GHS/OCD Host Contests for National Preparedness Month

Throughout the month of September, Guam will join the nation in celebrating National Preparedness Month (NPM) and promoting the importance of planning and preparing for man-made and natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods. This year’s NPM theme is, “A Lasting Legacy. Preparing for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you and your family.”

The Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense (GHS/OCD) will host a poster contest through September for Guam based schools, with opportunities to win prizes at the end of the month.

Elementary School and Middle School Poster Contest

WHO MAY JOIN – Any student enrolled in an elementary or middle school based on Guam.

CONTEST CATEGORIES:

1) Elementary School (Grades K – 5th)

2) Middle School (Grades 6th – 8th)

RULES AND SPECIFICATIONS

Poster Size: 8.5” x 11”
Posters must be an original work of art by the student.
Posters must incorporate the theme of “Preparing for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you and your family.”
Mediums that may be used: Crayons, Markers, Paint, Pen/Pencil, Pastel
Stencils, tracing, computer-generated, stick-on lettering and graphics are prohibited.
Parents/guardians should not complete the drawing for the children but are encouraged to visit www.ready.gov/september website for contributing ideas.
All entries must have the participant’s name, age, grade, and school on the back side of the drawing.
All entries will become the property of GHS/OCD and may be used for future outreach publications.

DEADLINE: All entries must be submitted to Guam Homeland Security / Office of Civil Defense in Agana Heights or electronically at yoni.towai@ghs.guam.gov no later than Wednesday, September 21, 2022. Any entry submitted after this day will not be considered eligible.

WINNERS: The posters will be judged on originality, creativity, and focus on the theme of “Preparing for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you and your family.” The winning school(s) and teacher(s) will be contacted by Wednesday, September 28, 2022. The winners will be presented with a prize, and certificate and recognized on GHS/OCD social media pages and public outreaches.

High School Poster Contest

WHO MAY JOIN – Any student enrolled in a high school based on Guam.

CATEGORIES:

High School (Grades 9th – 12th)

RULES AND SPECIFICATIONS

Poster Size: 8.5” x 11”
Posters must be an original work of art by the student.
Posters must incorporate the theme of “Preparing for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you and your family.”
Mediums that may be used: Crayons, Markers, Paint, Pen/Pencil, Pastel
Stencils, tracing, computer-generated, stick-on lettering and graphics are prohibited.
Parents/guardians should not complete the drawing for the children but are encouraged to visit www.ready.gov/september website for contributing ideas.
All entries must have the participant’s name, age, grade, and school on the back side of the drawing.
All entries will become the property of GHS/OCD and may be used for future outreach publications.

For contest information, contact Yoni Towai, GHS/OCD Planning, at (671) 475-9600 or via email at yoni.towai@ghs.guam.gov.

For media inquiries, contact Public Information Officer, Jenna G. Blas at (671) 478-0208 or via email at jenna.g.blas@ghs.guam.gov.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.