Cottonwood Heights Citizen Corps sets the stage for community preparedness.
Salt Lake City – Cottonwood Heights Citizen Corps council has been awarded with a Collaborative Preparedness Planning Award as part of the 2009 National Citizen Corps Achievement Awards hosted in Arlington, Virginia. This award sets the stage for Utah to lead the nation to get set this September for National Preparedness Month.
“Cottonwood Heights is a young city but we knew we needed to start somewhere. The most important step is taking that first step in getting prepared and that’s exactly what we did by creating a communications plan. We could not have done it without the support of our volunteers, city council, and our mayor,” says Liane Stillman, Citizen Corps Chair for Cottonwood Heights.
The city has developed a mobile technology unit which features Wi-Fi access, cellular towers, and radio communication; all the necessary components in the midst of a disaster. In addition, Cottonwood Heights says they also have an extensive emergency volunteer network already in place.
Utah’s Citizen Corps wants to remind the public this September that it’s never too late to be prepared for possible disaster, not just as a city, but as an individual.
“Being prepared is an individual responsibility with state wide consequences. This month is a good reminder to take advantage of emergency training tips and resources to better prepare you and your family for a disaster,” says Lani Nisbet, Citizen Corp Program Manager for the Utah Commission of Volunteers.
Some easy first steps in getting prepared are:
1) Have an emergency plan and food supply
2) Get a 72 hour emergency kit
3) Equip your car with emergency supplies
4) Prepare to go powerless
5) Have an emergency cash reserve
2) Get a 72 hour emergency kit
3) Equip your car with emergency supplies
4) Prepare to go powerless
5) Have an emergency cash reserve
Interviews and visuals available with Cottonwood Heights Citizen Corp Council, Utah Citizen Corps, and Be Ready Utah. For more information on Cottonwood Heights Citizen Corp Council contact Liane Stillman @ 801-944-7000 or lstillman@cottonwoodheights.utah.gov. For more information on Citizen Corps log on to www.volunteers.gov and how to prepare for an emergency log on to www.bereadyutah.gov.
