September 03, 2020

If there is a lesson to be learned from this year, it should be the importance of being prepared for disasters and emergencies. From severe weather events, tornadoes and hurricanes to the global health pandemic brought on by COVID-19, we know that disasters don’t wait for you to make a plan. 

September is National Preparedness Month, providing an opportune time for you and your family to review, refresh or create your individual emergency plan to be ready and prepared if disaster strikes. 

Not sure where to start? The Department of Homeland Security’s Ready.gov site recommends using the next few weeks to focus on your plan. 

• Week 1: Make a Plan
  Discuss with family and friends how you will communicate before, during and after a disaster
• Week 2: Build a Kit
  Gather supplies that will last for several days for everyone in your home, including the unique needs of family members in the case of quick evacuation.
• Week 3: Prepare for Disasters
  Know the risk of disaster in your area, check your insurance coverage, learn how to prepare your home in the event of disaster.
• Week 4: Teach Youth about Preparedness
  Get your kids involved by talking to them about how to prepare for emergencies and what to do in case you are separated. 

TriHealth’s Emergency Management team leads our system in ensuring our hospital teams, facilities and emergency plans are properly prepared, equipped and ready for emergency situations. The Emergency Management team has also developed external resources for TriHealth team members to use as you make your own personalized preparedness plan, including:

• Red Cross App for your mobile device. This app allows you to add family in other cities/states across the US and receive alerts for those locations.
• FEMA App for your mobile device. This app also allows you to add family members from across the US and customize the alerts you receive.
• TriHealth Alert System. This new emergency notification tool was introduced earlier this year to provide TriHealth team members more effective and reliable emergency alerts. Team members can customize for text, voicemail and additional email notifications. Learn more on Bridge. 

For more information or questions please email Kay Vonderschmidt at kay_vonderschmidt@TriHealth.com or Emer_Mgt@TriHealth.com or visit our the Emergency Management team page on Bridge.