Will You Be Prepared If a Disaster Strikes?

We all think about being prepared in case of an emergency and know that it is the right thing to do but then we tend to procrastinate about actually putting a plan into place to protect our family.  Here are a few steps in making sure that you and your family will be prepared to take care of yourselves for the first 72 hours after an emergency strikes. 

Generally, emergencies happen without any notice and the importance of having a plan in place and supplies to take care of your family is critical.  The reality of emergency responders being able to assist everyone immediately is well, unrealistic! 

The City of Tualatin has identified in their Emergency Management Plan the most likely types of disasters that we would be exposed to including:  hazardous materials release, severe weather, utility failures, flood, earthquakes and transportation/industrial accident just to name a few. 

Since you and your family won’t always be in the same location when a disaster strikes, it is important to plan in advance; how you will get to a safe place, how you will contact one another, how you will get back together, and what you will do in different situations. 

September is National Emergency Preparedness Month, and now would be a good time to start getting ready by: Being Informed, Developing a Plan, Building a Kit, and Getting Involved.  There is a lot of good information to help you get prepared and it is important that all the members of your family are involved in the planning process. 

Remember…there is no time like the present to start getting ready – you don’t know when a disaster will affect you and your family!  The Office of Consolidated Emergency Management has a website called “Take 5 to Survive” that provides information on taking just five minutes at a time to help becoming prepared. 

Here is a link to a short video that was prepared by Washington County Emergency Management on emergency preparedness.