(09/01/17) September is National Preparedness Month and the this week’s topic is Make a Plan for Yourself, Family and Friends. Because in times of urgency there are many distractions without a plan you end up in crisis management where you tend to handle the first thing in front of you rather than do what you need to in order to work toward long term survival. A plan does not have to be in so much detail it tells you exactly what to do and when. Rather it should be flexible so that it can be used during different emergency situations. To make your plan first go to the ready.northwildwood,com website and at the bottom of the left hand column click on the NWOEM Brochure link. It will download a copy of the North Wildwood OEM brochure. A major portion of the brochure is dedicated to Plan and prepare. Next get a pad of paper and start putting your plan on paper. A plan doesn’t have to be a lot of pages it can simply be a one page check list of things to do. Revisit it often and update it accordingly as you think of new additions. When you are satisfied with your plan then set aside a day to try your plan – do everything on your plan and see what works and what needs improvement. Remember as life is always changing your plan will not be perfect so don’t try to tweak it too much. Lastly get into habits that coincide with your plan, e.g. always keep medications in one location, or keeping extra water and can goods in the pantry, and keeping your storm clothes readily accessible. Once you have your plan completed talk to your neighbors about having a plan and help them work on their plans.
