This session has been combined with Part 4, taking place on Monday, September 23 @ 2 pm - 3:30 pm.

Join us at South Coastal Library for a 4-part free preparedness series. You may attend all 4 sessions, or pick and choose with sessions you wish to attend. Our speakers for the series are:

Pat Heineman, MS, University of Delaware Center for Disabilities Studies and DEMA partner

Pat Young, Library Assistant, Milton Public Library and Chair, Delaware Libraries and Disasters Initiative

While we do not like to think about emergencies and disasters, they happen frequently.  Hurricanes, power outages, tornadoes, earthquakes and pandemics are probably just some that come to mind. Whether your neighborhood has flooded from recent rainstorms or trees are down on your property from high winds or a hurricane, feeling unsafe and facing possible losses can be very stressful. This 4-part series will provide a wide range of information and resources that will help you be better prepared for what may come. Registration is optional. 

April 30, 2024 | Part 1: Preparing for Emergencies and Disasters: Taking Priority Steps to Increase Readiness and Resilience

What’s involved in preparing for emergencies and disasters? And why should I do anything to prepare? These questions and more will be discussed during this interactive presentation. Participants will learn about the importance of personal risk analysis, the important differences between preparing to shelter in place vs. evacuating and resources and information to assemble a personal “go-bag” and a personal kit for sheltering in place. All participants will receive a go-bag that they can fill at home.

May 9, 2024 | Part 2: Communication is Key in Preparing for Emergencies and Disasters

Where do you turn for information when emergencies and disasters are near? And who do you communicate with before, during and after those events? Reliable information is critically important when personal safety is at risk. This presentation will introduce participants to Smart911 and the Delaware Emergency Notification System (DENS) – both vital resources to stay informed. Resources will also include tools to help participants communicate with family, friends, and neighbors as events unfold and in the aftermath of emergencies and disasters.

September 19, 2024 @ 2 pm | Part 3:  Emergency Preparedness: Evacuation Planning and Community Emergency Response Team training

Do you know when to leave when first responders mandate an evacuation? Do you know what route(s) to take? And if you’re stuck where you are when disaster strikes, will you be able to take care of yourself until help arrives? This presentation will include details about the Delaware Emergency Management Agency’s (DEMA’s) Know Your Zone evacuation plan as well as Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training – a nationwide program that equips volunteers with a variety of skills to help enable them to survive emergencies and disasters. 

September 23, 2024 @ 2 pm | Part 4: Emergency Preparedness: Preserving Important Documents

Putting together copies of important documents and having them in one place is an important step towards emergency preparedness. Questions to consider when creating your Important Documents Binder will be reviewed, resources to create the binder will be provided, and advice on sharing these documents with your support network will be included. We will also discuss recommended practices for storing important documents.