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South Brunswick Office of Emergency Management wants to remind residents that September is National Preparedness Month.  We are reminding residents “Disasters Don’t Plan Ahead. You Can.” Each week in September a new theme will be addressed to help residents be better prepared for a disaster.  South Brunswick Township Manager, Bernard Hvozdovic Jr., stressed the importance of providing reliable information sources with the community to better prepare for a disaster.  “Over the past several years, our area has experienced numerous significant weather events, including Hurricane Sandy.  We have learned that being properly prepared and aware can save lives.  The goal of National Preparedness Month is to increase the overall number of individuals and families in the community to engage in preparedness actions at home, work, business, school, and places of worship.”     
 
The theme for the first week of September is “Make a Plan for Yourself, Family, and Friends.”   New Jersey Office of Emergency Management offers the following recommendations and links to help you better prepare.
1.    Make an emergency plan today: www.ready.gov/make-a-plan
2.    Preparing the family for an emergency is as simple as a conversation over dinner.  Get started with tips from www.ready.gov
3.    Download a group texting app so your entire crew can keep in touch before, during & after an emergency. 
4.    Practice evacuating in the car with your animals, so they’re comfortable if you need to evacuate in an emergency. 
5.    Get the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) app with weather alerts for up to 5 locations: www.fema.gov/mobile-app
6.    Make sure you know what your insurance policy covers before an emergency: www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program
7.    Protect your identity: watch out for fraud and scams, and keep your personal information secure.
8.    Beware of frauds & scams when seeking disaster assistance. Federal/State workers never ask for/accept money and always carry IDs. 
9.    Financial prep tip: flood –proof important documents by putting them in plastic bags to protect against water damage.
10. Keep some cash on hand in case of emergencies. 
                                       
Take the time this week to prepare yourself, friends and family for a disaster.  Additional preparedness tips will be sent out next week. 
#Natlprep #PlanAhead