV broadcasts. You might hear a special siren, or get a telephone call, or emergency workers may go door-to-door. Contact a nearby Citizen Corps Council for help with emergency planning, or work with your local government and emergency management office to help start a Council in your area. Visit citizencorps.gov to find local Councils or learn how to start one in your community.

For additional tips and information, visit ready.gov

READY CAMPAIGN / RESOLVE TO BE READY/ CITIZEN CORPS
BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Ready Campaign
Question: What is the Ready Campaign?
Answer: Ready is a national public service advertising campaign designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks. The goal of the campaign is to get the public involved and ultimately to increase the level of basic preparedness across the nation. Ready asks individuals to do three key things: get an emergency supply kit, make a family emergency plan, and be informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses. Individuals can visit www.ready.gov or call 1-800-BE-READY for information about emergency preparedness.

February 2008 will mark the fifth anniversary of the Ready Campaign – The campaign was launched in 2003 by the Department of Homeland Security and The Advertising Council. It has proven to be one of the most successful campaigns in Ad Council’s more than 60-year history.

Question: What does the Ready Campaign include?
Answer: The Ready Campaign includes a general consumer campaign called Ready America. In addition, the campaign has extensions for pet owners, older Americans, and people with disabilities and special needs. In 2004, Homeland Security and the Ad Council launched Ready Business, an extension of the Ready Campaign that focuses on business preparedness. Ready Business helps owners and managers of small to medium-sized businesses prepare their employees, operations and assets in the event of an emergency. In 2006, Homeland Security launched Ready Kids, a tool to help parents and teachers educate children, ages 8 - 12, about emergencies and how they can help get their family prepared. There are also Spanish language campaigns, Listo America, Listo Negocios and Listo Niños.

 Question: What is Resolve to be Ready?
Answer: As people think about their New Year’s resolutions this year, we hope they will make a resolution that is both important and easy to keep: preparing themselves, their families and their workplaces for emergencies. Resolve to Be Ready is an effort by the Ready Campaign and its partners to encourage Americans to follow three simple steps: get an emergency supply kit, make a family emergency plan and be informed about the types of emergencies that can occur in their area and the appropriate responses.

Question:What resources are available for emergency preparedness?
Answer: By visiting ready.gov or calling 1-800-BE-READY, individuals and businesses can learn how to prepare their families and workplaces for emergencies including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks. Free materials, including family emergency plan templates and sample business continuity plans, are available on the Web site providing Americans with the resources needed to make New Year’s resolutions that will bring peace of mind.

Question: What should be included in an emergency supply kit?
Answer: In a basic emergency supply kit, the Ready Campaign recommends including the following:

• One gallon of water per person per day, for three days – remember to include enough for your pets, too
• At least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking and little or no water and choose foods your family will eat: ready-to-eat canned meats, peanut butter, protein or fruit bars, dry cereal or granola. Also pack a manual can opener and eating utensils
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Local maps

Ready also encourages an individual to think about the special needs of family members:

• Prescription medications and glasses
• Infant formula and diapers
• Pet food, extra water for your pet, leash and collar
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

For a complete list of items, we encourage people to visit ready.gov to download a free emergency supply checklist or call 1-800-BE-READY.

Question: How can I develop a family emergency plan?
Answer: Preparing a family emergency plan is free and simple. You can get started by using a free family emergency plan template available at ready.gov. A family emergency plan can help a family to stay in contact if they are separated during an emergency. Make it part of your New Year’s resolution to take a few minutes to sit down with your family and fill out the information. It will give you a peace of mind as you celebrate and embark into the New Year!

 Question: How can I stay informed about emergencies?
Answer: It’s important that you know the potential emergencies that can happen in your state, region, and community. Go to ready.gov and click on Ready America, then Community and States Information to find out more information about your local area. Ready recommends including a battery operated radio, such as a NOAA radio with tone alert, to stay apprised of developments during emergencies. It is always important to listen to and follow the advice of local officials in the event of an emergency.

Citizen Corps

Question: What is Citizen Corps?
Answer: Citizen Corps is a grassroots initiative to strengthen America’s communities and increase their resiliency to the wide array of natural and man-made hazards that threaten our safety and security. The program was created by the President in 2002 and is headquartered in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Community Preparedness Division. Inspired by the vast outpouring of spontaneous volunteer support after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Citizen Corps strives to answer the essential questions “What can I do?” and “How can I help?” in a meaningful way. Citizen Corps does this by providing local opportunities for Americans of all abilities to prepare, train and volunteer to help address all types of natural and man-made hazards. Please visit citizencorps.gov for more information.

 Question: What is the Citizen Corps mission?
Answer: Citizen Corps’ mission is to bring community and government leaders together to coordinate the involvement of community members and non-governmental resources in emergency preparedness, planning, mitigation, response, and recovery.

Question: How does Citizen Corps work?
Answer: With so many different roles and functions to play in an emergency, successful response and recovery must be supported by well-coordinated planning, training, and preparation. Citizen Corps Councils are designed to bring together government, community leaders, first responders, emergency managers, businesses, non-profit and volunteer organizations, and other groups with a direct interest in strengthening their communities. When disaster strikes, everyone knows what their role is, who they need to coordinate with, and how to get support where and when it is needed most.

Question: Where are Citizen Corps Councils located?
Answer: Over 2,200 State, local, tribal and territorial governments all 56 states and U.S. territories have formed Citizen Corps Councils, and every day new Councils are formed in communities around the country. These Councils help drive local citizen preparedness and participation by assessing possible threats, identifying local resources, developing community action plans, and coordinating Citizen Corps programs to train and exercise volunteers. To find a Council near you, visit citizencorps.gov/cc/CouncilMapIndex.do.

 Question: What are Citizen Corps Partner Programs and Affiliates?
Answer: Citizen Corps works with five national Partner Pr ograms through partnerships with other federal agencies and national organizations. The five programs— Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), Fire Corps, USA On Watch/ Neighborhood Watch (NWP) , and Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS)—provide national resources for training and exercising citizens at the state and local levels. In addition, 25 Citizen Corps Affiliate Programs and Organizations offer community resources for public education, outreach, and training; represent volunteers interested in helping to make their community safer; or offer volunteer service opportunities to support first responders, disaster relief activities, and community safety efforts. Visit citizencorps.gov/programs/ for more information.