PRESS RELEASE

City of Woodland Fire Department
 1000 Lincoln Ave.
 Woodland, CA 95695
 Phone: 530-661-5860
 Fax: 530-662-5781

Woodland, CA– September is National Preparedness Month, an annual opportunity for families and communities to help raise awareness and take steps to be better prepared for emergencies. During National Preparedness Month and throughout the year, the Woodland Fire Department encourages all Woodland community members to take a proactive approach in personal preparedness. As our nation continues to respond to COVID-19, there is no better time to be involved this September.

“National Preparedness Month is a great opportunity for all individuals to consider our emergency risks and take meaningful action to ensure ourselves, our families and our communities are disaster-ready,” says Emily Walling, Fire Marshal and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Coordinator the City of Woodland. “Taking steps to prepare now improves our ability to react, respond and recover whenever and wherever a disaster happens.”

National Preparedness Month is recognized every September and is part of FEMA’s “Ready” Campaign. This year’s theme is "Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today." and offers a weekly focus and resources on different elements of preparedness including financial preparedness, making a family emergency plan, youth preparedness, and community involvement.

"This year, we have seen firsthand how an emergency can disrupt all aspects of our lives, so it is critically important for all of us to remain vigilant and proactive when it comes to emergency preparedness,” says Eric Zane, Fire Chief for Woodland Fire Department, also serving as Operation Section Chief for the City’s EOC . “All aspects of community, including our families, schools, governmental service providers, faith based organizations, and business leaders, have a responsibility to be prepared for disaster.”

Woodland Fire Department will be sharing important preparedness information on our social media sites throughout the month.  The library will also be handing out family-centered emergency kit checklists with each bag of books at their curbside pick-up program.  Woodland Community Services Department’s “Senior Gram”  will also be featuring a full page on emergency preparedness and planning considerations.

Preparing your family for an emergency is as simple as a conversation over dinner. Review your family plan and even practice your fire escape and evacuation plans. Often, friends and neighbors will be the first ones in our communities to take action after a disaster strikes and before first responders arrive. It’s important to prepare in advance to help yourself and your community. Most emergencies happen without warning. In a real emergency, you may become overwhelmed or confused:

• Take time to learn lifesaving skills such as CPR and first aid.
• Consider the costs associated with disasters and save for an emergency.
• Know how to take practical safety steps like shutting off water and gas.
• Build an emergency kit and make sure you are ready with enough supplies for at least three days. Review and replace the contents of your emergency kit every six months. Be sure to check expiration dates on food, water, batteries and medications.
• Text, don’t talk. Texts may have an easier time getting through than phone calls, and you don’t want to tie up phone lines needed by emergency workers.
• Sign up for the Yolo Alert  program. Get emergency and community alerts by phone, email, text or TTY/TDD: www.yolo-alert.org

For more information, these links can help you create your own emergency plan: fema.gov and ready.gov.

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