Each member of “The Trio” (Me, Myself & I) woke up, once again, at 3 a.m., wondering what they might do differently this year in connection with FEMA’s annual National Emergency Preparedness Month. Hammerhead asked them in order to “hit the nail on the head,” How might we communicate our Neighborhood Emergency Response Team need and message in a more effective manner this year, 2011?
Since “The Trio” believes it is best to express their thoughts and feelings in “plain English,” all three replied, “Repeat!” Repeat what? asked Eagle Eyes, who was looking for a headline. They replied, “Just go back to all the EP blogs we wrote last year in preparation for the 2010 campaign, plus the Great ShakeOut, last October. Since our goal is to reach out and impact the greatest number of people living in the Petaluma area, we will “repeat” the posting of selected blogs composed a year ago.
Please remember, those messages are just as relevant today (if not more so) as they were last year. Although the dates don’t coincide with our 2011 calendar, the “just plain English” vocabulary, deliver a most important message to readers to “Be Ready & Prepared” to be on your own in the event of a major disaster. The selected blog, for today, was originally posted on 9/4/2010 and would only have to change a few words to be brought up to date to include disasters like Hurricane Irene and Tropical Strom Lee, plus the recent tornadoes and earthquakes else where in the U.S. and the world.
Mother Nature Speaks
When Mother Nature speaks, as she has done over the past few days, you don’t need The Trio, Eagle-Eyes, or Hammerhead to call your attention to Emergency Preparedness needs, issues, or concerns. Therefore, Our River Town blog team is taking the Labor Day weekend off and letting “Bill” manage this blog site. “Well, Bill, what have you to say?”
Hmmm, good question! All I can say is what today’s Press Democrat headlines stated on it’s front page: Widespread damage as 7.1 quake hits New Zealand, and right below Earl Loses Some Punch … however, “it still packs 70 mph winds as it swoops into New England, causing some flooding.” You don’t need a blog team to spell out the message, Mother Nature is doing it all by herself. We better listen to her carefully and act accordingly. BTW, “Bill” experienced the New England hurricane of 1938, as a child, when he was living outside Providence, RI. (Maybe that’s why he’s so concerned about friends and neighbors being ready and prepared when a mega-disaster occurs.)
Just so our readers are not left “blowing in the wind” or “shaking in their boots,” here are a few links that will provide basic emergency preparedness information. You are “on your own” WHEN, not IF a disaster happens. (Seriously, please take a few moments to check out a few of these links. You might have to “cut & paste” them in your browser.)
http://www.earthquakecountry.info/roots/step7.html
http;//www.citizencorps.gov/
Oops! I almost forgot … an earlier blog: EP #4 – Are You Ready, posted 10/25/2006.
http://www.bill-hammerman.blogs.petaluma360.com/
Go to the “Archives” on the right, and click on October 2006.
Stay tuned. We will have more selected Emergency Preparedness blogs, from the past, posted throughout the month of September. Maybe Eagle-Eyes will spot a headline The Trio can’t ignore.