Disaster and emergency preparedness is everyone's job. That responsibility is not just for government agencies, but it is for all sectors of society - businesses, civic groups, industry associations, neighborhood associations, as well as individual citizens - to plan ahead for disaster. Preparedness must now account for man-made and natural disasters. Knowing what to do during an emergency is an important part of being prepared, and that may make all the difference when seconds count.
Some things to consider in the first few hours, or days, following a disaster are that essential services may not be available. Electricity may not be available in your area if power lines have been damaged. Consider building an emergency kit so that essential items are ready. Having emergency plans in place, that you practice regularly, is also recommended. A number of websites are available to help in preparing for disasters:
Ready
ASPCA
Red Cross
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Natural disasters and severe weather
EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM
Whether your primary phone is a cell phone, or if you wish to have emergency alerts sent to your mobile phone, it is important to
register your phone with the Brazos County CodeRed Emergency Notification System.
WEATHER RADIOS
We recommend that you have a National Weather Service All Hazards Radio, both at home and at work. You can learn more about these radios from the
National Weather Service, including information about SAME radios (the type that we recommend).
Central Texas Radar
STORMREADY® CERTIFIED
On Feb. 28, 2008, the City of College Station received a StormReady® Certification.
StormReady® is a nationwide, community preparedness program that uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle all types of severe weather—from tornadoes to tsunamis. The program encourages communities to take a new, proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations by providing emergency managers with clear-cut guidelines on how to improve their hazardous weather operations.
To be officially StormReady®, a community must:
Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center,
Have more than one way to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to alert the public,
Create a system that monitors weather conditions locally,
Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars,
Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.
Click here to learn more.
DISASTER GUIDES
Disaster Guides help educate the general public about disaster awareness and preparedness.
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
CDC Guidance for Health Care Workers
CDC Guidance for Hospitals
CDC Ebola Guidance for Airlines
World Health Organization (WHO) Advice for Travelers
CDC Interim Guidance for Public Safety Answering Points