Recent weather related emergencies such as a harsh winter and Hurricane Sandy have left a sour taste in many residents’ mouths, as was made apparent by the strong showing by locals at a disaster preparedness expo that happened on Tuesday at the Middletown Township municipal building.
The event, which was organized by State Representative Frank Farry, gathered a number of organizations in the hopes of educating the public to the necessity of being prepared in case of an emergency.
Advertisements
Representatives from the American Red Cross, the Pennsylvania emergency management agency (PEMA), the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bucks County, the Middletown Fire Marshal’s office and a meteorologist from the national weather service were all present.
“The more people are prepared when disaster strikes, the better they will be,” said Farry.
In order to help prepare the residents in attendance, survival packs compiled by David Heller were raffled off to those attending the event. The buckets were compiled as part of Heller’s Eagle Scout project with help from the United Way of Bucks County.
Credit: Erich Martin/LevittownNow.com
Advertisements
“My goal is for people to leave here more prepared than they were when they arrived,” said Farry.
Speakers at the event included State Representative Frank Farry, PEMA director Glenn Cannon, Director of Emergency Services in Bucks County Scott Forster and Lance Franck from the National Weather Service.
A representative from PEMA, Gregory Doyle explained that residents should prepare for the event that they, or the family, would be on their own for up to three days. Doyle suggests talking to family members to create a plan in case communication is cut through disasters.
Advertisements
PEMA works closely with the counties in Pennsylvania in case any event grows to such a scale that the individual counties are unable to handle the fallout, according to Doyle.
Credit: Erich Martin/LevittownNow.com
However, according to Cannon, a rough estimate of 95 to 98 percent of all disasters are dealt with on a local level, and that individuals are essential to survival. “In a big event, it is the individual preparedness that keep the number of injuries and deaths down.”
“The number one goal of public safety is to save lives, reduce injuries, protect property and the environment,” Cannon Cannon continued, noting the importance of public safety in keeping the public safe.
Advertisements
Ted Dorand of PECO expressed his excitement for the event. “I think it is going to be excellent because it is going to tell people how to deal with emergencies. I think it’s a great idea.”
Dorand explained that the first thing people should do after losing power is contact the PECO emergency line to explain the power outage to the utility company. Dorand also noted that every downed power line has the potential to be live, so residents should never approach any downed wires.
Jim McGuire, fire marshal and emergency manager for Middletown Township, said, “Anytime that people become more self-sufficient is always a good thing.”
Advertisements
Robert Pisch of the Pennsylvania Department of Health echoed similar sentiments. “Be ready for pretty much anything that could happen.”
Lance Franck of the National Weather Service explained recent weather patterns, saying that flash flooding, high winds, and even an occasional tornado have been observed in recent years.
Franck recommends residents visit ready.gov to get information on what to do before, during, and after hurricanes in the area.
Advertisements
Farry has big hopes for the legacy of the disaster preparation event.
“If this is successful, I hope to make it an annual event.”
