Bucks County Blog

Bucks County Commissioners Urge Preparedness as Weather Emergency Preparedness Week Approaches

March 13th, 2007

Bucks County is among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties joining to continue an emergency preparedness campaign, the Bucks County commissioners announced today. The week of March 11-17 marks an observance of Weather Emergency Preparedness Week, during which time the commissioners, Charles H. Martin, James F. Cawley and Sandra A. Miller, encourage families to review their emergency plans.

“If you start planning for a weather emergency when the wind starts whipping or the snow starts falling, you’re too late,” noted Commissioner Martin.

Emergency Management Agency Director John Dougherty, also the chair of the Pennsylvania Southeast Region Counterterrorism Task Force, recommends families follow the Ready Bucks guidelines. Included in that information is advice on what to have in your head, in your home and in your hand.

What to have in your head – This refers to your family’s plan. Where will you meet your family members if you are separated during an emergency? Is there a number you will all call into? Have you rehearsed your fire escape routes in your home?

What to have in your home – If you have to stay at home for an extended period of time, also known as sheltering in place, what will you need? Some ideas are batteries, flashlights, a battery-powered radio, water, food that can be prepared and eaten in case of a power outage, medications.

What to have in your hand – If an evacuation order is given or you chose to leave your home, your family should have a “go bag” prepared in advance. Ideas for your go bag include toothbrushes and toothpaste, extra clothes, extra medications, glasses, baby food/formula, a map of the region incase familiar routes are closed off, and don’t forget things to keep kids occupies like games. Fido will have needs too – bring him extra food, water and blankets.

“Storms in our area tend to occur during spring and summer months. It’s imperative that our staff and those we coordinate with, such as the Red Cross and sometimes the National Guard, rehearse our plans until they become intuitive,” Commissioner Cawley noted.

As part of Weather Emergency Preparedness Week, Bucks County officials will participate in a statewide weather emergency exercise on Thursday, March 15. Joining them will be many area schools, hospitals, nursing homes and day care centers across the commonwealth, testing response plans. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has the lead, and says that during the exercise, the National Weather Service will issue exercise-based severe weather reports creating situations officials in the Emergency Operations Center in Ivyland will react to.

Commissioner Miller emphasized that complacency is dangerous. “We always hope we will never need these plans, but we continually rehearse and refine them because we’ve all seen the reality of these weather disasters.”

Entry Filed under: Bucks County News