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Disaster Preparedness
Disaster Preparedness
Calvert County, Maryland is subject to many hazards that have the potential for disrupting the community, causing damage and creating casualties. Natural hazards include hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, winter storms and even earthquakes. There is also a threat of a war-related incident, such as nuclear, bio-chemical or conventional attack. Other disaster situations could develop from a hazardous materials accident, peacetime nuclear accident, major transportation accident, terrorism or civil disorder.
Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance: how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations.
Family Emergency Plan
- Identify an out-of town contact. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
- Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone, coins, or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. If you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) in your phone. If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts.
- Teach family members how to use text messaging (also knows as SMS or Short Message Service). Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.
Planning to Stay or Go
Depending on your circumstances and the nature of the emergency, the first important decision is whether you stay where you are or evacuate. You should understand and plan for both possibilities. Use common sense and available information, including what you are learning here, to determine if there is an immediate danger. In any emergency, local authorities may or may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do.
Emergency Information
Calvert County has a Hazard Mitigation Plan that identifies various hazards and their potential occurrence probability. For the most current and official information possible tune in to Comcast channel 6 in Calvert County or one of the identified EAS radio stations. A list of these stations can be found under EM Alert Stations.
Emergency Plans
Ready.gov can provide further information on emergency planning, such as the New Online Family Emergency Planning Tool created by the Ready Campaign in conjunction with the Ad Council to prepare a printable Comprehensive Family Emergency Plan.
You may also want to inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time: work, daycare and school. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one. Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together in the event of an emergency. You will be better prepared to safely reunite your family and loved ones during an emergency if you think ahead and communicate with others in advance.
Phone: 410-535-1600 or 301-855-1243, ext 2638
Fax: 410-535-3997; Email: oem@co.cal.md.us
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