National Preparedness Month 2023 – Help our seniors prepare for emergencies
Residents urged to make emergency plans, and help older adults plan as well
WARREN COUNTY, NY -- September is National Preparedness Month, and Warren County Office of Emergency Services is urging residents to make sure they are ready to respond when emergencies occur, with this year’s campaign focus on our older residents.
The 2023 National Preparedness Month theme is “Take Control in 1, 2, 3,” a campaign that emphasizes helping older adults prepare for emergencies and disasters.
Older adults can face greater risks when it comes to the multitude of extreme weather events and emergencies we now face, especially if they are living alone, are low-income, have a disability, or live in rural areas. Some will need special considerations, such as use of assistive devices, when making a plan.
Warren County Emergency Services Director Ann Marie Mason said: “It’s important that we help older adults, particularly during weather events, and assisting them in planning for emergencies is a great first step. Preparing a plan ahead of time can lessen the impact of a natural or man-made disaster, and will lead to less stress and confusion for everyone when an emergency occurs. We ask that you please take time to make a plan, and have your family practice how to implement it. That plan should include signing up to receive alerts from the Ready Warren County NY cellphone application. This application will allow you to receive critical information and emergency alerts on what is happening in your area. This information may include severe weather warnings, significant highway closures, hazardous material spills and other emergency conditions.”
Kevin Geraghty, Chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors and 53-year member of the Warrensburg Fire Company, said: “It is important for residents to be prepared for emergencies such as fires or severe weather so they can react accordingly if disaster strikes. Our older residents may need some help with preparation, and we ask residents to work with them to plan ahead to ensure that they can respond calmly and appropriately when emergencies occur.”
Warren County residents can improve their emergency preparedness by:
- Determining where to evacuate should you have to leave your home, including designating a meeting place and a location to seek shelter.
- Putting together an emergency kit that includes water, non-perishable food, medications, first aid kit, flashlight, maps, basic tools, dust mask, battery-powered radio, rechargeable battery for a cellphone, personal wipes and garbage bags.
- Storing your emergency kit items in a “go bag” that can be grabbed at a moment’s notice.
- Keeping pets in mind, set aside food and medications they may need if you have to leave home quickly.
- Educating yourself about risks, and preparing the area around your home for bad weather. Trim tree branches, maintain home gutters and identify other possible threats to your home during wind or heavy rain.
- Preparing your vehicle with basic equipment for winter weather, such as a snow shovel, extra clothes and blankets.
In observance of National Preparedness Month, the U.S Department of Homeland Security and Warren County Office of Emergency Services have put together extensive emergency preparedness information that provides Warren County residents with opportunities to learn to be better equipped for bad weather, fires and other emergencies. This information can be found on the Warren County Office of Emergency Services website or Facebook page or go to ready.gov, operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. While September is National Preparedness Month, ready.gov offers a calendar with guidance for staying prepared all year long on its 2023 Calendar.
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