Preparing For Disasters

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The volunteers of Swatara Township EMA work very hard to constantly prepare for any kind of emergency/disaster that could be brought before us.  We follow guidelines to develop and sustain a planning process.  This planning process allows our staff to determine answers to questions, conduct coordination during non-emergent times and exercise the guidelines so that we are better prepared to assist our community during emergencies when valuable seconds may count the most.

For more information on our training and planning, see the buttons for PEMA below.

Community & State Planning
Training & Exercises

How Can You Prepare For A Disaster?

One of the best things you as a citizen of the community can do to help us in a time of disaster is to be prepared yourself.  Preparing yourself and your family helps save time when seconds count and helps reduce chaos in a naturally chaotic time.

Be Informed

The first step in preparing yourself is to be informed.  In today’s world of technology, it is fairly easy to learn of an emergent situation.  With social media and other forms of communication, you can easily learn what’s going on and what you should do next.  The local radio and TV stations are also a great way to be informed as well, especially with weather-related events such as tornadoes or thunderstorms. You can also easily sign up for services that will alert you of emergencies.

One example is AlertPA.  AlertPA is for emergency and weather-related alerts, health notifications, building alerts, and other updates from the commonwealth and federal agencies.  For more information on keeping informed, go to Ready PA – Be Informed

Sign Up Here

Be Prepared

To better prepare yourself there are a couple of steps you can follow.

  • The first is to make a plan.  Come up with a family emergency plan so you all know what to do when disaster strikes, how to protects yourselves, or what to do if the family is not together when it happens.  The plan should include things such as where your family will meet, how you will communicate, and emergency contact numbers.  Also, remember to consider special needs such as children, pets, the elderly, and those with disabilities in your plan.
  • The second step you can take is to build an emergency kit. Depending on what kind, when, and how a disaster strikes, there won’t be time to go to a store to get supplies or you may have to leave your home immediately. You should consider making a kit for your home, vehicle, and workplace with enough essential supplies to last 3 days. You can find more information and supply kit checklists at Ready PA – Build A Kit.
  • Consider signing up for a CPR and/or First Aid class. If interested in taking one of these classes, feel free to reach out to us and we will try to assist you with finding a class.

 

For more information on being better prepared, visit Ready PA.

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