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TextIf You Fail to Plan, You Plan to Fail
Do you have the necessary plans in place in the event of an emergency? It is important to plan before a disaster strikes so that you and your family will know what to do in different situations, and also know what each other is going to do.
Family Communications Plan
How will you get in touch with your family? Cellphone lines can
quickly become jammed during an emergency. Since it may be easier to make
a long-distance phone call than to call across town, it is beneficial to
have an out-of-town contact established.
Shelter-in-Place and Evacuation Plans
Should I stay or should I go? Your circumstances, location and the
nature of the emergency will be important for determining whether to
evacuate or to stay put. Utilizing the available information (through
local authorities), the plans that you develop in addition to common
sense may help keep you from immediate danger.
Utility Shut-Off and Safety
Do you know how to shut off the gas, water and electricity to your
home? For safety, you may be instructed to shut off your utilities during
an emergency. Knowing how to do this prior to the event will save
valuable time and stress. A hot water heater also may be a great source
of clean drinking water when the standard water supply becomes
contaminated, if you take the proper steps. If you do turn off the gas
for any reason, a qualified professional must turn it back on. NEVER
attempt to turn the gas back on yourself.
Need Assistance?
The Office of Emergency Management would like to give you and your
colleagues the tools to prepare for an emergency.
Do you know how to respond if disaster strikes where you live or where you work? If your family is in different locations when the disaster strikes, do you have a plan that shows how you will contact each other and how you can reunite at a safe location? If your business is directly impacted by a disaster, do you have a plan to re-establish business operations at another location? How will you inform your employees of the new operations, procedures and processes? If you haven’t thought about the answers to these questions, take action now by making an emergency plan. Visit Ready NOVA today and make your plans!
Also, if you, your homeowners or civic association, or your business, are in need of a presentation about emergency preparedness or other emergency-related topics, contact Marcelo Ferreira at 571-350-1013, TTY 711.
For Additional Information:
Visit the OEM preparedness Web page, FEMA and Ready.gov.
Register for emergency alerts from the Community
Emergency Alert Network (CEAN).
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