LOCAL SCHOOL CLOSINGS & CANCELLATIONS DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FORM Guernsey County Emergency Management Agency A program of outreach and coordination to prepared for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against all hazards. HOME COMMUNITY OUTREACH PLANS CALENDAR OF EVENTS PREPAREDNESS DISASTER MONITORING LINKS WEATHER FROM OUR READERS FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT RESOURCES LATEST POSTS Emergency Preparedness Tips for Parents of Children with Special Healthcare Needs Posted on April 26, 2021 April is National Autism Awareness Month. It is also a time of year when people must prepare for severe weather. April, May, and June are peak months for tornadoes in many states. The Atlantic hurricane season officially starts on June 1. Emergencies come in all sizes and affect people in different ways. All emergencies require some amount of personal health preparedness beforehand to stay safe and healthy during and afterward. At a minimum that means stocking up on emergency supplies, such as food, water, prescriptions, and backup power sources. For Jennifer Silliman and her family, it means that and more. Her 11-year-old daughter, Allyson, has autism. They live in South Florida, where they’ve experienced over a dozen hurricanes and tropical storms since moving there in 2003. Preparing for emergencies can be challenging for families caring for a child with autism or other disability. But a little preparation now can make a big difference when an emergency happens. Planning is paramount All children have unique needs during an emergency. Preparedness planning for children with special healthcare needs is often more complicated because they may have: A hard time moving from one place to another, Urgent or constant medical needs, Difficulty communicating, and Trouble with transitioning to different situations. A disaster can present some or all these difficulties at once. Having a plan for how to stay healthy, informed, connected, and calm is important. If there is a child with special healthcare needs in your family, your emergency action plan should include an emergency care plan. An emergency care plan is important paperwork that you and your child’s doctor can write together. It’s used to communicate information about your child to caregivers. During an emergency, this could include teachers, grandparents, friends, and neighbors. “My biggest fear is that Allyson would get separated from me and my husband during an emergency,” says Jennifer. “Allyson is nonverbal, so she cannot tell people where she lives, what her phone number is, or how to contact her parents.” Because of her communication challenges, Allyson wears a bracelet that has her full name and her parents’ names and contact information. “She wears it all the time. She never takes it off,” says Jennifer. Nothing worthwhile is easy When there is a hurricane in the forecast, Jennifer’s family makes sure they have the basics, such as water, batteries, and flashlights. But they must also prepare for Allyson’s personal needs. Personal needs include the everyday items that she could not do without in an emergency. Allyson’s needs include a weighted blanket and a white noise machine to help her sleep and several favorite foods. “My daughter has six foods that she eats every day, including honeydew melon and French toast sticks. Almost every food she eats must be refrigerated or cooked in a microwave and this can present challenges if the power goes out during a hurricane,” says Jennifer. Some of Allyson’s other must-haves are noise-canceling headphones and a tablet preloaded with her favorite television shows and music. Then there’s the backup battery power that’s needed to run these things. All would be invaluable if her family ever had to evacuate to a shelter. Strive for peace of mind Preparing for an emergency can be stressful for all families, especially those with children with special healthcare needs. Having—and practicing—an emergency action plan can help families respond with confidence to the real thing. Communication is key. It’s important for all families to talk to their children about what is happening in a way that they can understand. Keep it simple and consider the child’s age and type of disability. Even though Jennifer’s daughter, Allyson, does not have a lot of expressive language, she does understand when others talk to her. “We want to be respectful of Allyson, so we tell her ‘Hey, we might need to pack up and go,’ or ‘It might get really loud tonight, and the house might get dark.’ I think telling children what’s going on puts them at ease.” After a disaster, parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers must know how to help children cope with their different and strong emotions. Some children react right away; others may show signs of difficulty much later. Coping with a disaster can be particularly difficult for children with disabilities. Visit the Prepare Your Health website for more information on how to prepare for emergencies. Resources Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs in Emergencies Children in Disasters Real Stories: Children with Special Needs Ready Wrigley: Coping After a Disaster Preparing Children with Special Healthcare Needs for an Emergency Emergency Preparedness for Families with Special Needs Prepare Your Children Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that the CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor. Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics. Posted on April 5, 2021 by Blog Administrator Categories Environmental Health, General, natural disasters, personal health, preparedness, response Tags children with special healthcare needs, emergency care plan, emergency preparedness, Hurricane, National Autism Awareness Month, natural disasters, personal health preparedness, Prepare Your Health Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention April is National Financial Capability Month Posted on April 9, 2021 Just as the daffodils and tulips in spring signal new beginnings, April is a great time to renew your efforts to become financially resilient. Being financially resilient can help you bounce back from unexpected emergencies, such as pandemic-related money challenges and being prepared for and recovering from natural disasters. Throughout April, FEMA, in partnership with the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC), is celebrating National Financial Capability Month. Here are some tips to get you on the right path: Gather all your financial information at your fingertips so it’s ready when you need it. Take time to organize and safeguard financial documents now in waterproof, airtight, and fireproof containers. The Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) has handy forms and checklists that will help you organize your financial information. New animations about the EFFAK like the one in this article can help you get started. Make sure you have the right insurance to protect your home so that you can repair your home and other property, if it is damaged during a disaster. Review your policy to ensure the amount and types of coverage meet the requirements for all possible hazards. Homeowners insurance does not typically cover flooding, so check if your home is in a flood zone to see if you may need flood insurance. If so, check out the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to find out how you can be covered. Be wary of identity theft scams, especially those surrounding COVID-19 and tax filing. Do not click on links in texts or emails from people you don’t know. Scammers can create fake links to websites and may try to take advantage of financial fears by calling with remote work opportunities, debt consolidation offers, and student loan repayment plans. The Federal Trade Commission offers additional help in identifying scams. Visit ready.gov/financial-preparedness for more information and resources. It’s Not Luck!!!! Posted on March 9, 2021 Don’t rely on luck when it comes to being prepared for emergencies! This St. Patrick’s Day ensure that you and your family are ready for any emergency. Remember to: Know your risk for the area where you live and work. Make a plan to lessen the impact of those risks. Build a kit to be ready for disasters and emergencies. Don’t leave disaster preparedness to chance, especially during springtime. Spring weather can be unpredictable and can cause severe weather conditions anytime, in any part of the country. This can include thunderstorms, including damaging winds, tornadoes, large hail, flooding and flash flooding, and winter storms associated with freezing rain, sleet, snow and strong winds. The preparedness steps will help keep you safe – your go-kit and emergency plan may just be your lucky charms! Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, you may not be able to participate in traditional St. Patrick’s Day activities or parades. According to the CDC, the safest way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year is to gather virtually, with people who live with you, or outside and at least 6 feet apart from others. 1 2 3 … 20 » Critical Information / 2019 Novel Coronavirus (Ohio Department of Health) GUERNSEY COUNTY EMA . Boil Order Lifted October 26, 2021 Alert: Boil order has been lifted for: MWCD - Seneca Lake, Beach Side. Samples Tested Negative NWS ALERTS There are no active watches, warnings or advisories November 26, 2021 CONTACT US: 627 Wheeling Avenue, St 302 Cambridge, Ohio 43725 Phone: (740) 432-9292 Fax: (740) 439-4250 Send E-Mail “Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™ and the Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™ logo are trademarks of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, used with permission.” ARTICLES Articles Select Category Emergency Preparedness FEMA Flood Guernsey County Guernsey County EMA Guernsey County Notification System Guest Post Kids National Preparedness Month Ohio EMA Pets Safe Driving Severe Weather Skywarn Spotter Training Uncategorized Winter Weather ARTICLES Articles Select Month April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 February 2020 September 2019 February 2019 September 2018 May 2018 January 2018 November 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 November 2016 September 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 October 2015 July 2015 June 2015 April 2015 March 2015 HOME COMMUNITY OUTREACH PLANS CALENDAR OF EVENTS PREPAREDNESS DISASTER MONITORING LINKS WEATHER FROM OUR READERS FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT RESOURCES Powered by WordPress and Merlin.