Washoe County residents should create an emergency plan

County Emergency Manager reminds residents how to prepare for an emergency.

Reno, Nevada. Sept. 1, 2015. September is National Preparedness Month and the Washoe County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is reminding residents what to do to prepare for disasters and emergencies. Each week in September, Washoe County Emergency Management is distributing personal preparedness tips to help people prepare by making emergency plans, assembling emergency kits, and staying informed.

“The September Preparedness Month is a time to stop and think, do we have an emergency plan? Have we assembled a kit? Are we doing the right things to stay informed?" said Washoe County Emergency Manager Aaron Kenneston. "If we could get every citizen to make a plan, assemble a kit and stay informed, we would have a much safer region."

Preparedness Tip #1: Make an Emergency Plan: When a disaster or emergency strikes, such as a flood, earthquake, wildfire or power outage, there is not a lot of time to act. Planning ahead of time will help those within our community take the right steps during an emergency and in some cases, could mean the difference between life and death.

Consider the following when making an emergency plan:

• Involve all members of the household
• Discuss potential emergencies and how to respond to each emergency, such as power outage, earthquake, fire or flood
• Draw a floor plan of your home. Mark two escape routes from each room. Practice your escape plan every 6 months
• Pick two meeting places
  • A place near your home in case of a small, localized event, such as a fire
  • A place outside of your neighborhood in case you cannot return home after a disaster
• Post emergency phone numbers near telephones
• Teach children how to dial 911, police, fire and how to make long distance phone calls
• Chose one out-of-state and one local friend or relative for family members to call if separated by a disaster
• Learn how to turn off the water, gas, and electricity at your home
• Instruct household members to turn on the radio for emergency information
• Remind household members of where the emergency kits are stored
• Consider creating a plan for frequently visited locations – school, work, and practice fields, etc.

 For more information about making an emergency plan for your household or workplace, please visit http://www.readywashoe.com/.