Practice What You Preach: Emergency Preparedness

This post was originally shared on Voluntary Happiness.

Back in May, I wrote about preparing to help during a disaster.  This week has definitely been a test of how prepared we really are, not just as volunteers, but as individuals who may face emergency situations on our own.   With this week's surprise earthquake, I learned that I was not prepared for an emergency at all, though I could talk all day about ways to get involved in emergency preparedness and response.  For example, my co-workers and I evacuated our building during the earthquake.  Once we got outside, I had no idea that there was a meeting spot for my team.  My cell phone was charged enough that I could call my husband and check out Facebook and Twitter, but the battery was low within about 30 minutes.  When I got home, I realized that we don't have a ready kit, gallons of water, or enough non-perishable food in case of a power outage.  The lesson here is:  practice what you preach (and better late than never).

There's still time to prepare for Hurricane Irene and the preparation now will save you time and worry in the future:

• American Red Cross: Hurricane Safety Checklist
• Ready Virginia: Prepare an Emergency Kit
• Sign up for Arlington Alerts or alerts in your area

Here are some simple reminders:

• Keep your cell phone charged
• Stock up on food and water
• Prepare for high wind by bringing things inside
• Make sure your car is filled with gas
• Have a plan in case you need to evacuate

For updates throughout the weekend, follow @ArlingtonVEST and@VolunteerARL on Twitter.  In addition to the County's media, those feeds will give you information on volunteer opportunities that may arise as result of the hurricane.

Stay safe!

Emergency Preparedness - Everyone Has a Role

Everyone knows that the key to surviving any disaster or emergency is being adequately prepared. Whether the emergency is a house fire, car accident, flood, or terrorist attack, the same general principles of preparedness apply. During National Preparedness Month (September), it’s important for every Arlingtonian to take a second look at his or her level of preparedness in order to know what types of emergencies or disasters he or she is likely to face and be prepared to face them.

On September 25, CVN volunteers will have an opportunity to assist Arlington County prepare for a disaster by assessing its capacity to manage spontaneous volunteers in the aftermath of a major incident. By acting as these spontaneous volunteers during a simulated volunteer screening and processing, CVNers will be able to help ensure that our own community is prepared to face the next disaster. Volunteer Arlington is partnering with the Medical Reserve Corps for this exercise and the lessons learned will help the county prepare to respond to a host of other emergency scenarios. Local governments across Northern Virginia will be hosting similar exercises.

Just as every individual and family should take this month to examine their own level of preparedness by reviewing fire evacuation plans, restocking emergency supply kits, testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, to name a few, across the country, government at all levels are doing the same to ensure that their constituents will be safe when the next disaster or emergency strikes. Any opportunity for you to contribute your time or talents to make your community safer and more prepared, is worthwhile. I hope you will join me on September 25th to make Arlington safer. See you there!

For more information about the Arlington County’s upcoming emergency exercise please contact cvn.admin@gmail.com or sign up at http://bit.ly/arlingtonexercise.