Handouts & Resources

September is National Preparedness Month and the 13th anniversary of 9/11

No one should live in fear of what “could” happen, but we shouldn’t live in denial or become complacent either. While the weather is still pleasant and kids are returning to school, take time to prepare for emergencies in your home, school, organizations, businesses, and communities. Click here to see the three easy steps you can follow for making preparedness a part of your everyday life. - Posted 09-10-14

Winter Shelter

Looking for a shelter during the cold weather? Dial 2-1-1 from your phone for the nearest location to you or click on the this link to view a printable PDF. - Posted 12-04-13

The September 11, 2001 terror attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the 2011 East Coast earthquake all share something in common – each caused massive mobile phone service disruption for millions of Americans. Mobile call volume simply overwhelmed provider capacity during these incidents. The desire to call loved ones after an emergency or disaster is natural. However, preparedness experts universally agree that during an emergency and its immediate aftermath, communicating via SMS text messaging should be your first choice. 40%of cell owners said they found themselves in an emergency situation in which having their phone with them helped This is because non-essential calls often shutdown wireless phone service and prevent 911 calls from getting through and emergency personnel being unable to communicate with each other. In fact, just a single one-minute phone call takes up the same bandwidth as 800 short SMS text messages. Also, unlike phone calls, text messages get through even when the network is congested. Even if it gets a "busy signal" on its first try the text system will continue to keep trying to deliver your message. This makes text messaging perfect for sending non-emergency messages like “R U OK” and “I M OK.” For more information, visit Safe America Foundation. - -Posted 10-10-13

When you call 9-1-1 today, the operator receives very little information about you – basically just your phone number and your general location. In a situation where seconds count, being able to provide the operator with other critical information about you and your family the instant your call is made can be the difference between life and death. Smart911 was created by leaders in the fields of privacy and information management with the firm belief that providing 9-1-1 with additional timely information about you when you call, can help speed and enhance the effectiveness of an emergency response. -Posted 10-16-12

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) is very contagious and can cause serious illness―especially in infants too young to be fully vaccinated. Pertussis vaccines are recommended for children, teens, and adults, including pregnant women. In Washington, there have been 1,284 cases reported statewide through May 5, 2012, compared to 128 reported cases in 2011 during the same time period. There were 965 cases reported statewide in 2011 compared to 608 reported cases in 2010. Visit the Washington State Department of Health for the most recent information.

Swine Flu (H1N1) Information

H1N1 influenza, also known as "swine flu," is a newly-identified flu virus that can spread from people who are infected to others through coughs and sneezes. When people cough or sneeze, they spread germs through the air or onto surfaces that other people may touch. H1N1 influenza is not transmitted from pigs to humans or from eating pork products. See the links below for businesses and employers to keep up on newsworthy material: Guidance for Businesses and Employers on Swine Flu and Communications Toolkit.

Ready.gov - Be prepared - Personal disaster plan worksheets available on this site.

This guide explains weather-related disasters and suggests life-saving actions you can take.

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