Proclamation emphasizes importance of emergency preparedness

Published on September 06, 2022

It’s not if an emergency strikes but when. That’s the mindset of the Weld County Office of Emergency Management when its staff attends or administers emergency trainings and assists the county’s 32 municipalities throughout the year prepare to respond to emergencies.

National Preparedness Month, proclaimed this week by the Weld County Board of Commissioners, calls upon residents during the month of September to help Weld County become safer and more resilient by taking time to strengthen their own individual preparedness. Depending on needs, preparation will likely mean different things to different people. It could mean discussions with friends and family about what actions to take in an emergency, assembling disaster supply kits to stay safe and comfortable during and after a disaster, practicing emergency evacuation routes, developing plans to keep pets safe and more. Regardless of what someone’s exact needs are, the point is to prepare.

“It comes down to evaluating your risk,” said Roy Rudisill, Director of the Weld County Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Rudisill, who’s been the county’s OEM director since 2005 and helped the county and municipalities respond to various emergencies, a few of which include the Weld County Tornado in 2008 and the 2013 floods, said that while emergencies do have some negative impacts, the amount of those impacts can be lessened by taking steps to prepare. “The more prepared someone is to deal with an evacuation or shelter-in-place situation, the more they can lessen the stress on themselves and the stress on first responders.”

Although preparedness may seem overwhelming, Weld County Government has many resources available to make the concept much more achievable. Resources can be found in the Community Preparedness Information and Guides webpage at www.weldoem.com and in Weld County’s series of monthly preparedness tips, available at www.weldgov.com/go/pio. A new tip debuts every month. During the month of September, reminders about the importance of emergency preparedness will also appear on the county’s Facebook and Twitter platforms.  Also, learn more about steps OEM takes to increase countywide preparedness in the Sept. 5 edition of the County Roots newsletter.

National Preparedness Month is a national campaign by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Ready Campaign to keep preparedness top of mind. Ready, which launched in 2003, encourages the public to have an active role in preparedness by doing four key things:  Stay informed about different emergencies that could occur and the appropriate response, make a family emergency plan, make an emergency supply kit, and get involved in the community by staying prepared for emergencies. This year’s National Preparedness theme is, “A lasting legacy: Prepare for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you and your family.” Learn more at www.ready.gov/September.