|
September 7, 2018 | National Preparedness Month
Whether it's a disease outbreak, severe weather or any emergency; you need to be ready! September is National Preparedness Month and Ottawa County officials are urging residents to be ready for any type of emergency. Most Americans do not have supplies set aside or plans in place to protect their own or their family’s health and safety. The good news is that it is never too late to prepare for an emergency. You can take actions and use free resources to help you prepare for, adapt to and cope when an outbreak, disaster or emergency strike. Take time to prepare!
Available Resources and Toolkits - English I Spanish I Other
 Ottawa County Public Health Preparedness
Plan and prepare for any type of public health emergency! Ottawa County health officials have preparedness plans in place and are ready to respond to the community's needs. Are you ready? "Whether it's pandemic influenza or a foodborne illness outbreak, being ready is vital to keeping you and your loved ones safe and healthy," said Jennifer Sorek, Public Health Preparedness Coordinator with the Ottawa County Department of Public Health.
|
PERSONAL NEEDS
Gather enough food, water and medical supplies to last at least 72 hours.
PRESCRIPTIONS
Prepare a 7 to 10-day supply of prescription medications.
PAPERWORK
Collect and protect important documents and medical records.
POWER SOURCES
Prepare for a power outage with backup power sources and manual equipment.
PRACTICAL SKILLS
Learn life-saving skills, such as CPR, to use until help arrives.
LEARN MORE
 Ottawa County Emergency Management
Receiving timely information about weather conditions or other emergency events can make all the difference in knowing when to take action to be safe. Ottawa County Emergency Management works with the community to ensure you can receive alerts and warnings quickly through several different technologies no matter where you are–at home, at school, at work or in the community. "In Ottawa County, we have the ability to warn the public through opt-in Smart911 users, Outdoor Warning Sirens and through a push notification called Wireless Emergency Alerts to people's mobile phones," said Nick Bonstell, Director of Ottawa County Emergency Management. LEARN MORE
|
 Sign up for Smart911 to give 9-1-1 call takers key information before an emergency happens. Create a free, private and secure Safety Profile online. All information is optional and people may choose what details to include. They may even include extra information such as pets in the home, vehicle details in case of an accident and emergency contacts. When Smart911 users make an emergency call, the 9-1-1 call taker sees their Safety Profile. This allows them to send the right response teams to the right place with the right information! Sign up at Smart911.com
|
 New Smart911 app to better protect residents in emergencies
Ottawa County Central Dispatch and Ottawa County Emergency Management are pleased to announce the new Smart911 mobile app to provide greater access to the lifesaving benefits of Smart911, plus targeted location-based alerts to all residents. Ottawa County and Holland residents and visitors will now be able to download the Smart911 app to share and receive information needed in an emergency.
In addition, the app provides enhanced functionality by sending targeted alerts based on the user’s location. Smart911 app users will receive the highest priority National Weather Service alerts including tornado warnings, flash flood warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings based on their real-time location.
“Smart911 has proven to be lifesaving, and the addition of the app means more residents can participate and be better prepared in an emergency,” shares Tim Smith, Executive Director of Ottawa County Central Dispatch. “Every resident of Michigan should download the Smart911 app today - it could save your life!”
|
Benefits of the Smart911 app include:
- Residents who previously did not have home internet access or a computer can register from their mobile phones.
- Current Smart911 users can access their Safety Profile via the app and easily update their information in real-time.
- Residents can create a Smart911 Safety Profile via the app, which includes verified phone numbers, easily-updatable information for dispatchers, and uploaded photos.
- The Smart911 App automatically displays alerts from the National Weather Service on an interactive map for a more advanced warning.
With no charge or additional fees for Michigan residents, there are no limitations to provide this safety service to the community. Search “Smart911” in your mobile app store or text “Smart911” to 67283 to receive the download link via text message.
 |
|
Subscribe to receive Sheriff's Office and Public Health Community Alerts via text. Also, sign up to receive county e-news and updates on topics of interest from various county departments. Be sure to check out the county on social media! Sign up at miOttawa.org/connect
|
Media Contacts:
Kristina Wieghmink
Ottawa County Department of Public Health
(616) 494-5597 or kwieghmink@miottawa.org
Nick Bonstell
Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, Emergency Management Division
(616) 738-4050 or nbonstell@miottawa.org
Timothy Smith
Ottawa County Central Dispatch Authority
(616) 994-7800 or tsmith@occda.org
|
