This year, the Township Office of Emergency Management, the Tabernacle Local Emergency Preparedness Committee and the township committee have adopted the theme “Resolve to be Ready” as a public-awareness drive that encourages individuals and families in the community to make a resolution to put together a family communications plan, and to take other simple steps to be prepared for any emergency situation.
Tabernacle OEM Coordinator William Lowe has been at the post for six years.
He said every municipality in the state has to have an emergency-operations plan — and his job is to coordinate the response and recovery. That was in part a response to the threat faced in America after Sept. 11, 2001.
“Tabernacle is very safe,” Lowe said, noting there are no major industries or large public gathering areas except for schools and churches. “Like anyone, else I like to have control over my environment.”
In his role as OEM coordinator, Lowe acts as facilitator between federal Department of Homeland Security and local emergency personnel.
He sent a letter to residents to inform them about safety practices — and encourage them to be prepared in case of an emergency.
The resolution calls for residents to take simple steps to prepare their family, their home, their business and their community in the face of potential disaster.
Those steps are:
• Be informed. Know the hazards and risks in your area. And learn what you need to do to get ready for them;
• Make a family-emergency plan, so you know how you would communicate with and find your loved ones if a disaster hit. For example, think about how you would reach your kids at school or your spouse at work. If you had to evacuate, where would you go? Thinking this through in advance will make a big difference;
• Build an emergency-supply kit — both at home and in the car — that includes water, food and first aid supplies to help you survive if you lose power or get stranded in your car. This is especially important for dealing with icy roads and snowstorms this winter;
• Get involved. Be an advocate and educator for safety and emergency preparedness within your community. Consider joining the Pinelands Regional Community Response Team (CERT). Using modern-day technology can help individuals and families prepare, adapt and recover from disruptions brought on by emergencies or disasters;
• Learn how to send updates via text and Internet from your mobile phone to your contacts and social channels in case voice communications are not available; and
• Store your important documents, such as personal and financial records, in a cloud service or on a secure and remote area — or flash or jump drive that you can keep readily available so they can be accessed from anywhere.
A “Resolve to be Ready” toolkit containing ways you can engage your family, friends and employees is available at www.Ready.gov/Resolve.
