Preparedness Month in September prompts recommendations from Erie County officials and community organizations

On Monday, September 9, 2024, Erie County officials and local community organizations presented updates on county preparedness activities and actions for households to take as part of National Preparedness Month.

From the County's Emergency Operations Center, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein, Commissioner of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Daniel Neaverth, Jr. and Office of Health Equity Kelly Marie Wofford shared progress on internal work and urged residents to use these "blue sky" days to prepare for emergencies on "gray sky" days that might interrupt electricity and utilities, make travel dangerous, and pose risks to health and safety.

"Emergency planning never stops and is critical to emergency response, when every second counts," said County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. "Erie County works with an extraordinary team of partners- several here with us today - that understand the value of vigilance when planning for worst case scenarios like home fires, extreme weather conditions like blizzards, floods, and tornadoes, service interruptions from cyberattacks or technology failures, and other emergencies."

Major points for people to consider for preparedness:

• Make a plan: Ready.gov has easy-to-follow instructions for building emergency kits and recommendations for floods, severe weather, home fires and more.

• Think through basic needs - food, water, shelter, medication.

• Erie County's Office of Health Equity is distributing 5,000 emergency kits this fall at community events. OHE also has newsletters on topics like winter weather, food access, extreme heat and mental health in English, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, Burmese and Swahili.

• Review your personal and family health, medication and mobility needs and make plans for scenarios like power loss, weather conditions that would limit travel or prevent access to medical care.

• Get trained: Knowing basic first aid, how to "stop the bleed," how and when to use Narcan, and hands-only CPR can turn you from a bystander to a lifesaver.

• Be informed: Have alternate ways to get information. Battery-powered radios, weather radios and a landline phone can be literal lifelines if electricity and cell phone services are not available.

• Sign up for text alerts from NYS, your city, town or village, and download apps that send weather alerts.

• Be a good neighbor: Check on your family and neighbors, especially households with older adults, very young children and people with medical needs or disabilities.

Representatives from five organizations that have been at the core of Erie County's Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) also participated in the announcement - the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities of Buffalo, FeedMore WNY, United Way of Buffalo and Erie County and 211 WNY. The Erie County COAD, reorganized in 2023, brings agencies from human services, transportation, city and state government, health and mental health together to coordinate communications and operations before, during and after disasters.

"As we recognize National Preparedness Month, 211 WNY remains committed to ensuring that every individual and family in our community has access to the resources and information needed to stay safe and resilient during emergencies," said 211 WNY Director of Contact Center Services Dawn Vanderkooi. "Preparedness is key, and we're here 24/7 to connect you with vital services, from emergency shelter and food assistance to recovery support. Together, we can build a stronger, more prepared community."

"Data shows that severe weather events and disasters are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity and duration because of the climate crisis," said Nick Bond, CEO of the American Red Cross Western NY Region. "People in our region have seen the effects - from the horrific blizzard that claimed so many lives in the Buffalo area nearly two years ago, to the flooding that occurred in the Southern Tier just a month ago due to heavy rains brought on by Hurricane Debby. We encourage families to use National Preparedness Month to make a plan to stay safe, gather essential supplies, and know how to stay connected during an emergency. The free Red Cross Emergency app can help."

"As the region's most comprehensive human services agency, Catholic Charities of Buffalo is committed to the discipline of emergency preparedness," said Deacon Steve Schumer, President and CEO of Catholic Charities of Buffalo. "We actively collaborate with civic and government agencies to ensure that the needs of most vulnerable among us are addressed in times of crisis and that our staff is available and ready to serve where and when needed."

"FeedMore WNY has a longstanding partnership with Erie County to serve our community in times of need - be it natural disasters, major storms or manmade crises. We are honored to serve as frontline workers to provide essential food, perform safety and wellbeing checks, and be a part of the Erie County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) network to plan, prepare, respond, and recover from disasters," said Tara A. Ellis, president and CEO of FeedMore WNY. "We are especially proud to stand with Erie County and our community partners during Preparedness Month to remind all of us how integral it is to work together and build resilience to keep our neighbors healthy and safe."

"Erie County's leadership on the COAD has been instrumental in building a more resilient community prepared to face any emergency," United Way of Buffalo and Erie County Chief Program Officer Kathy Jamil offered. "As a member of the Erie County COAD, United Way of Buffalo & Erie County believes community resiliency is essential and is committed to supporting efforts to ensure every resident has access to critical resources. It is this collaborative spirit that makes our region stronger."