Summer Emergencies Can Happen at Any Time! Are You Prepared?

Put together an emergency supply kit and sign up for local weather and emergency alerts

NEW CITY, NY, - Summer is here! While we'd rather think about fun summer activities, we also need to think about being prepared for emergencies, such as a major summer storm, especially one where we lose power and/or get flooded.

"The County is ready to meet the needs of its residents during emergencies, but residents should also take the time to prepare. Don't let an event, such as a major storm, catch you unprepared. It's essential to plan ahead since emergencies can happen at any time with little or no warning," said County Executive Ed Day.

The Rockland County Department of Health advises residents to follow these steps to help be prepared:

Put together an emergency supply kit: There are some basic items that everyone needs:

• One to two gallons of water per person daily for several days, for drinking and personal hygiene needs.
• Enough food for you and your family for at least three days. Use food that does not need to be refrigerated or cooked, such as peanut butter and ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables.
• Flashlights, a hand-operated can opener, battery-powered or hand crank radio or a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) radio https://www.weather.gov/nwr&ln_desc=NOAA+Weather+Radio/, extra batteries, and first aid kit.
• Special supplies you and your family may need, such as
• Infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes, and diaper rash cream;
• feminine supplies and other personal hygiene items;
• at least three day's supply of medicines or medical treatments;
• important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification, and bank account records saved electronically or in a waterproof portable container;
• a copy of prescriptions, dosage, and treatment information; non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication, antacids, or laxatives;
• eyeglasses, contacts and contact lens solution, hearing aids and batteries, wheelchair batteries.
• Supplies for your pet, such as: food and water, dishes, medicines, ID, collar, leash, crate and carrying cases, current photos, and medical records (shots should be up to date), supplies for bedding and waste, and any special supplies your pet may need.

Make a family emergency plan:

• Your family may not be together when an emergency strikes, so plan ahead - make and practice a family emergency plan for contacting family members and what you will do in different situations.

Use generators safely:

If you lose power, remember to only use portable generators outdoors and away from windows. For generator safety information visit www.health.ny.gov/environmental/emergency/flood/generators_heating_safety.htm.

Be informed:

• During an emergency, information will be available on the radio, TV, in newspapers, via the Rockland County website www.rocklandgov.com/health, Facebook www.facebook.com/rockhealth/ and Twitter www.twitter.com/rockhealth. These websites can all be accessed on your smartphone even if you lose electricity and your cell phone is charged.
• Visit NY-Alert https://alert.ny.gov/ to sign up to receive emergency weather alerts and other emergency warnings. You can receive that information through e-mail, phone at home, work, and/or cell phone.
• People with limited mobility or special needs can enroll in the Rockland County Access & Functional Needs Registry http://rocklandregisters.com so that emergency personnel are aware of your needs in the event of an emergency. This registry serves as a database of our most vulnerable residents and is not a guarantee of receiving services. Caretakers must consider the unique needs of these residents when creating their emergency response plans.
• Visit CodeRED https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/5B816BC052CD to set up an account to be notified by our local emergency response team in the event of emergency situations or text "registercodered " to 99411.

For local information about how to prepare for emergencies, visit Rockland County Department of Health http://rocklandgov.com/departments/health/emergency-preparedness/ or call 845-364-2660, and visit the Rockland County Office of Fire and Emergency Services: http://rocklandgov.com/departments/fire-and-emergency/. For information about extreme weather and power outages, visit the New York State Department of Health: www.health.ny.gov/environmental/emergency/flood/.