Clatsop County’s 6 Weeks Ready campaign focuses on personal emergency preparedness and is introducing its Week 2 focus: “Disaster Planning with Everyone in Mind.”
“We encourage everyone to join us. It doesn’t matter if you missed week one of our campaign. What matters is you are joining us now,” said Justin Gibbs, Clatsop County Emergency Management Director.
Clatsop County’s 6-Week Ready campaign provides residents and businesses with an opportunity to increase preparedness efforts.
“This campaign is for everyone. It’s for people who’ve never thought of emergency preparedness as well as those who spent time preparing themselves, their families and home. Each week we’re introducing a new preparedness focus and leading to the Great American Shakeout earthquake drill on Thursday, Oct. 19,” he said.
“Disaster Planning with Everyone in Mind” encourages individuals to tailor their preparations to their lives:
- Find out which hazards might impact where you live, work, and play. Check if your home, workplace, or child’s school is in a tsunami inundation zone.
- Identify factors unique to your life that may require extra attention. Do you have children, care for seniors, pets, or individuals living with disabilities?
- You never know where and when a disaster will strike. That means being prepared may look different depending on where you are – at home, work, shop or spend leisure time. Make a plan to respond for each location.
- Have a Communications Plan so you can stay informed during an emergency, and know how you and your loved ones can stay in contact with one another. Make sure you give a paper copy of your plan to every loved one so they can refer to it.
IMPORTANT TIP: Did you know that during a disaster, cell towers often get jammed by all the people trying to call loved ones?
That’s why you want to have someone on your contact list who is out of state. They can serve as a “relay,” where you and your loved ones can leave messages and updates.
- As the COVID-19 pandemic showed, businesses are vulnerable to emergencies too. Identify potential natural and human-caused hazards at work and prepare. A continuity-of-operations plan can help keep a workplace working during and after a disaster.
Each week of the campaign, preparedness themes and resources will guide residents to become prepared. They will be posted on the County website and social media in English/Spanish.
The 6-Week Ready campaign ends with the Great Shakeout, and the County encourages everyone to register online to participate.
Week 1: Sept 6 Building a Kit
Week 2: Sept 13 Disaster Planning with Everyone in Mind
Week 3: Sept 20 Protecting your Family & Property in a Disaster–
Sept 26 Countywide ClatsopAlerts! emergency communications test
Week 4: Sept. 27 Food & Water in an Emergency
Sept. 30 Get Ready Clatsop County Preparedness Event
Week 5: Oct 4 Earthquake Safety
Week 6: Oct 11 Tsunami Evacuation
The campaign ends Thursday, Oct. 19, the day of the Great Shakeout. “We encourage everyone to register online to participate,” he said.
Personal preparedness and other emergency preparedness information can be found at Get 6 WEEKS READY Clatsop County | Clatsop County Oregon.