October is Disaster Preparedness Month

The Wahkiakum County Sheriff’s Office Department of Emergancy Management (DEM) is happy to announce that October is Washington State Disaster Preparedness Month.

Each week in October I am discussing a different aspect of being prepared. This week I am going to discuss the second component of being prepared “Creating a Plan” and an upcoming test of the Emergency Community Notification System (ECNS).

Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance: how you will get to a safe place; how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations. Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone, coins, or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. If you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) in your phone. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts.

Teach family members how to use text messaging (also known as SMS or Short Message Service). Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through. You may obtain Family Communications Plans forms from my office or at ready.gov.

It is very important to write your plan down and put it in a safe accessible place. Studies have shown that people tend to panic or are unable to remember what they are supposed to do during and after major emergencies or disasters

On October the 27th at 7 p.m., we will be conducting a county wide testing of the Emergency Community Notification System (ECNS). This test will consist of a telephone call to each land line phone in the county as well as a call to residents that have registered their cellular telephone. If you have not registered your cellular phone yet, please do so by visiting http://www.co.wahkiakum.wa.us/dem.html and click in the picture labeled “ALERT Wahkiakum County Sigh up, Be informed” or by calling me and I can register it for you.

I encourage all residents with cellular telephones to register them to receive these important and maybe even life saving calls. These calls are sent out only by the Sheriff’s Office .

If you have any question or for more information on the item I have discussed in this article contact me at 795-3242, 465-2202 or visit my website at: http://www.co.wahkiakum.wa.us/dem.html.