San Rafael, CA – Marin County residents collectively shudder to think of how a major lethal disaster could change lives forever. Whether it’s a naturally occurring catastrophe such as flood, wildfire, earthquake, tsunami, or whether it’s a man-made one such as an act of terrorism, steps ought to be taken now to prepare for the worst.
Gathering and storing emergency supplies now will pay off when a disaster strikes.
September is Marin County Preparedness Month, and the Board of Supervisors plans to pass a resolution at its September 11 meeting to encourage residents to have a plan for all types of emergencies. The resolution is jointly sponsored by the
Marin County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services (OES), the
Marin County Fire Department and the
Marin County Department of Health and Human Services.
Marin OES works all year to promote the Ready Marin campaign mantra – be informed, make a plan, build a kit and get involved. Marin County residents should resolve to set aside time now to gather the survival items and make their emergency plans.
“Unfortunately there is no shortage of examples for us to witness of how major emergencies can lead to tragedy and even fatalities,” said Christopher Reilly, Marin County Sheriff’s Emergency Manager. “Every day we hear news of another community or region being devastated by some sort of catastrophe. What we’re advocating with the Board of Supervisors is for Marin residents to take precautionary measures and ramp up their preparedness levels. We believe good preparation leads to fewer casualties when a disaster strikes.”
Individuals and families are challenged each week this month to think about how they would prepare for a different emergency. The first week could follow a flood preparation theme, followed by wildfire, earthquake, or an act of terrorism.
Marin OES, based at 1600 Los Gamos Drive in San Rafael, provides emergency management services for the county and the surrounding operational area including its 11 cities/towns and more than 300 special districts. OES develops guidelines for emergency preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation to natural disasters, man-made incidents and technological threats. It serves as the liaison between the state and all local government subdivisions.
In the event of a major catastrophe, Marin OES would open its Emergency Operations Center if directed by the County emergency management authority. An activated EOC facilitates a coordinated response by all representatives from organizations that are assigned emergency management responsibilities.
Interested in learning more about preparedness? Check www.readymarin.org and www.firesafemarin.org, and register your mobile phone and other electronic devices to receive emergency alerts at www.alertmarin.org. Follow on Twitter @marinsheriff and sign up for Nixle alerts at www.nixle.com or by texting your ZIP code to 888777.