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 The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA),
and local emergency managers, are encouraging Illinoisans to take
time to prepare for potential emergencies at homes, at work, and in
the community. Having a plan that includes where to go and how to
communicate during disasters, building an emergency supply kit and
learning lifesaving skills could help your family, friends,
neighbors and employees during a disaster.
“A disaster can strike at any time and anywhere: When you are at
home, at work or while you are traveling on vacation,” said Acting
IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “Today, preparedness is more than
building a kit. Community resiliency is achieved when neighbors help
neighbors plan for and respond to emergencies. Building a culture of
preparedness is the cornerstone of disaster preparedness.”
Here are five steps to Disaster Preparedness:
Save Early for a Disaster: Can you afford a disaster or
emergency? According to the Federal Reserve, 40-percent of Americans
do not have $400 in savings. Operation Hope is a non-profit that
provides pre-disaster preparedness planning. They work with adults,
youth and disaster survivors to equip them with the financial
knowledge and tools to create a secure future. These programs and
services are offered at no cost to a client.
Learn Lifesaving Skills: Every day citizens can be first
responders. This is a great time to learn lifesaving skills, such as
CPR and first aid techniques, in order to provide immediate aid
until help arrives.
 Make a Plan for When
a Disaster Strikes: Your family may not be
together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which
types of disasters could affect your area, and know how you will
contact one another and reconnect if separated. [to top of second
column] |
Teach Youth how to Prepare for Disasters:
Disaster planning, response, and recovery efforts should take
into account the unique needs of children, who make up roughly a quarter of the
U.S. population. Get kids involved in building their own emergency kit. Make
sure to include your child's favorite stuffed animals, board games, books or
music in their emergency kit to comfort them in a disaster.
Get Involved in Community Preparedness: Check in with your neighbors to
see how you can help each other before, during and after a storm. You can also
bolster your community’s resiliency efforts by joining a Community Emergency
Response Team (CERT). CERTs train volunteers to prepare for various. Find your
local CERT.
IEMA offers disaster preparedness information on the Ready Illinois website (www.Ready.Illinois.gov),
a one-stop resource for detailed information about what to do before, during and
after disasters. During large-scale disasters, IEMA uses the Ready Illinois
website, Facebook and Twitter pages to provide critical information about the
incident, including shelter locations, road closures, safety information, photos
and more.
For more information about emergency and disaster preparedness, visit
ready.illinois.gov.
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information] |
