This month’s column is my last one and comes after three years of publishing in the Tigard Life newspaper. Thanks for being prepared! Thanks also to the Tigard Life publisher, Mike Antonelli, for supporting this endeavor.
I’ll do a summary of resources available to help you in your preparedness journey.
FEMA
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is a great resource for preparedness information. Go to their website at ready.gov to find that material. They’ve got information on how to prepare for specific types of disasters as well as organizing your emergency kit to help survive on your own for two weeks. Print their checklist to help get started on your emergency supplies.
Download the FEMA app to your smartphone to make their guidance easily accessible during a disaster. It’s available for both Android and Apple iOS smartphones.
Red Cross
The American Red Cross is also a wonderful source for information on emergency preparedness. You can find information about preparedness on their website at www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies.html.
The Red Cross has guidance for building a family emergency kit; how to plan effectively for your family during an emergency; and how to be informed about what types of disasters are likely in our area.
The Red Cross has also developed several smartphone applications that are useful to both prepare for disasters and to give guidance during a disaster. Their Emergency app helps you stay safe during emergencies with expert tips & useful tools. The Red Cross First Aid app keeps critical information at your fingertips.
Tigard CERT
Your local Community Emergency Response Team (Tigard CERT) is a great local resource for all Tigard residents. Tigard CERT offers short programs available to your neighborhood to increase awareness and disaster readiness. Tigard CERT, working with the City of Tigard, presents twice-yearly full training for those Tigard residents interested in joining Tigard CERT. Contact Tigard CERT’s Program Manager via email at tigardcertpm@gmail.com or visit our website as noted below.
Thanks for reading my column over these past three years, I’ve enjoyed being able to share this important information to our Tigard residents. Preparedness is a continuous journey, not a destination.
Tigard CERT Inc. is a local non-profit organization allied with the City of Tigard that trains volunteers in basic emergency response and organizational skills following the Federal Emergency Management Agency model and guidelines for local Community Emergency Response Teams. For more information about Tigard CERT, please visit our website at tigardcert.wordpress.com.
