Be Prepared for 2010

Resolve to Be Ready 2010
Article by Clint Blackwood, Director of Jerome County Emergency Management

As the year 2010 approaches, many of us make resolutions that we are sincere in making, but very few manage to keep them. The Jerome County Office of Emergency Management offers a New Years Resolution that everyone can easily keep. Resolve to Be Ready. Being Ready for emergencies can be an easy New Year’s resolution to keep by following the Ready Campaign’s three simple steps: 1) Get an emergency supply kit; 2) Make a family emergency plan; and 3) Be informed about the types of emergencies and appropriate responses.

Taking these steps and having an emergency supply kit both at home and in the car, will help people for winter power outages and icy roads. Each of these kits should include basic necessities such as water, food and first aid supplies and to help you survive if you are without power or become stranded in your vehicle. Complete checklists for each kit are available online. In addition, by visiting www.ready.gov or the Spanish language website www.listo.gov , or calling 1-800-BE-READY or 1-888—SE-LISTO, individuals can access free materials that will bring their families peace of mind. This information is produced by the Ready Campaign in partnership with the Ad Council.

Our nation’s emergency managers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMT/paramedics, public works employees, and other first responders do an incredible job of keeping us safe, but they can’t do it alone. We must all embrace our individual responsibility to be prepared – in doing so, we contribute to the safety and security of our community and the nation as well.

The Jerome County Office of Emergency Management is working within the community to provide a comprehensive Emergency Management program which coordinates people and resources to protect lives, property and the environment within Jerome County by using an all hazards approach of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery for disasters and emergencies.

Neighborhood preparedness training programs such as Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) are available. For more information please contact the Office of Emergency Management at 324-9261 or email cblackwood@co.jerome.id.us.