IEMA highlights holiday safety in December

Encourages holiday shoppers to give preparedness gifts this year

[December 05, 2013]  SPRINGFIELD — If you're trying to find the perfect holiday presents for everyone on your list, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency is offering gift ideas to help your loved ones stay safe when disaster strikes. IEMA is focusing on holiday safety throughout December as part of its annual preparedness campaign.

"The Nov. 17 tornado outbreak across Illinois really illustrates how disasters can happen anytime, often with little warning," said IEMA Director Jonathon Monken. "While you're shopping for gifts this holiday season, consider gifts that can help friends and family stay safe during all types of emergencies. You can give something small, like a flashlight or first-aid kit, or surprise someone with a home or vehicle preparedness kit you assembled yourself."

Preparedness gift ideas:

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather alert radio with battery backup, a tone-alert feature and Specific Area Message Encoding technology, known as SAME. In addition to alerting for weather warnings, these NOAA radios also broadcast warnings and post-event information for all types of hazards, including natural, environmental and public safety hazards, such as earthquakes, chemical spills and Amber Alerts.

• Flashlight with extra batteries.

• First-aid kit with sterile bandages and gauze pads in assorted sizes; antiseptic; latex gloves; tweezers; scissors; soap and moistened towelettes; and thermometer.

• Home emergency preparedness kit stocked with a three-day supply of bottled water and nonperishable food; battery-powered radio, weather radio and flashlights with extra batteries; first-aid kit; shut-off wrench to turn off household gas and water; manual can opener; and fire extinguisher.

• Vehicle emergency preparedness kit stocked with a flashlight with extra batteries; first-aid kit; water and nonperishable snacks; blankets; windshield scraper and brush; booster cables; sack of sand or kitty litter; tool kit; and shovel. The items can be packed in a backpack or rubber tub.

Most preparedness gift items can be found in hardware and department stores. For additional information on emergency preparedness, visit the Ready Illinois website at www.ready.illinois.gov.

[Text from Illinois Emergency Management Agency file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]