EMA. WHAT IS IT?
EMA stands for Emergency Management Agency. This Agency is responsible for disaster planning and preparedness needed to keep you and your property safe in emergency or disaster events. Following the September 11th and Hurricane Katrina disasters, government officials realized that everyone needs to be prepared, not just those in big cities or near the coast. Manheim Township has its own EMA, who is trained to handle emergencies at the local level, as well as to interface with county, state or federal officials when necessary.
Just like buying a life insurance policy that you hope no one in your family ever needs, EMA officers prepare for the worst then hope never to put their plans into action. You can help a lot, just by doing two things: being prepared, and being cooperative. Think about what you would do if your house was on fire, or if there was a prolonged power outage, or if you had to evacuate. Talk to your family, and make some good plans together. You should also assemble emergency kits with items like food, water, blankets, medicines and emergency power supplies in them. There’s an awful lot think about, but a little investment in time and planning now can save your life in the future. To help you, we’ve included links to several websites which have all you’ll need to prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.
And if an emergency does arise, please stay tuned to local radio and TV to ensure you know what to do and where to go. If we work together, we can handle anything Nature or man throws at us.
Lastly, if you’d want to be part of the team which helps your Manheim neighbors in a catastrophe, then contact Susan Kolmer at 229-9884.
http://www.pema.state.pa.us/pema Pennsylvania EMA
http://www.fema.gov/ Federal EMA
http://www.ycdes.org/ York Country EMA
http://emergency.cdc.gov/ Centers for Disease Control Emergency Preparedness
http://www.dhs.gov/index.shtm Department of Homeland Security
http://www.ready-york.org/ Emergency / Disaster Preparedness Tips
EVACUATION
Have you ever thought about where your family would go if you were told you have to evacuate? We tend to think that evacuations are only for hurricanes, but this isn’t so. Any time there is a problem affecting numbers of people of their property, an evacuation order may be issued. Examples of reasons to evacuate are for toxic gas clouds or floods. Both of these types of emergencies could well occur here.
So what do you do if you’re told to evacuate? If you’re smart, you’ll plan ahead. You’ll already have in mind some places you can go if you need to leave your home. In the case of a flood, you’re likely to be able to stay in the local area. (It’s too hilly around here for floods to be very widespread.) On the other hand, poisonous gases can cover very wide areas. Generally speaking though, our weather comes from the west and heads east, so in the case of airborne problems, you’d usually do well to head west. By staying tuned into what your local officials are telling you, you’ll be able to make a wise choice.
Take time to come up with a plan for your family and consider some of the following: What friends or relatives may be able to offer your temporary accommodation? Will you take pets? Do you have livestock? If so, what happens to them? Have you enough medication on hand for at least a week? Do you have an elderly or disabled person with whom you’ll need help? Who else should you evacuate if told to leave? Do you yourself have health issues? Would you be able to get yourself somewhere safe if told to leave your home?
You may find the idea of evacuating nearly impossible because of infirmities or ill health. If you fall into one of these categories, we BEG you to let us know you’re out there. Please contact the Manheim Township EMA at 229-9884 or skolmer@comcast.net.
Or you can complete this form and drop off or send to: Manheim Township EMA / 5191 Wool Mill Road / Glenville, PA 17329. We’ll work with you confidentially to ensure you won’t get left behind. Don’t delay, call today.
