To help residents prepare, Senator John Flanagan (2nd Senate District) recently joined with a number of public agencies to host two community preparedness seminars. The two seminars, which offered residents helpful tips and information, were held at the Middle Country Public Library in Centereach and the Cannataro Senior Center in Smithtown.The meetings provided those who attended with tips regarding preparing for and recovering from both natural and man-made emergencies. The presenters came from all levels of government and together they covered a wide variety of information for those who attended.As the lead agency at the seminar, New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) Regional Director Ted Fisch opened the informational meeting by providing an overview of the organization’s statewide coordination efforts.His presentation was followed by similar talks by representatives from the Red Cross, Long Island Power Authority and the Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management who each described their role in emergency preparedness and recovery. While each presenter provided the audience with specific information about their organization’s role, they worked jointly to present those in attendance with the following information:-How to prepare an emergency preparedness kit for your home in case you are forced to "shelter in place" without electricity, heat or water for a number of days. According to the experts at the seminar, if a severe emergency were to impact our area, residents should expect to be on their own for approximately three days;How to prepare a "GO" bag and implement a family communications plan in case you need to leave your home as a storm approaches or in its immediate aftermath;-How and when to evacuate and how to find information about open shelters since the opening of shelters is contingent on the type of emergency facing the area. According to the officials at the meeting, some shelters are designed for hurricanes while others serve during other emergencies so it is necessary for residents to get information regarding open shelters; and-How to care for vital personal information to make recovering from emergencies easier."Being prepared is the best way to face and recover from any situation and I appreciate all the organizations for helping get our residents ready. Hopefully, those who attended these meetings will implement an emergency plan for their family and will provide the information they learned to help their neighbors," stated Senator Flanagan. "What is clear is that it is essential that we prepare as a community and that working together will be a key to our joint recovery."Residents who were unable to attend the meetings should visit the Emergency Preparedness section. This site includes important preparedness tips, links to key emergency organizations, access to a list of Suffolk County emergency shelter locations and a full description of the essentials for a home supply kit. TO SEND AN E-MAIL TO SENATOR FLANAGAN, PLEASE CLICK HEREIF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE REGULAR UPDATES FROM SENATOR FLANAGAN, PLEASE CLICK HERE
TO SEND AN E-MAIL TO SENATOR FLANAGAN, PLEASE CLICK HEREIF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE REGULAR UPDATES FROM SENATOR FLANAGAN, PLEASE CLICK HERE
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