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WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Even as summer wildfires continue to burn around the state and within Whatcom County, the county is bracing for strong wind and thunderstorms. Before more fall storms or winter weather sets in, September is the month to begin preparations to survive, respond to and recover from disaster.
During National Emergency Preparedness Month, residents are encouraged to take steps to become prepared – not only to avoid potential harm, but also to respond and recover when disaster strikes.
The first step is to find out what hazards are most likely where you live, via the county’s Natural Hazards Explorer. And then:
Tips to prepare your own household
- Sign up to receive alerts and warnings
- Bookmark the Whatcom Ready Facebook page and WhatcomReady.org for updates
- With one task a month, you can Prepare in a Year (information available in Spanish, Russian and Punjabi as well as English)
- Get Two Weeks Ready, for when help is delayed
- Become a trained volunteer with Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Search and Rescue, Medical Reserve Corps, Project Lifesaver, Volunteer Mobilization Center, or as an amateur radio operator
- Check out the county’s Emergency Preparedness website to locate natural hazards nearest you
- Learn about the “Ready-Set-Go” pre-evacuation protocol used regionally (information available in Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian and Punjabi.)
Ready to respond in your own neighborhood
In a major disaster, residents are often their own “first responder.” After an earthquake, flood or other major catastrophe, police, firefighters and EMTs will be called in many directions. It could take days, even weeks, before help arrives.
There are local opportunities to learn what to do first and how to respond safely following an emergency. An eight-week Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training is one.
Once the last wildfire is extinguished, the potential for devastation does not end. Natural disasters and emergencies will occur. September is the month to prepare whatever may come; personal preparedness will help ensure we can survive, rebuild and recover.
Amy Cloud is the Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management. She was born and raised locally, leaving for Whitman College and work in Seattle, Knoxville and Washington, D.C. She returned to work as Supervising News Producer and reporter for KVOS-TV’s NewsView before switching to communications for WWU, PeaceHealth and the City of Bellingham. She also co-chairs the Community PIO Group and is a member of the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues.