Forewarned Is Forearmed! Emergency Preparedness

By P. Biancaniello

“Being prepared, as most experts will tell you, is one of the most 
important things a person can do to survive and recover from a disaster. 
The information presented at these meetings will be instrumental in putting 
together a plan of action. I greatly appreciate the efforts of all the 
organizations involved for participating in this series and for ensuring 
the safety of our communities,” Senator Flanagan. 

Senator Flanagan is hosting Emergency Preparedness meetings click here for dates

Are you prepared for an emergency?  That is the question being asked by people at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Fire Rescue and Emergency Services (FRES).  There is a wealth of information available to the public free of charge to ensure that the public is prepared for emergencies.  Will people avail themselves of the information? Will you prepare for an emergency that hopefully never happens? 

Fred Kruger Ph.D. Speaking about Emergency Preparedness at Commack - Kings Park Rotary Club MeetingCommack resident Fred Kruger Ph.D., K2LDC, is prepared, and he advises that everyone think about what his or her needs might be in an emergency.  “People tend to think about the basic storm related emergency - loss of electricity for a couple of hours, or maybe a day or two. You need to think of the situation that may arise where you do not have access to your personal documents. Are you prepared? Do you have a list of your prescriptions in a safe place? Emergency contact numbers are very important, but so is having a planned meeting place or a person to call who can answer questions about your whereabouts.” These are some of the issues that Dr. Kruger encouraged people to think about when he addressed emergency preparedness with the Commack –Kings Park Rotary Club. Dr. Kruger’s message was simple,  “Yes, prepare the basics, have flashlights, water, a battery operated radio. By all means make sure you have food that is easily prepared and include a manual can opener in your emergency kit, but also be prepared for an event that is long term.  The deed to your house, wills, powers of attorney, living wills, insurance information, health records, health proxy(s), prescriptions, phone numbers and addresses are all basic items that you need to have in a safe but accessible place.”

No one likes to think that they are vulnerable in their own home but there have been instances when fires have completely destroyed homes and without documents homeowners are left searching for information before they can begin the rebuilding process. “Make sure you have important information available, it will make life easier should an emergency occur.” Said Dr. Kruger

Example of Wind up Radio/flashlightDuring last summer’s storm trees fell on homes and cars, wires fell on buildings, stores and restaurants were closed, and heavy rains created flooding situations.  Many people were without electricity for extended periods of time.  What did people miss the most?  Communication.  Left without access to television news and internet, radio became the “go to” source for information.  Many people in our area tuned their radios onto WBLI (106.1) where they were providing access to updates on LIPA’s power restoration.  “While it was frustrating to not have the amenities we are used to having, not being able to know what was happening around us made everything worse. Thank goodness for WBLI.  At least we knew we were not forgotten,” said Smithtown resident Jay B.    Knowing how and where to access information is important.  Battery operated radios are important, don’t forget to keep fresh batteries! There are radios and flash lights that work with a wind up mechanism.  

An additional piece of advice from Dr. Kruger was to make the call to LIPA if you lose power. “Don’t assume that someone else has made the call.  Outages are often addressed according to the number of people without service. The area with the most people experiencing an outage will see repair crews before the single customer. Make the call.”

Don’t wait for an emergency. The old saying “ an ounce of precaution is worth a pound of cure” is true for many situations and none more meaningful than emergency planning.