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Music Theme and Narration.
Jim Kincaid, Host.
Hello, I’m Jim Kincaid. The next few minutes will offer some of the most important information
that residents of Hampton Roads need to have. So important, that the information could literally
save you and your family’s life. Every major emergency organization agrees…
An informed citizen is a well prepared citizen. Our program’s purpose is to explain how
to protect your family and loved ones should a disaster or emergency hits our community.
Keep in mind; we have no intention of disaster merchandising in this program.
Rather, we’ll provide a solid understanding of ways you can prepare for any large-scale
emergency such as a hurricane, and what to do once a disaster strikes Hampton Roads.
People, Get Ready.
Music Theme.
Ray Haring, Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management wants each family to be adequately prepared
in the event of a major emergency or disaster. Following six simple steps can help you ride
out the storm.
Jim Kincaid, Host.
Those six points are as follows: Understand what could happen.
Create a disaster plan. Make an emergency supplies kit
Listen for your local instructions. What to do when the disaster is over.
And, important preparation tips.
Unexpected emergencies and disasters can happen quickly and with little or no warning. It’s
important to invest some time with your families to understand the importance of being ready.
Sounds of Wind and Rain.
Jim Kincaid, Host
Most of us automatically think of a hurricane when we think of natural disaster here in
Hampton Roads. That’s understandable, but, it’s certainly not the only possible crisis
situation.
So now’s the time to learn about your community’s disaster and communications plans.
Music Theme.
Mary Hancock, Virginia Beach Spokesperson.
Communicating with citizens during times of emergency is a major priority for the City
of Virginia Beach. Recent events remind us of the importance of solid preparations and
the need for timely, accurate and consistent information. The City offers several ways
to provide crucial public safety and health information to residents, businesses and visitors.
Let’s start with V-B-Gov_Dot-Com. In the event of a large scale emergency, the city’s
web site will become an emergency communication’s site, providing information on evacuations,
closings, shelters and other emergency information.
Virginia Beach Television, which operates on three cable channels, will also provide
accurate public safety and emergency information for viewers.
The city also communicates regularly with television, radio and weather stations to
provide the most up to date instructions and information.
Travelers on our roadways can stay on top of a situation by tuning vehicle radios to
V-B-A-M radio, A-M 1680. A low powered A-M radio service,
V-B_A_M carries timely public safety messages, warnings, alerts and notifications.
Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the City’s Public Information Office can
be reached by simply dialing 3-1-1 form any land line within the city limits. Cell phone
callers or those outside of the city can reach the office at 385-3111. Our public information
specialists are available to assist callers with information, updates or news of the event.
And finally, there is V-B-Alert, or reverse 9-1-1 as it is sometimes referred to. This
tool allows the city to share public safety and emergency notifications through a prerecorded
Phone message. Using this technology, the city can communicate with any portion of the
population by selecting a specific area of the city on an electronic map that is connected
to the city’s 9-1-1 database of landline telephone numbers. The system will contact
unlisted telephone numbers but will not contact cell phone numbers directly. If a landline
telephone is programmed to forward incoming calls to an alternate number, such as a cell
phone, the system will contact the alternate number. There is no “opt out” feature
for this system as it is connected to the city’s 9-1-1 database.
Calls from this system will appear on the Caller ID as Alert Message and will originate
from the 303 area code. The message will provide details of the incident or situation, and
will be followed by instructions.
Please remember that you should not call 9-1-1 unless you have an emergency. Non-emergency
calls can be directed to the Virginia Beach Public Information Office, 24 hours a day,
at 385-3111.
Music Theme.
Jim Kincaid, Host.
Once an emergency occurs, generally it’s too late to begin making plans. The time to
create your personal emergency or disaster plan is now
Getting ready isn’t as difficult as it might seem, if you’re organized and thorough.
Rob Shapiro, American Red Cross.
One of the most important lessons learned in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was
that those who took responsibility for their well-being were better able to cope.
Jim Kincaid, Host.
It’s important to realize that when a disaster strikes, there can be significant damage and
loss of life. Health and mental health resources will be
overwhelmed. Public fear will continue over an extended
period. Media coverage will be prolonged.
Public facilities and workplaces might be closed indefinitely.
Schools may close for a long period of time. Travel could be restricted or halted.
You may be evacuated to a remote location for an extended time.
Clean up could take months. And, water and food sources could be contaminated.
Rob Shapiro, American Red Cross.
I’ll say it again; those who take responsibility for their well-being are better able to cope
during a disaster.
Jim Kincaid, Host.
People, Get Ready!
Music Theme.
Jim Redick, Emergency Management Planner.
Disaster preparedness must be addressed as a team effort between residents, visitors,
businesses and the City of Virginia Beach. It’s an effort that should not to be taken
lightly. Because the safety of its citizens and visitors is the City’s top priority,
the City has taken steps to provide you with a wealth of emergency preparedness information.
We hope that you utilize this information to help protect you, your family and your
property in the event of any type of emergency situation.
The City Web Site, V-B-Gov-Dot-Com, offers in-depth information regarding emergency preparation.
Here, you can find out details of the city’s basic emergency operations plan, as well as
those methods that officials will use to communicate information to the public.
In addition, V-B-Gov provides information on how to deal with both man-made and natural
disasters all types of potential disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, lightning,
hazardous materials and the failure of a nuclear power plant. The site addresses evacuations,
shelter locations and offers advice on planning for pets and farm animals. Another feature
of V-B Gov is that the site provides links to regional and national resources, such as
FEMA and National Weather Service. In fact, it’s a one stop shop for insurance information,
including phone numbers for major carriers.
V-B-Gov also provides information for what you should do to recover following the emergency,
what you can do now to prepare and in the future.
With links to organizations like the American Red Cross, FEMA, Homeland Security and the
Virginia Department of Emergency Management, V-B-Gov-dot-Com provides you with the information
you and your family need to ride out the storm.
Music Theme.
Jim Kincaid, Host.
You wouldn’t begin a drive across country without looking at a road map would you? Well,
dealing with emergencies means developing your own roadmap for preparation.
Begin by meeting with your family. Discuss possible emergency situations and the potential
dangers. Create a “TEAM” mentality, which will be most beneficial when dealing with
any crisis.
The first rule of emergency planning is to establish a meeting place where everyone will
gather once a crisis occurs.
Don’t assume your home is the only place. Designate a location outside your neighborhood
in case you can’t return home.
Make sure everyone caries the address and phone number of the remote meeting place on
a special card kept in their wallet
It’s also important to establish a route to your alternate meeting place. During a
crisis, it’s easy to become confused. Be specific from the start, and you’ll stay
calm throughout the emergency.
Establish an out of town central contact. Anyone who can’t get to the emergency meeting
location should call this person to check in and establish communication.
The wallet cards mentioned earlier should include the phone and cell phone numbers of
the out-of-town contact, as well as that person’s E-mail.
Plan
for special needs family members who are mobility-impaired, especially those bed bound and on life support.
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Cheryl Simpson, Endependence Center.
As a person with a disability, a primary goal is to remain as independent as possible before,
during and after an emergency… So, there are many things we can do to be prepared.
First, develop a support team of friends, family or personal care attendants who will
assist during a time of crisis.
2nd, keep supplies and assistive technology where you can easily grab them.
If you need assistance getting in and out of bed, keep an emergency kit by your bedside.
You’ll want a phone, water medicine, food and a flashlight.
Take disability specific items with you should you evacuate. These could be gloves for pushing
a wheelchair through debris, catheter or diabetic supplies, a transfer board, white cane, hearing
aid batteries, drinking straws and someway to communicate.
Make sure wheelchair and communication tools are fully charged, shelters may be without
power. If you need electricity for a ventilator, install a generator or travel out of the area.
If you need accessible public transportation to a shelter, call your local emergency management
office for an address or directions so you can schedule your ride.
And remember, Be prepared. Planning is the key to independence.
Jim Kincaid, Host.
And, your planning won’t be complete until you consider your pets.
Sharon Adams, Director, Virginia Beach SPCA.
The most important thing to remember when making your plans for an emergency or a disaster
is that generally speaking, “IF IT IS NOT SAFE FOR YOU, IT IS NOT SAFE FOR YOUR PETS.”
The very same questions that you ask and answer for your family plan are those that should
be asked about your pet: When do we leave? Where do we go? What do we take? Keep these
decisions in your planning.
If you decide to stay in a motel with your pets, many national chains allow pets but
there are conditions and quite often there is an additional pet deposit. You can easily
go on line to www.travelwithpets.com to find out which chains accept pets and where they
are on your route.
Keep in mind, your pet needs a disaster kit as well.
Make sure your animal has identification, tags on her/him at all times with full contact
information. The Virginia Beach SPCA also recommends micro chipping as well so that
any animal control bureau can scan your animal and find your contact information if tags
are lost. Your veterinarian can microchip your pet or you can bring him/her to the SPCA
clinic for this particular service.
You need your animal’s medical records in a plastic sleeve, all medication, a one week
supply of food, can opener if necessary, food and water bowl extra collar, leash, a toy
and the animal’s bed. Most of the time you will want a crate or kennel as well.
Make sure that all of your full information is attached to the animal, back-up numbers
where you will be staying, a friend’s or relatives name and number that would be a
point of contact.
Again, if it is not safe for you, it is not safe for your pets.
Jim Kincaid, Host.
Every six months, your family should revisit the plan. This will keep it fresh in everyone’s
mind and ensure that understand what to do in a disaster. People, Get Ready.
Music Theme.
Jim Redick, Emergency Management Planner.
Disaster can strike quickly and, at times, without warning. You might be forced to evacuate
or, you may find yourself confined to your home, sometimes for days on end.
Here’s an important question for you to consider. What would you do if basic services
like water, gas, electricity, cell or telephones were cut off? Following a disaster, Virginia
Beach officials and response crews will be on the scene, but we can not reach everyone
right away. So, because of a possible delayed response into your community, we strongly
encourage you to stock up on emergency supplies that would carry you through at least 72 hours.
One of the first things you should consider is stopping at our emergency preparation page
on the city website, V-B-Gov-Dot-com. Under the Family Disaster Plan section are plenty
of tips for getting ready, and the types of supplies to gather. Also, there is other general
information that will help steer your course before, during and after an emergency event.
Our page on V-B-Gov also provides links to regional and national resources such as FEMA,
American Red Cross and The National Weather Service, which provide detailed instructions
of what to include in your emergency kit. From food, to water, to prescriptions and
eyeglasses, you’ll want to have the necessary items on hand in order to ride out the storm…
Remember, the time to assemble your supplies is now, not on the eve of a storm or disaster.
A few minutes of preparation now, will go a long way to easing your mind later.
Music Theme.
Jim Kincaid, Host.
Another simple preparation your family should make is an emergency and disaster supply kit.
Once a crisis occurs, securing even the simplest items might be impossible.
Keep in mind; you may only have minutes to prepare, so it pays to think ahead.
Every home should keep enough supplies to sustain the entire family for five days.
Each person and pet will need one gallon of drinking water per day.
Stock enough non-perishable food for the same amount of time. Be sure you have a good working
manual can opener.
Replace that stored water and food every six months.
If you must evacuate, you’ll need to take your necessary items. These will provide both
safety and comfort.
Don’t wait until impending disaster, as many needed items will be unavailable. Collect
your supplies over time. This will eliminate anxiety at the last moment and puts less stress
on you household budget.
And be smart about it. Don’t pack so much that your bags become heavy or too bulky to
carry. You might even consider having one bag with wheels.
Finally, make certain that everyone in your family knows where the emergency supply kit
is located. You won’t want to waste time trying to find it when it’s most needed.
A Disaster Supply Kit is easy enough to assemble, and yet is the most important thing you can
have on hand in the time of an emergency. So, what do you need to pack?
Start with one change of protective clothing and a second pair of sturdy footwear per person.
That’s essential.
For each person, be prepared to take one blanket or sleeping bag. Shelters usually do not provide
these.
Have a first aid kit handy. It should include all your family’s prescriptions and medicines.
Be sure to include a list of any allergies that someone might have.
Don’t forget to pack extra glasses and contact lens supplies.
Each person should have a high powered battery-operated flashlight.
Pack lots of extra batteries.
Have a battery-powered radio and plenty of the appropriate sized batteries.
Don’t forget cash, especially small denominations, and credit cards, traveler checks and your
official ID. Remember, A-T-Ms may be out of order.
Soap, toilet paper and toothpaste and toothbrush should be included. Also, garbage bags and
disinfectant are important.
If you have small children or elderly family members, make sure to plan and pack for their
needs.
And, it’s important to have a secure weatherproof container for copies of all your important
documents. Originals should be stored elsewhere in a safe place.
And finally, Don’t Waste Battery Life. Reserve the use for when you need light or gathering
information from the radio. Chances are, new batteries may not be available for some time
after a disaster.
If ordered to evacuate, your city or county officials will tell you the best routes to
take. Only travel on the specific routes provided by your local authorities. Don’t rely on
shortcuts and endanger the lives of your family.
Music Theme.
People Get Ready.
Music Theme.
Mark Marchbank, Director of Emergency Management.
The primary task of individuals is to assess their vulnerability. The closer you are to
coastal flooding; your vulnerability to winds should really drive your decision to evacuate.
The strategy to distribute traffic through the region is to have what we call a phased
evacuation. We ask the population north of 264 to go 64 West, those south of 264 to go
64 East. And this is repeated in each jurisdiction to allow a dissemination of traffic across
the whole region.
Initially, we’d have the 64 East, 64 West scenario. As you go 64 East and West, it will
branch out to 460 and 58 West, the primary evacuation routes out of Hampton Roads.
Our goal would be if you feel comfortable in your home, you feel like you can ride out
the storm, that’s where you want to be. If you are threatened by the tidal surge,
if you are interested in leaving the area, the watch word is leave early. Theoretically,
at some point, you’ll be trapped in here in terms of the interstates closing down and
weather conditions not allowing an evacuation any further.
Music Theme.
Jim Kincaid, Host.
There may be times when officials ask you to stay where you are. If you’re instructed
to stay put, heed that advice. Shelters in Place means do not leave your home or office.
Ray Haring, Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
In some emergency situations such as chemical spills or a radiological release, many people
feel compelled to gather their children from schools, which often are the safest places
for anyone to be. Don’t risk their safety and yours by going out when told not to.
Jim Kincaid, Host.
Your preparations for Shelter in Place should include locking exterior doors and windows,
turning off air conditioning, heating and fans. Closing Fireplace vents. Gathering your
emergency supply kit and checking your battery powered radio. Listen to the radio or TV or
check online. Stay put until you’re told that it is safe, or time to evacuate.
Rob Shapiro, American Red Cross.
Just because an emergency has passed does not mean that the crisis is over. It may take
weeks or even months before your community recovers. Remember, your local officials will
respond as quickly and as safely as they can.
Jim Kincaid, Host.
If you were evacuated, do not return until authorities tell everyone it’s safe. When
you do return, be cautious about re-entering your home. Unsafe structural damage might
not be apparent.
If extreme flooding has happened, mold can create major health risks.
Wild animals often take refuge in unoccupied structures during a disaster. Be careful of
snakes and other wildlife.
One of the more unfortunate results following disasters is the number of people trying to
take advantage of your misfortune. Don’t fall for price gouging or other scams by people
who say they will fix your property for cash. These people are not interested in working
with your insurance companies. Most do not have company names on their trucks.
If you suspect that someone is trying to take advantage of you, report them to the Federal
Trade Commission or Better Business Bureau.
Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Prepare yourself by following
a few helpful tips.
Follow your established emergency plan. Listen to radio and TV of Current Information.
Check out your community’s web site and cable channels for pertinent and current information.
Be prepared to evacuate when ordered to do so.
Check for fires, electrical or other hazards. Check on your neighbors.
Call your out of town family contact. Don’t drive except as ordered by your local
officials. Be prepared to give first aid.
Remember the flashlight, radio and plenty of batteries.
Don’t use candles. And, if you smell gas, turn off the valves immediately.
Music Theme.
Chief Steven Cover, Virginia Beach Fire Department.
The
City of Virginia Beach values the role of proper planning and preparation which are
vital to our response to any emergency situation. That’s why it’s so important that you
place the same emphasis on being prepared as well.
Virginia Beach is vulnerable to various natural, technological, and war time related threats
and as a result, we need to plan accordingly.
Hurricanes, of course, represent the primary catastrophic emergency facing us, but, there
are a variety of other threats and emergencies existing, which include: hazardous materials
incidents, nuclear energy accidents, drought and water emergencies, air transportation
accidents, civil disturbances, winter storms and other types of severe weather.
The City has significant resources and manpower to deal with some emergencies, but, these
resources can be quickly overwhelmed and exhausted.
You should be prepared for emergencies and the consequences that can be encountered as
a result of an emergency. In a major emergency, the City will depend on outside assistance
and resources. That outside assistance could take up to 72 hours or longer to arrive and
effectively deal with the situation. Be assured, the City would draw upon resources
and manpower from across the city, region, and state to meet the challenge of any emergency.
But as it has been proven by experience, those individuals best prepared for any situation,
were best able to get through the crisis.
We encourage you to help yourself, help your neighbor and help your community. Together
we can weather the storm.
Music Theme.
Jim Kincaid, Host.
We hope that you have found the information in this program useful and beneficial. And
most of all, we hope you never need to use it. Again, an informed citizen is a prepared
citizen. I’m Jim Kincaid, reminding all of you in Hampton Roads, People Get Ready.
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