Full Notification

Holiday Season Safety Message -

Whether we are visiting relatives and friends, or staying close to home with family to celebrate the holidays, residents are reminded to follow basic safety rules. If you are around water, please be vigilant for small children and those who have difficulty swimming.

Please remember that alcohol does not mix with many activities, especially driving.

Have an enjoyable and safe holiday season and celebrations!!

OEM alerts are available by signing-up at www.nixle.com and www.twitter.com/sbcountyoes.

OEM will issue emergency information as it is provided by agencies or the Incident Commander(s).

Learn more about receiving emergency information from local radio stations. Visit www.countyofsb.org/ceo/oes and click the "Radio Ready" icon.

** Preparedness Message - Recent disasters such as Hurricane Sandy on the east coast, remind us of the need to be prepared. According to emergency managers, after a major disaster, such as an earthquake, residents should expect to be on their own for several days. Emergency agencies, utility companies and other service providers will be immediately overwhelmed. Simple things go a long way in helping us survive on our own after a major emergency.

The following are steps toward helping in your preparedness:
1. Have one gallon of water, per person, per day, for about five days.
Water is the most important aspect of preparedness. With water, people have been known to survive for weeks. Without water, survival becomes much more difficult and serious medical complications can result.
2. Have a hand-crank radio.
Several days after a major disaster, resources from the state and federal governments, as well as though from national organizations such as the American Red Cross, will begin to arrive. Emergency managers will work with local media to broadcast shelter information, feeding stations, disaster assistance centers and other critical information.
3. Have food.
Non-perishable, easy to rotate food stocks are needed. Extra canned food and other food with long shelf lives are easy to replace. Buying a little extra of something until you have about five days worth becomes an easy habit to maintain.
4. Have a Plan.
After a major emergency, families often haven’t discussed what their next steps are, where they are going to meet or who they contact out of state so everybody knows they are OK.
To build a kit, go to http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit.

And, as always, you can get more information about the Office of Emergency Management and its ongoing activities on its face book page at: http://www.facebook.com/SBCountyOEM