Fire. Earthquake. Flood. Terrorism. Are we ready?
September is National Preparedness Month, and San Mateo County is sponsoring a number of events to spur individuals, families, businesses and schools to take the steps necessary to ride out the next disaster when it happens.
“We don’t know when a natural disaster or emergency will occur, but what we do know is that we must plan, prepare and act,” said Rose Jacobs Gibson, president of the Board of Supervisors.
The county and its Office of Emergency Services are promoting three programs to help people prepare for emergencies.
Pocket guide
A good starting place is to get a copy of “The Pocket Guide to Emergency Preparedness,” prepared by the county Health Department.
This small folder gives the information everyone needs about how to prepare for and respond to a disaster. It gives do’s and don’t’s as well as phone numbers and Web sites for information.
“I encourage every San Mateo County resident to pick up a copy of this guide at their city hall or library, and keep it in your purse or wallet,” said county Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow. “Preparedness begins at home. Make a family emergency plan, and prepare a kit of emergency supplies to minimize the impact on your family in a disaster.”
“Equally important are emergency plans and procedures for campuses and workplaces, since many of us spend the majority of our time either at school or at work,” added Supervisor Adrienne Tissier.
The pocket guide is available in English and Spanish at libraries and city halls. It can be downloaded from the health department at www.smhealth.org.
Community alert system
County residents can now sign up to receive alerts for problems ranging from traffic jams to earthquakes and fires via cell phones, e-mail and text messaging.
“It’s cool, and it’s free,” said traffic reporter Joe McConnell at a demonstration of the system Sept. 20.
The public can sign up for the alerts at www.smcalert.info. The site allows individuals to sign up to receive different levels of alert, and different areas.
“It’s an exciting and powerful tool,” said Shriff Greg Munks. He noted that besides information on fires, floods and earthquakes, the system could notify people who sign up about neighborhood crime problems — such as a recent rash of burglaries of laptops and cell phones from unlocked cars in Portola Valley.
For more information, call Sgt. John Diggins of the Office of Emergency Services at 363-4790.
Preparedness day
There’s a free gift for the first 1,200 families that arrive at the county’s Disaster Preparedness Day program on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the SMC Event Center, 249 S. Delaware St. in San Mateo.
The event will include information on topics ranging from preparing emergency kits and disaster plans, to first aid, school emergency plans, and Survival Do’s and Don’t’s. Police and fire agencies will be on hand to field questions, and there will be demonstrations of emergency equipment.
Admission is free, as are hot dogs and soda.
For information, call the Office of Emergency Services at 363-4790, or Supervisor Tissier’s office at 363-4572.
