Disaster Preparedness & Keeping Residents Safe Are Focus Of Monthly Initiative
FONDA - September is National Preparedness Month and County Executive Matthew L. Ossenfort and Emergency Management Director Jeffery T. Smith want Montgomery County residents to be prepared for both large and small scale emergencies and disasters. Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Preparedness Month aims to educate and empower people to prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies.
To support National Preparedness month, the Montgomery County Emergency Management Office will have a booth at the Fonda Fair, with safety and preparedness information. Smith will be speaking to the Ft. Plain school employees, on Thursday, Sept. 3, about preparedness and emergency info.
"The need to be prepared for an emergency is necessary nowadays," Ossenfort said. "In a disaster or emergency, every second counts and that's why having a plan is crucial. When it comes to keeping people safe, there's always more that we can do. Investing in public safety projects and critical infrastructure is one of our highest priorities at the county level."
The Montgomery County Emergency Management Office has made communication a top priority. There are many different ways residents can receive the latest updates and most up to date information. The best way is to download the Montgomery County Emergency Management app. This app, which can be downloaded on any smart phone or tablet device, provides severe weather warnings, emergency alerts, road closures and emergency checklists. Other options are registering your cell phone for hyper-reach updates and calling 211, for health/human services and emergency information. The office is also very active on social media, with a Facebook page that provides the latest weather information and is followed by more than 7,900 people.
"Communicating with the public is essential in emergencies or times of disaster," Smith said. "We are constantly working on ways to better alert the public about situations that occur or take place throughout the county. It is our number one priority to keep people safe and out of harm's way."
Montgomery County is no stranger to emergency situations. In August, high winds in Ft. Plain and the surrounding communities, in the western end of the county, caused nearly 3,000 people to be without power for close to 24 hours. Last year, the Emergency Operations Center was activated in June, July and August for severe weather events that caused flooding and/or damage throughout the county.
"The most important thing residents can do for themselves and their families is to be prepared," said Legislator Joseph M. Isabel (District 8), who is the Public Safety Chairman on the County Legislature. "Our Emergency Management team is striving to keep all residents updated whenever alerts are necessary, but it's also up to the public to prepare themselves in case of a disaster."
The Montgomery County Emergency Management/Services Office wants you to be well informed in the event of an emergency:
-Jeffery T. Smith, Emergency Management Director
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