This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

National Preparedness Month theme: Be your own hero

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends that everyone begin their emergency/disaster preparations by looking in the mirror. Yes, the focus is on you being prepared!

In the event of a catastrophe, local fire, police, medical, utility and relief services are sure to be stretched. Getting help might take hours or even days, so being prepared is vital.

 “National Preparedness Month is a great time to review your own emergency plans and to make sure family, friends and neighbors are prepared,” said O’Fallon Police Officer Andy Stowers. “Whether it’s a house fire or a natural disaster, having a plan in place before an emergency hits means you’ll know where to turn in times of crisis. So this month, take a few minutes to make an emergency game plan and prepare your emergency kit of essentials. Hopefully, the day doesn’t come when you’ll be thankful for it, but it pays to be prepared.”

Find out what's happening in O'Fallonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

September is also a good time to take O’Fallon’s free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training, a hands-on course teaching basic disaster preparedness skills. The 20-hour program, which includes training materials and expert instructors, will be taught on September 27-29. To sign up for the course, visit www.ofallon.mo.us/PD/CERT.

 

Find out what's happening in O'Fallonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In addition, you can begin learning what to expect, what to do, and how to minimize discomfort, stress and confusion by visiting the O’Fallon Police Department’s webpage, www.ofallon.mo.us/PD and selecting the “Emergency Management” button. The site offers Twitter updates on local conditions and easy-to-read advice and guidance for a variety of situations such earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous spills and what to do in the event of an evacuation order.

Next, be sure to check out the Ready Campaign at www.ready.gov and follow these steps, which are explained in detail on the website:

·         Be informed – Learn what to do before, during and after an emergency

·         Make a plan – “Winging it” is not a plan! Prepare, plan and stay informed for emergencies

·         Build a kit – Build a basic disaster kit, then customize it to your family’s needs

·         Get involved – Find opportunities to support community preparedness and practice skills

·         Get kids involved – Each person in the household can be assigned a supportive role. Encourage kids to play interactive preparedness games at www.ready.gov/kids.

For questions about O’Fallon’s Emergency Management programs, including CERT, contact Officer Stowers at 636-379-3816, or astowers@ofallon.mo.us.


We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from O'Fallon