|
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS
MONTH!
Are you READY?
Montgomery
Township Emergency Management Department
About
the Department:
The Montgomery Township Emergency
Management Department reports to the Director of Fire Service,
and is a branch of the Montgomery Township Office of Fire
Services. The
department strives to maintain a high state of readiness in
accordance with the Township’s Disaster Operations Plan. We are
located at the Montgomery Township Fire Department main station
at the intersection of Route 309 and Stump Road in Montgomery
Township. Our mission is to ensure that the Montgomery Township
and its citizens become and remain prepared for natural and
man-made disasters.
The Current
Terrorism Threat Level is
Homeland Security Live Alert
Acts of terrorism against the United States have caused many people
to become quite alarmed. There is no particular reason to
believe that Montgomery Township would be a particularly
attractive target to terrorists. Although there is no immediate
cause to be alarmed it would be a good time to review your
family's emergency plans. If you would like to learn more about
preparedness for acts of Terrorism, In addition to the
information contained on that page you should also look at the
links below for hurricanes and winter storms. The basic
emergency preparation steps spelled out there will serve you and
your family well in all emergencies. You might also want to look
at the
Department of Homeland Security web site. The White
House has issued a set of guidelines for terrorism preparedness.
To read these guidelines,
(Click Here)
Preparing for a
Disaster
Disasters take
many forms. They're caused by blizzards, hurricanes, gale force
winds, sudden floods, releases of deadly chemicals, fire, and
ice storms. Some types of disasters such as severe winter storms
or hurricanes have become somewhat familiar to Pennsylvania
residents. Such familiarity should not result in becoming
complacent about the risks other types of disasters pose. When
disaster strikes, the best protection is being prepared and
knowing what to do.
A first step in
preparedness is making sure you have advance notice on any
impending disasters. For some disasters, such as earthquakes,
this is impossible. For other disasters such as severe winter
storms or hurricanes advance warning information is readily
available from broadcast news, the Weather Channel and the
Internet. Please check out the local
Weather Link for updated
local weather information from the National Weather Service.
Also, as we face summer weather remember that blackouts and
brownouts are more likely during periods of extreme heat because
of increased electricity demand. Check out the
PECO web site for
storm related information and to report electrical and gas
problems.
To find out more
about disasters and steps you can take to prepare please contact the Montgomery Township
Emergency Management Department (215-699-8699) if you live in
Montgomery Township.
Water Purification Tips
The following
link to the Clorox Company, a commercial web site, is provided
because it provides excellent advice as to the best method to
purify water if the township water supply should be damaged or
if an emergency should leave you stranded in an area without
public water supplies. The fact that this link is provided does
not constitute an endorsement of a commercial product. You
should be aware, however, that various commercial chlorine
bleaches vary in strength and the method described as safe for
Clorox might not be safe using another brand of bleach. Also be
sure to use plain bleach, not a scented product. Exit this site
and go to the
Clorox Company Site
Additional
Information
If you are a
Pennsylvania resident unsure as to how to contact your local
Emergency Management Department please call the Pennsylvania
Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) at 1-717-651-2007. You can
also check out the
PEMA Web Site you might also want to call your local
chapter of the American Red Cross for additional disaster
preparedness information.
Recovering From a
Disaster
After a disaster
has occurred, the goal of all is to return to normal as soon as
possible. Families want to return home and resume their lives.
It is also important for businesses to return to normal
operations, thereby providing employment to citizens of the area
and helping our local economy. The Federal Emergency Management
Agency provides and coordinates a number of programs to assist
individuals, families and businesses as they work to restore
service. Please click on the link below for further
information:
Helping Others
One
frequently asked question is: "Is there some way I can volunteer
to assist others during disasters". The answer is YES, and you
may find more information at the following links listed below:
Other Links
In order to
encourage Americans to prepare themselves, their families, and
their communities, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and
The Advertising Council have created these instructional videos
to help educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond
to all kinds of emergencies. The videos, in English and Spanish,
are designed to show how American families can get an emergency
supply kit, make a family emergency plan, and be informed about
the different types of emergencies in their community.
Links to the instructional videos can be found
here.
 Is your family ready to cope
with a regional disaster? What would you do if you had to
evacuate your home or lost basic services like water, gas, and
electricity? Montgomery County officials have the answers.
Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. Families
can cope with disasters by preparing in advance and working
together as a team. To that end, Montgomery County is
urging all residents to visit the new "Ready Region" website to
find out what they can do to prepare.
Visit the Ready
Region site at
www.readyregion.org. Or, for more information, log on
to the County's website at
www.montcopa.org.
|
