Counties and cities must practice their emergency preparedness plans, just like individuals and families. The outcome of doing drills can be startling when exposing weaknesses, but it’s better to spot those ahead of time and make corrections where needed. County leaders in Atascadero, California benefited from a recent drill, where residents tested out their emergency plans. The Tribune reports: A [...]

Fighting to stay warm is crucial in an emergency situation. If there’s a power outage, you may not have heat, and losing body heat can cause hypothermia and result in death. At the same time, you don’t want to use unsafe methods to stay warm because your power goes out. The Winchester News Gazette reports on the following information and [...]

A nuclear attack on the United States seems unlikely to some. However, the likelihood of a nuclear attack is a major concern to federal and state government officials, and everyone should prepare. In California, plans are underway to prepare for a nuclear event. The Los Angeles Daily News reports on the “Golden Phoenix,” an exercise scheduled for 2010 that simulates [...]

Things you may want to include when compiling your disaster recovery plan: Organization chart showing names and positions Existing Plan (if available) Staff emergency contact information List of suppliers and contact numbers List of emergency services and contact numbers Premises addresses and maps Existing evacuation procedures and fire regulations Health and Safety procedures Operations and Administrative procedures List of professional [...]

School Emergency Response Teams (SERTS) are not only cropping up in communities across the United States, but also globally. In the Philippines, the Department of Education conducted a three day Regional Training for Student Government Officers as part of its efforts to develop SERTS: At least 400 participants, composed of student leaders and teacher-advisers from the secondary schools division of [...]