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Headquarters | forty five State Drive | Waterbury, VT five thousand six hundred seventy one | 802-241-5000
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September Five, 2017
VT Emergency Management – Preparedness Op-Ed
Below is an op-ed from Vermont Emergency Management Director Erica Bornemann regarding emergency preparedness.
September is Preparedness Month and the events in Texas and Louisiana have illustrated the need for families to prepare for any eventual disaster. For more on general preparedness visit ready.gov or vem.vermont.gov.
Public Information Officer
Vermont Emergency Management
Preparedness Month Op-Ed – VEM Director Erica Bornemann
Like most of you, we at Vermont Emergency Management have been watching events unfold in Texas following Hurricane Harvey. As we see, most of us are no doubt reminded of our own historic disaster: Tropical Storm Irene.
We’ve seen many stories from Houston about individuals and families who were rescued from their flooded homes or were stranded in place for several days. Those who were stranded surely ran low on or eventually ran out of essentials like food and water while awaiting rescue. They weren’t being disregarded, the scale of the disaster simply made it difficult to get to everyone quickly.
The same circumstances were present during Irene, and could one day again happen here in Vermont. Vermont has thousands of committed and talented emergency responders who dedicate their lives to protecting the lives of others. But during a disaster their numbers can also be spread skinny and they must react to the most life-threatening situations very first. That can mean if you are not in imminent peril, they may not be able to make it to you instantaneously.
That’s why emergency planning for your family is so significant – it can keep you safe while you await help. You need a plan for your family before, during, and after a disaster.
Have you ever discovered a bees’ nest on your house or somewhere near your yard? You very likely made a point to keep the kids away from it, worked around it when mowing, or sprayed it – whatever it took to avoid getting stung. You may not have realized it – but you developed a small-scale disaster plan. You took steps to mitigate the risk and improved your odds against being swarmed or stung.
That’s what preparedness is about: developing a plan to mitigate the effects of a disaster or crisis, no matter how big or puny.
You may not be able to avoid disaster, but if you know how to evacuate your home in the event of a flood, or if you have food and water on palm to sustain your family should you become home-bound for an extended period, you better your odds against suffering serious harm. An emergency plan is scalable and can be as large or as elementary as you choose to make it.
September is National Preparedness Month, which reminds us to remind you that you can make a difference in protecting yourself and your family.
- Contact your town office and ask where your town shelter is located.
- Determine the best route to the shelter from your home, taking you over high ground in case flooding overwhelms lower-lying roads.
- Establish an out of state relative who would be a central contact for your family should you become separated during a disaster.
- Have essential items on-hand in the event you are homebound. Your preparedness kit should include
- Water
- Canned food
- Batteries
- Flashlights
- Battery powered radio
- Over the counter and prescription medications
Responders do all they can to help everyone in a crisis, but it may take time to rescue you. So help them by helping yourself – prepare now, so you don’t get stung later.
VSP Press Releases
VSP Press Releases
Headquarters | forty five State Drive | Waterbury, VT five thousand six hundred seventy one | 802-241-5000
Search This Blog
September Five, 2017
VT Emergency Management – Preparedness Op-Ed
Below is an op-ed from Vermont Emergency Management Director Erica Bornemann regarding emergency preparedness.
September is Preparedness Month and the events in Texas and Louisiana have illustrated the need for families to prepare for any eventual disaster. For more on general preparedness visit ready.gov or vem.vermont.gov.
Public Information Officer
Vermont Emergency Management
Preparedness Month Op-Ed – VEM Director Erica Bornemann
Like most of you, we at Vermont Emergency Management have been watching events unfold in Texas following Hurricane Harvey. As we see, most of us are no doubt reminded of our own historic disaster: Tropical Storm Irene.
We’ve seen many stories from Houston about individuals and families who were rescued from their flooded homes or were stranded in place for several days. Those who were stranded surely ran low on or eventually ran out of essentials like food and water while awaiting rescue. They weren’t being overlooked, the scale of the disaster simply made it difficult to get to everyone quickly.
The same circumstances were present during Irene, and could one day again happen here in Vermont. Vermont has thousands of committed and talented emergency responders who dedicate their lives to protecting the lives of others. But during a disaster their numbers can also be spread lean and they must react to the most life-threatening situations very first. That can mean if you are not in imminent peril, they may not be able to make it to you instantly.
That’s why emergency planning for your family is so significant – it can keep you safe while you await help. You need a plan for your family before, during, and after a disaster.
Have you ever discovered a bees’ nest on your house or somewhere near your yard? You very likely made a point to keep the kids away from it, worked around it when mowing, or sprayed it – whatever it took to avoid getting stung. You may not have realized it – but you developed a small-scale disaster plan. You took steps to mitigate the risk and improved your odds against being swarmed or stung.
That’s what preparedness is about: developing a plan to mitigate the effects of a disaster or crisis, no matter how big or puny.
You may not be able to avoid disaster, but if you know how to evacuate your home in the event of a flood, or if you have food and water on arm to sustain your family should you become home-bound for an extended period, you better your odds against suffering serious harm. An emergency plan is scalable and can be as large or as plain as you choose to make it.
September is National Preparedness Month, which reminds us to remind you that you can make a difference in protecting yourself and your family.
- Contact your town office and ask where your town shelter is located.
- Determine the best route to the shelter from your home, taking you over high ground in case flooding overwhelms lower-lying roads.
- Establish an out of state relative who would be a central contact for your family should you become separated during a disaster.
- Have essential items on-hand in the event you are homebound. Your preparedness kit should include
- Water
- Canned food
- Batteries
- Flashlights
- Battery powered radio
- Over the counter and prescription medications
Responders do all they can to help everyone in a crisis, but it may take time to rescue you. So help them by helping yourself – prepare now, so you don’t get stung later.