Preparedness Month: Utahns urged to be ready for emergencies

<span>SALT LAKE CITY – September is “Preparedness Month” in Utah, and residents are encouraged to have an emergency plan in place.” Joe Dougherty, public information officer with the </span><a href=”http://health.utah.gov/preparedness/” target=”parent”>Utah Division of Emergency Management,</a><span> says people should have a plan that will keep their family safe if they end up without heat, clean water or power.</span>

<span>”This is a chance for us to help the entire state do something to be prepared for disasters or emergencies that could come in any form in the state of Utah,” Dougherty says.</span>

<span>Important items for an emergency kit, according to Dougherty include, one gallon of drinking water per person per day, non-perishable foods that can last up to three days, flashlights, blankets and first-aid supplies. Dougherty says it’s also wise to have a family plan of action that includes how to contact one another in the event of a disaster.</span>

<span>Disasters can occur while people are at work and kids are in class, Dougherty says it’s important schools and businesses take the necessary steps to educate workers and students.</span>

<span>”We urge every business in the state to make steps to be prepared,” he says. SThere’s a sobering statistic out there, and that’s that 40-percent of businesses that have to close their doors in a disaster, never reopen.”</span>

<span>Dougherty adds, preparing ahead of time can help people better respond, recover from and lessen the physical, emotional and financial impacts of a disaster or other emergency. </span>

<span>When talking with children about disasters, he recommends parents have an open, honest conversation about what children need to do, so they can feel better about the situation.</span>

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