Hoosiers are no stranger to dangerous weather, but officials say taking extra time this spring to prepare for the unthinkable could make all the difference.
That is why the nation has marked this week as Severe Weather Awareness Week — a chance to bring attention to emergency preparedness tools and knowledge, including the crucial gear, kits and plans needed, ahead of the annual changeover.
Montgomery County EMA Director Shari Harrington said even a little bit of knowledge “can save your life.”
“A lot of accidents happen after the storm with people not looking for the kinds of hazards that happen after your home is hit by something,” she said. “They just need to make a plan, and the plan is this: ‘What are your emergency alert warnings? What sheltering plan do you have? What is your evacuation route? What is your family or your household communication plan, and do you have your emergency preparedness kit?’”
Proper emergency kit materials range from nonperishable food and water to hand crank radios in case of power loss. They can be stored at home, at work or in the car, Harrington said.
Other basic kit items include:
• Food/water
• Hand crank radio
• Flashlight
• First aid kit
• Can opener
• Extra batteries
• Whistle
• Dust mask
• Extra prescription glasses or contacts
• Towelettes
• Water-proof matches
• Extra cash
• Watch
Other precautions include preparing for any household members who may have special needs or disabilities, and to write down a plan comprised of maps, contacts and medication lists.
“You want to have your rally point where you’re going to meet, you need to know if you’re smelling gas, you need to be aware of downed power lines,” she said. “I don’t want to scare people, but it’s something I’ve seen over and over.
Harrington and Assistant Director Brian Campbell are entering their busy season, but the emergency agency is ahead of the storm. In addition to preparedness resources, the EMA offers educational material and certification courses, such as the new Community Emergency Response Team.
The certification to join the team, which coordinates and deploys in extreme weather events, is offered by way of a two-weekend course beginning April 22.
“We can put them on the list. It’s a great training,” Harrington said. “We do things like light search and rescue, we teach people how to shut off their utilities if they need to in a disaster, we teach them about incident command, some basic medical and triage — it’s a great class.”
Harrington also noted that a test of outdoor weather sirens will be conducted between 10 and 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
More information on CERT and the emergency resources offered can be found on the county website at www.montgomerycounty.in.gov and through EMA Facebook page.
Additional information can be found at www.ready.gov, www.fema.gov and www.redcross.org.
