GHS/OCD Promotes September as National Preparedness Month

The Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense (GHS/OCD) invite the island to celebrate September as National Preparedness Month (NPM). The NPM theme for this year is “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.”

NPM is held annually in the month of September. During the month, the community is encouraged to conduct preparedness actions, develop emergency plans, learn how to stay safe, and how to communicate during an emergency. National Preparedness Month provides an excellent opportunity to highlight Guam’s emergency management capabilities.

“National Preparedness Month promotes family and community disaster planning now and throughout the year. As our nation continues to respond to and recover from COVID-19, we humbly ask for your involvement and participation,” stated Charles Esteves, Office of Civil Defense Administrator. “We encourage everyone to use this month to update your individual and organizational emergency plans with special consideration for planning during a pandemic,” Esteves continued.

The NPM Weekly Themes are as follows:

Week 1 September 1-5: Make a Plan: Talk to your friends and family about how you will communicate before, during, and after a disaster. Make sure to update your plan based on the Centers for Disease Control recommendations due to the coronavirus.
Week 2 September 6-12: Build a Kit: Gather supplies that will last for several days after a disaster for everyone living in your home. Don’t forget to consider the unique needs each person or pet may have in case you have to evacuate quickly. Update your kits and supplies based on recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control.
Week 3 September 13-19: Prepare for Disasters: Limit the impacts that disasters have on you and your family. Know the risk of disasters in your area and check your insurance coverage. Learn how to make your home stronger in the face of storms and other common hazards and act fast if you receive a local warning or alert.
Week 4 September 20-26: Teach Youth about Preparedness: Talk to your kids about preparing for emergencies and what to do in case you are separated. Reassure them by providing information about how they can get involved.

GHS/OCD will host emergency preparedness contests for elementary, middle, and high school students to participate in safely from the comfort of their homes and will promote preparedness tips online. While building a kit and making a plan from home, the community is also encouraged to follow GHS/OCD online on Facebook and Instagram to view preparedness tips and activities by emergency management partners.

Learn more about event details and ways you can participate throughout the month:

GHS/OCD Website: https://ghs.guam.gov/
GHS/OCD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHSOCD/
GHS/OCD Instagram: @ghsocd
Contact Whole Community Preparedness Program Manager, Jaimie H. Cruz at (671) 688-0438 or via email at jaimie.cruz@ghs.guam.gov

National Prepardness Month Poster

For media inquiries, contact Public Information Officer, Jenna 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

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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.