Jan Doherty

Are YOU Ready for any Emergency?

Jan Doherty, Public Education Officer, No Phone Number Available


Friday, September 18, 2015 at 4:34 p.m.

Are YOU Ready for any Emergency?

September is designated “Emergency Preparedness Month”. We have watched so many families displaced by wildfires over the past few months. Yet we often neglect putting together a basic “Go Kit” should we need to quickly evacuate our home for a major disaster.

Go Kits contain medicine, eyeglasses, important family phone contacts, and other items that help maintain health and independence despite quickly moving from the scene of the disaster to a designated shelter away from immediate danger. They also include important phone contacts for family and friends. It is essentially to also have a phone for a friend or relative who lives outside of the Spokane region. In a major disaster, you may be able to make contact with someone in a different area code and not be able to contact someone closer to home.

Always keep extra bottled water on hand. Try to make a practice of keeping the car fuel tank above ½ empty in case you need to get on the road!

When the whole notion of emergency preparedness for 72 hours of survival feels too overwhelming, it's a good idea to start with something basic and build on it until you have gathered the Kit you really need and have a plan that makes sense for you, your family, your business and your immediate neighbors. FEMA has a lot of good information on this topic at www.ready.gov. Another excellent starting point is www.spokaneprepares.org.

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