KCDC Emergency Preparedness Message

Here is today's Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC) Emergency Preparedness message.

Martha K. Gabehart | Executive Director
Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC)
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
900 SW Jackson, Suite 100 | Topeka, Kansas 66612
(785) 296-6525 (direct) | (785) 260-4027 (cell)

This information is from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

National Preparedness Month is an observance each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and other emergencies that could happen at any time. It empowers all Americans to take action now to prepare for future risks and disasters by taking these simple low and no cost steps:

Launch your community's National Preparedness Month campaign using our Region 7 National Preparedness Month Toolkit (attached below) and visit National Preparedness Month | Ready.gov. Access preparedness materials in multiple languages at Ready in Your Language | Ready.gov.

The first step to preparing for an emergency or disaster is understanding what types of hazards or risks occur where you live and getting informed before they happen. Use the following tips to assess your needs and take simple, low and no cost steps that will help you become better prepared:

• Know what disasters could affect your area, which could call for an evacuation, and when to shelter in place, and plan for both.

• Keep a NOAA Weather Radio tuned to your local emergency station and monitor TV and radio for warnings about severe weather in your area.

• Sign up to receive alerts and warnings from your local or state emergency management agencies.

• Download the FEMA app and get weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five different locations anywhere in the United States.

• If you live in a flood-prone area, find out if your home is in a flood zone and ensure you have appropriate insurance coverage.

Knowing what emergencies or disasters can occur in your area also helps determine how you develop your emergency plans and how you build your kit.

Find more information at Emergency Alerts | Ready.gov and download the Know Your Alerts and Warnings handout in several languages here.

When making your family or household emergency plan, it important to look at your day-to-day needs and plan for if those needs or services were disrupted. Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes so it is important to know how you will contact one another and reconnect if separated.

• A communication plan that includes important family, caregiver or medical provider contact information.

• An evacuation plan with multiple identified routes out of your home, neighborhood, and community.

• Identified assisted or alternate transportation resources, if needed.

• If you live alone, consider creating a support network and incorporating them into your plan.

• Signing up with your community's registry (if they have one) of those who need special assistance during an evacuation.

• If receiving medical treatments or services, speaking with those providers on their emergency plans.

After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for several days. Being prepared means having your own food, water and other supplies (attached below) to last should stores be closed or you are unable to leave your home. An emergency supply kit is a collection of basic items you or your household may need in the event of an emergency.

When building a kit, older adults and those with access and functional needs or disabilities should include everything they would need to shelter-in-place or evacuate required for their medical, physical and communicative needs. These items could include:

Once your kit is assembled, be sure to store it in an appropriate location, check it regularly for expired items and update supplies if needs have changed.

For more tips on building a kit, visit Build A Kit | Ready.gov or download the Are You Ready? guide in several languages here.

During disaster response, affected communities depend heavily on local and national volunteer organizations to provide trained volunteers and much-needed donated supplies.

• Join a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program and get trained on basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

• During a disaster, you can donate to a reputable organization of your choice through the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD), and volunteer to respond to disasters and help your community.

You could help save countless lives by taking simple actions to prepare your community or organization for a disaster before one strikes. FEMA offers free trainings and education tools to train yourself and others on the best ways to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a disaster or emergency.

• You Are the Help Until Help Arrives, designed by FEMA, is offered as online or in-person training where you learn the basics of how to save a life before a professional arrives.

• Teach preparedness curriculum in your school or childcare facility. Download everything you need for grades K-12 through our Ready Kids program.

• Promote preparedness online by sharing preparedness tips on your social media accounts with Ready’s online social media toolkit or public service announcements.

• Take a free online independent study course through FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute or a CPR course through the American Red Cross and gain more knowledge to help your community become more prepared.

• Take FEMA’s OPEN training to prepare your Community Based Organization for emergency needs.

Getting involved not only helps with your individual preparedness, but helps build community resiliency as well! Learn more at Get Involved | Ready.gov.


This email was sent to [email protected] using govDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Kansas Office of the Governor · Capitol, 300 SW 10th Ave., Ste. 241S · Topeka, KS 66612-1590