WATER TOPICS

PREPARING FOR EMERGENCIES

While the scenes of the two recent hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast are fresh in our minds, now is the time to discuss preparing for emergencies. After all, the Big Bear Valley does occasionally have wildfires, earthquakes, and snow storms! FEMA recommends that everyone stockpile enough water and food to subsist on their own for at least three days. Arrangements should also be made for infants and persons with special needs. This means keeping enough formula and prescription drugs on hand to ensure everyone's needs are met for a minimum of three days.

The DWP has been preparing for emergencies also. Last week, we conducted a table-top exercise of our Emergency Response Plan. All DWP employees participated in the simulated emergency, splitting up into departments, responding to given scenarios, and discussing the various options, problems encountered, and ways to improve our response times and actions. The old adage that practice makes perfect pertains to these exercises. When an emergency develops, planned responses and efficient actions are necessary to assist the community in coping with and recovering from a catastrophe. We're doing our part. So, make sure you are prepared the next time an emergency strikes by having at least three days of drinking water on hand.

EMERGENCIES
COMMUNITY PROBLEM, COMMUNITY SOLUTION

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