Novato Emergency Management Agencies Ask Residents to Get Prepared

The following is a news release from Novato Emergency Management:

In a continuing effort to provide robust emergency management services to the community, Novato Emergency Management—a partnership of the City of Novato and the Novato Fire District—is asking Novatans to “do 1 thing,” a month that prepares you and yours for the next disaster.

This month’s tip is to make your community stronger by getting trainedand getting involved.

It takes more than police, fire and emergency medical services to respond to a disaster. It requires people who are committed to neighborhoods, churches, schools and volunteer organizations. When people are willing to work together for the good of others, communities are stronger.

People who are involved are the key to a disaster resilient community. They are willing and able to look out for themselves and others. A resilient community is one that can withstand a disaster and get back to normal quickly—even if normal isn’t the same as it was before.

Remember, community preparedness starts at home. If you know that your family is prepared at home, you will be better able to help others in your community.To stay connected and assist during a disaster, here are some things that you can do:

• Connect with an isolated individual in your neighborhood or start a neighborhood organization.
• Promote emergency preparedness in your community.
• Become a volunteer in your community (CERT, Red Cross, etc.).

For additional local preparedness information, check out “Do 1 Thing,” a non-profit organization that builds stronger communities through emergency preparedness and emphasizes simple and easy steps you can take, each month, to improve your preparedness. This program is distributed locally by Novato Emergency Management, a partnership of the City of Novato and Novato Fire District.

Also, join Alert Marin – Telephone Emergency Notification System toregister your cell phone or VoIP (voice-over internet protocol) phone to receive local emergency alerts sent by call, text, or e-mail from the County of Marin Office of Emergency Services. You can also receive training through our free, two-hour preparedness course Get Ready—by calling the Novato Police Department at 415-897-4361 as well as Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training—which is an 18-hour course that takes you beyond the basics offered in Get Ready. CERT is offered around Marin County. For more information, go to www.readymarin.org