Governor Tina Kotek has officially proclaimed September Preparedness Month in Oregon. This is a great time to make or update your emergency plans, work with family members and neighbors to help your household be more prepared and think about ways to protect your family and property during a disaster. In promotion of National Preparedness Month, Lincoln County Emergency Management with NW Natural will host the annual Lincoln County Readiness Fair. The free event will be held Saturday September 7th at the Newport Recreation Center from 11-2. Lunch will be provided for the first 350+ attendees thanks to NW Natural and the first 150 people will receive a free preparedness item. There will be a raffle give away every hour, presentations and kids activities and more.
“I want to call out the extraordinary work of local and state leaders who made sure our state was prepared for this year's unprecedented wildfire season," Governor Tina Kotek said. "As firefighters worked tirelessly to contain the fires burning across the state, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management effectively mobilized shelters, evacuation support, and identified the resources each community needed."
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) will observe preparedness month by launching a new community-based initiative designed to help individuals and their communities prepare for emergencies and practice their skills as a group. The Be 2 Weeks Ready Toolkit is a step-by-step guide to individual and community resiliency. The digital version of the kit is available at Oregon.gov/OEM and is offered in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Vietnamese, with American Sign Language videos coming soon. “As director of OEM, it’s a top priority for me to help people living in Oregon be ready for disasters,” Erin McMahon, said. “The Be 2 Weeks Ready program helps foster a culture of preparedness within established community groups such as faith-based organizations, neighborhood associations, local 4-H clubs, schools, and workplaces.”
Preparing for emergencies can feel overwhelming. It’s important to remember that being two weeks ready doesn’t have to be expensive or happen all at once. There are a lot of effective and low-cost to no-cost actions your community can take today to be ready for tomorrow. You can find more details about these on FEMA’s preparedness site Ready.gov, visit ORAlert.gov to sign up to receive local emergency alerts or update your contact information. In the end, OEM wants to help people feel empowered, not frightened, when thinking about how they will respond in an emergency. The Be 2 Weeks Ready Toolkit and CERT programs can help individuals build meaningful connections with one another that will lead to better outcomes for everyone when disaster strikes.
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