Emergency Preparedness

It is so important to know what kind of emergencies may happen in your area, and what to do when that emergency alert sounds. First things first, you get emergency alerts, right? If not, sign up right now. Text your zipcode to 888777. Most alerts will come to your phone automatically, but this gives you another layer of support. Here is what to do in the case of some common emergencies:

  1. Fire: evacuate. If the fire is in your home, call the fire department right away. If you have time, save your important documents and make sure that everyone else is out of the building, but never run back into a burning building to grab something. If the fire is a wildfire, evacuate as your county officials tell you.
  2. Hurricane: Stay inside, and get to high ground. If you live in a low lying area and have enough warning, leave that area for somewhere higher up. During a hurricane, do not go outside as high winds will be throwing things around and you could get injured. While inside, stay away from windows in case one breaks. Always follow local evacuation orders.
  3. Tornado: Go to the lowest point you can in your house. If you have a basement, go there. If not, stay on the first floor and move to the center of the house, away from any windows that could break. In some homes, a bathtub might be the best place to shelter.
  4. Active Shooter: If you are in an active shooter situation, there are three possible courses of action that will help you survive.
    1. Evacuate. If you can, the first course of action is to run. Get away from the dangerous area and call law inforcement right away.
    2. Hide. If you cannot safely get out of the area, you must hide. Barricade yourself in a closet, or hide under a table. Cover yourself with as much stuff as you can for protection, and make sure to keep your head covered at all times.
    3. If all else fails, fight. Team up with other people to attack the shooter. You have to act decisively.