For Immediate Release:

May 29, 2015

Pledge to prepare with Monmouth County!

County urges taking one step at a time to prepare for severe storms

“Preparing for severe weather does not need to be done all at once,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso, liaison to the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management. “There are small steps that you and your family can take to prepare for emergencies that can be done once a day, or once a week. All that matters is that steps are taken to ensure you and your family’s safety.”

The website ready.gov suggests some basic steps to make sure you remain safe:
Meet with your family or household members.

• Discuss how to prepare and respond to emergencies that are most likely to happen where you live, learn, work and play.
• Identify responsibilities for each member of your household and plan to work together as a team.
• If a family member is in the military, plan how you would respond if they were deployed.

“Make sure everyone in your family knows what to do if you are separated at the time of the emergency,” said DiMaso. “Choose two places to meet: one that is outside of your home in the case of a sudden emergency such as a fire and one that is outside of your neighborhood in case you cannot return home or need to evacuate.”

“The preparations you make with your family before an emergency hits can save your lives,” said Sheriff Shaun Golden. “Make a plan and get an emergency kit ready now so you know you will be prepared when and if the need arises.”

At a minimum, the following items should be in your emergency kit:

• Water—one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Food—non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications (7-day supply) and medical items
• Multi-purpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blanket
• Map(s) of the area

“The website do1thing.com offers resources to help the entire family prepare for emergencies,” said DiMaso. “There is even a twelve month plan to help you prepare all year long.”

For more information, contact the County OEM at 732-431-7400 or log onto the County website at www.visitmonmouth.com.

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