Americans who make New Year’s resolutions are eleven times more likely to report continued success changing a problem than comparable individuals who have not made a resolution, according to the Journal of Clinical Psychology. The Alexander County Health Department wants to encourage Alexander County residents to make a resolution that is both important and easy to keep: prepare for emergencies by making a plan, building a kit, and staying informed.
1. Be informed about the different types of emergencies that can happen in your area and their appropriate responses
Learn about the hazards that may strike your community, the risks you face from these hazards and your community’s plans for warning and evacuation. You can obtain this information by visiting http://www.ready.gov/be-informed.
2. Create a family emergency plan
Your family may not be together when an emergency happens, so it is important to plan in advance. Think about how you will contact one another, how you will get back together, and what you will do in different situations. You can download a family emergency plan template from by visiting http://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan.
3. Put together an emergency supply kit
You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer. To find a complete checklist of the supplies your household may need in the event of an emergency, visit http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit.
4. Get involved in emergency preparedness
Visit http://www.CitizenCorps.gov to find local Citizen Corps Councils, USAonWatch (Neighborhood Watch) groups, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Fire Corps programs, Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) programs, and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units. Ask them what you can do to prepare yourself and your community for disasters and how to get involved locally.
Contact the Catawba Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross for local disaster preparedness and response service opportunities.
The Alexander County Health Department encourages you to use these tools to make a New Year’s resolution that will bring you and your loved ones some peace of mind.
