Emergency Preparedness

Respond & Recover

Welcome to the City of Normandy Park Emergency Management Services. The City of Normandy Park, in conjunction with other local, state and federal agencies is committed to providing the public with current and comprehensive information to promote readiness on the part of individuals and their families to safeguard against unforeseen threats to life and property.

Emergency Preparedness involves all sectors of the community. It is important to understand that you are responsible for the preparedness of yourself and your family. The better each individual and family is prepared for an emergency, the better the whole community will be able to respond and recover.

Without question, the best protection against natural and man-made disasters for you and your family is to become familiar with the tools and resources required to sustain your family in the event of a major disaster.

 Steps to Be Prepared

1. Stock Supplies: Expect that you won’t get to the grocery store or pharmacy for two weeks.
2. Reduce Hazards: In the United States, more people are injured in an earthquake by the way they decorate than by building collapse. Unsecured pictures, mirrors and bookcases pose a real threat. If something in your home would readily fall and/or break and hurt someone in an earthquake, you should bolt, anchor or strap it down.
3. Learn Skills:

• Take a first-aid class.
• Learn how and when to turn off your utilities.
• Learn how to use a fire extinguisher.
• Learn more about organizing your neighborhood to take care of each other.

4. Practice Drills: There is only about a 10 percent chance that a person will perform the “quake safe” action when there is an earthquake if they have not actually practiced “drop, cover and hold.” Every time you practice, you double your chances of doing the right thing.
5. Develop a Family Reunion Plan: Lack of information about the health, safety and welfare of your loved ones is the biggest cause of anxiety after a disaster. Mobile phone relays can break down or get overloaded, so don’t rely on them. Talk with your family now about where you would meet and how you would communicate after a disaster.

Preparation Resources

• Preparing Your Household
• Winter Weather Preparedness Tip Sheets
• Disaster Preparedness Handbook
• NOAA Tone Alert Radio
• “Shelter In Place” Information Sheet
• Pandemic Flu

Types of Emergencies

Many different types of emergency events could have a powerful impact on the City of Normandy Park. It is important for individuals, families, neighborhoods, businesses and the community to be prepared for anything and to survive without help for at least three days.

• Windstorms
• Snowstorms
• Earthquakes
• Hazardous material spills
• Disease pandemics
• Acts of terrorism

What you do now can help you and your family better respond to and recover from disaster, as well as contribute to the overall readiness of our region.