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Ready
Illinois disaster preparedness site introduced
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Easy
online access to comprehensive information about what to do before,
during and after disasters
[September 07, 2007]
SPRINGFIELD -- Disaster
preparedness information is just a mouse click away with a new state
online site unveiled by the Blagojevich administration during a
statewide emergency management conference Thursday in Springfield. The Ready
Illinois site,
www.ready.illinois.gov, offers comprehensive information on
steps people can take before emergencies happen, what to do once a
disaster has occurred and tips for recovery after the event. In
addition, during a large-scale disaster, current information about
the situation and details about such things as shelters and road
closures can be posted on the site to help people access needed
information
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 "Recent disasters like Hurricane Katrina have taught all of us an
important lesson: Personal preparedness is critical. And, the new
Ready Illinois Web site provides the information people need to
build a disaster kit, develop a family communications plan and get
emergency training, which can help them be better prepared for any
type of disaster," said Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich.
Col. Jill Morgenthaler, the governor's deputy chief of staff for
public safety, unveiled the new preparedness site to more than 800
emergency management, fire, law enforcement and public health
officials from throughout Illinois who were in Springfield this week
for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency's annual conference in
Springfield.
"I'm very excited to present this Ready Illinois Web site because
it's an easy-to-use tool that can help people prepare for the
unexpected and better cope with disasters once they occur,"
Morgenthaler said.
The Ready Illinois site's "Before an Emergency" section offers a
variety of information on how to prepare for emergencies before they
occur, including information on animals and pets, business safety,
cyber safety, preparing an emergency kit, guides for family
emergency planning, and more.
In the "During an Emergency" section, people can check the site
for information on how to stay safe, including details about disease
outbreaks, earthquakes, fires, hazardous materials, nuclear power
plant accidents, evacuations, weather emergencies and other disaster
situations.
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The "After the Emergency" section provides information to help
people navigate through the disaster recovery process, including
explanations about types of assistance that could be available if
the affected area is declared a federal disaster area. The section
also contains information about mental health issues following a
disaster, including post-traumatic stress disorder.
Throughout the site there are links to dozens of state and
federal online sites that contain additional helpful information for
emergency preparedness, response and recovery.
The Ready Illinois site also provides the state with a valuable
tool for providing up-to-date information to the public during an
actual disaster. An additional section, "Current Emergency
Information," can be activated to allow state emergency management
officials to post status reports and other public information on the
situation, including the location of shelters, road closures and
contact information for assistance.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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