Are you prepared for natural disasters? Would you be OK in the case of a wildfire or worse? Could your family still eat, have safe water to drink? If not, September is the time to get it together.
Pacific Gas & Electric Co., is reminding everyone that September is “National Preparedness Month” and the time to make sure you and your family have a plan for when disaster strikes.
National Preparedness Month is a chance “to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time,” reads a news release from PG&E, which supplies electricity to much of California directly or indirectly through community energy companies.
“Recent emergencies,” the company said, “including the wildfires in Hawaii and Canada, the magnitude 5.1 earthquake in Ojai in Ventura County, and Hurricane Hilary, which prompted the first-ever tropical storm watch in Southern California, remind us that being prepared is critical to keeping safe.”
September is also the start of wildfire season here and people should have a plan in place if they have to get out in a hurry ahead of the flames. PG&E put out a number of tips for getting ready for arguably the worse thing that could happen.
The tips will help you prepare your home and family for an emergency, the company said, ways to help seniors prepare for disasters, and advice on how to respond to disasters that occur when you are away from home. Among the goals you should consider with a plan are:
• Create an emergency plan for your family;
• Prepare for power outages;
• Make a list of items you’ll need in an emergency including important documents; and,
• Packing “go bags” for every member of your family.
PG&E has a special website to help you get organized, see: safetyactioncenter.pge.com.
The VP of emergency response for the company puts it in perspective. “At PG&E we prepare, train and practice emergency response every day,” said Angie Gibson, PG&E Vice President, Emergency Preparedness and Response. “We make sure we have the tools and plans we need before disasters strike, so that we can respond safely and quickly. We want our customers to be prepared as well, no matter where they are when an emergency happens.
“Although National Preparedness Month provides a good reminder, proper planning and preparation is a year-round necessity and that’s why PG&E offers resources for our customers every day.”
Other websites are available if readers aren’t too sure about the utility company’s advice. See: Ready.gov for “tools and resources to help you and your family prepare emergency plans for yourselves, friends and neighbors;” redcross.org (The American Red Cross), “also offers many tips to help prepare and respond to emergencies; and www.readyforwildfire.org is CalFire’s website with preparedness information and more.
