Get Healthy Carson City: September is National Preparedness Month

This column appears in the Nevada Appeal Wednesday health pages. It addresses topics related to the health of our community.

Our community is not immune to emergency disasters. From the flood to the recent Shooting Fire in the Carson Colony area, we know firsthand how emergencies can impact our families, friends and neighbors. This September, as we celebrate National Preparedness Month, we focus on improving communication. The theme is Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make your emergency plan today.

Local emergency management agencies and partners are regularly testing their abilities to communicate with one another. Although daily communication may primarily consist of emails and telephone calls, alternate modes of communication are available to assist in emergency response efforts, such as satellite phones and radios.

This year we’re asking you to take action now — make a plan with your community, your family, and for your pets. Plan how to stay safe and communicate during the disasters that can affect your community. Family communication plan templates are available at the Carson City Health and Human Services Preparedness web page www.GetHealthyCarsonCity.org/preparedness or at the Homeland Security website Ready.gov.

You can also register with Carson City Fire Department for CodeRed alerts in the event of an emergency in Carson City. CodeRed is a reverse 911 dispatch system that allows emergency management professionals to send messages out to our residents. You can find more information and register for CodeRed by visiting the Emergency Management page on www.Carson.org or calling 775-887-2210.

For more information about other Health Department services, check out our website at www.gethealthycarsoncity.org or visit us at www.facebook.com/cchhs.