by Diana Bollenbaugh
Saturday’s (01/13/18) misstep with the emergency alert system was an eye-opener. Unlike the stories of many people, I did not call family or friends to tell them I loved them. I figured they would prefer that I focus on getting to safety rather than a phone call or text message.
I called them after the fact. I’m grateful I did. Only my sister knew about the incident and all she had heard about was the recall message.
While I was talking to various friends and family members, I was thinking it was a timely reminder about what to do in the event of an incident like this:
- Have a standardized emergency plan for the public places you most frequent – Grocery stores, Department stores, Beaches and Parks, Libraries, Malls, etc.
- Know the safety plan for your children’s schools – It’s most likely the safest place for them to be, even though they are scared.
- Know the safety plan for your place of business – It’s most likely the safest place for you to be, even though you want to get to your family.
- Focus on Survival & Safety – Get to a place, then roll call with your family. If you can’t get a hold of them, don’t panic. The cell towers or phone lines may be overloaded with the number of people calling or texting.
- Contact other friends and family members when safe.
