1. September is National Preparedness Month. Why is this such an important reminder for Ventura County residents?
September offers an opportunity for fresh start, with a new season, back to school activities, a return to routine and the promise of holiday celebrations just around the corner. It’s a great time to put life back in order after the carefree days of summer. However, September also ushers in the hot, dry, and windy weather that increases the risk of wildfires and those dreaded power outages. Unfortunately, Ventura County is not immune to these and other hazards throughout the year, such as flooding, debris flows, tsunamis, and even the occasional “hurriquake.”
National Preparedness Month reminds us that while we cannot control nature, we can make a difference in its impact. A preparedness mindset empowers us to see that being proactive about preparing for disasters greatly improves the likelihood of positive outcomes for ourselves and our community.
2. What are the top three things every household should do this month to be prepared for an emergency?
If every household committed to these three steps, they would be well on their way to being better prepared for disasters:
- Stay Informed – Visit Ready.VenturaCounty.gov to learn about the potential hazards near you. Ventura County has a varied landscape, and with that comes different types of risks. At Ready.VenturaCounty.gov we’ve profiled the top nine hazards and how best to prepare for each one. A great way to be prepared is to know and understand your surroundings.
- Make a Plan – How will you find each other? How will you communicate? Answering these questions as part of a family plan takes the guesswork out of responding to a disaster. The good news is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. A free template awaits at Ready.VenturaCounty.gov.
- Build a Kit – Put together an emergency kit that can stay or go. Depending on the disaster, you might have to leave or shelter in place. Building a portable kit with water, food, medications, flashlights, and items unique to your needs will go a long way toward keeping your family cared for. Only you know you best, but a great place to start is the ready-to-use checklist at Ready.VenturaCounty.gov.
3. How can residents stay informed during a disaster?
Access to information and public safety instructions during an incident is vital. The best way to stay informed is to sign up for VC Alert. VC Alert is Ventura County’s official emergency notification system. What makes it special is its ability to target messages to specific areas. If you get a VC Alert, rest assured that it is for you, and act accordingly. Sign up for VC Alert today at Ready.VenturaCounty.gov.
For detailed incident information and access to a state-of-the-art GIS map and dashboard, VCEmergency.com (emergency.venturacounty.gov) should be your go-to. Whenever there’s a significant incident or an active VC Alert, VCEmergency is the best resource for trusted, timely, and accurate information.
While technology is great, and we continue to pursue the best advances to save lives, I would be remiss not to acknowledge that sometimes technology fails. Power outages, infrastructure failure and unforeseen challenges can thwart the best laid plans for a technology-dependent society. To cover all the bases, a comprehensive approach is best. Don’t forget to consider a hand-crank radio and good old-fashioned situational awareness as part of your preparedness protocol. If it looks and feels dangerous, don’t wait for an alert. Give yourself permission to get to safety and LEAVE!
4. We often hear “the first 72 hours are on you.” What does that mean and why is self-preparedness so critical?
During a disaster, Ventura County public safety agencies respond with robust resources and highly trained personnel. We are fortunate to live in a county that prioritizes acquiring and maintaining superior response capabilities. When evacuations are necessary, multiple agencies work together to mitigate the danger, move people out of harm’s way, and provide shelter.
However, in a large-scale disaster such as a major earthquake, parts of our county could become isolated. We’ve all seen the news in other regions how disasters render areas completely inaccessible and rescue efforts overwhelm first responders. The truth is that firefighters, law enforcement, and paramedics may not be able to reach everyone immediately. That means, in a major disaster, families should be ready to care for themselves for several days with water, food, medications, and basic supplies. State and federal partners work as quickly as possible to send help, but large-scale rescue operations are not instantaneous. The better prepared you are, the safer and more comfortable you will be while help is on the way.
This is also why the fourth pro tip to preparedness is to Get Involved. Becoming part of a community response builds skills, abilities, and resilience. Prepare for your household and then prepare to help others. This can be as simple as committing to help a neighbor or learning how to lead during a disaster by joining a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Find out more about volunteer groups doing great things in our community at Ready.VenturaCounty.gov.
5. What role does the Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services play in keeping the community safe, and how can residents partner with you?
Ventura County Sheriff’s Emergency Services supports first responders and coordinates disaster response across the county and beyond, including county agencies, cities, special districts, state, and federal partners. We run the County’s Emergency Operations Center as the central coordination point, managing emergency notifications and information products, as well as supporting field logistics, operational needs, and planning for recovery. As difficult as it is to fully measure a disaster’s impact right away, we act quickly as the best hope of securing individual and public assistance.
