Sheriff’s Office Kicks Off National Preparedness Month With Safety Tips & Much More
Monmouth County: Sheriff Shaun Golden is reinforcing the message to prepare, plan, stay informed and get involved as National Preparedness Month gets underway Sept. 1. National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is an effort to educate the public on how to prepare for emergencies. This year’s National Preparedness theme is “Don’t Wait, Communicate: Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”
“The Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with numerous agencies, prepares for emergencies such as natural disasters, mass casualties and chemical threats throughout the year, by conducting drills, training, tabletops exercises and educational programs,” said Sheriff Shaun Golden whose agency runs the Office of Emergency Management. “These efforts are critical in ensuring that we can effectively and efficiently respond to crises situations. It’s vital the public plays a role as well, by preparing, planning and staying informed.”
This year’s National Preparedness Month focuses on different topics each week which include: Preparing Family and Friends, Preparing Through Community Service, Individual Preparedness and National PrepareAthon! Day. National PrepareAthon! Day provides individuals, organizations, and communities with an opportunity to prepare for specific hazards through drills, discussions and exercises. Monmouth County events will take place on September 21 in Neptune and Freehold Townships and on September 24 in Middletown.
“Information and communication are key pieces in emergency management,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso, liaison to the County’s Office of Emergency Management. “These types of events make it easy for people and communities to get involved and review how to prepare and react in the event of a severe storm or emergency.”
One of the many ways the sheriff’s office assists the public in disaster preparedness is through its STORM Program. Seniors Taking on Readiness Measures was created as a result of Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy. It equips those who are among the most vulnerable populations with emergency preparedness information, assists them in providing a family disaster plan and provides them with an emergency kit. The program will be presented on Sept. 7 in Tinton Falls, Sept. 21 in Oceanport and Sept. 27 in Eatontown during National Preparedeness Month.
To keep up with the most up to date information, Sheriff Golden is asking residents to like or follow the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office on social media through Facebook, Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, Twitter, @MonmouthSheriff, and Instagram, monmouthsheriff, and to download the agency’s application for smartphones.
The app provides instant access to sheriff’s office related information, which includes real-time emergency notifications through its integrated push notification system that automatically displays the message on the phone. Users are able to be instantly alerted to weather, or other emergency related situations, from the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and the agency’s Office of Emergency Management. The OEM section of the app has been expanded to include important information regarding the warning signs of hurricanes, tornadoes and flash floods as well as other weather related events. To download the free Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office app, visit the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
“It can be challenging during emergency situations to provide consistent, official messages to a large group of residents. In addition to social media and our website, which are updated regularly, this app is another tool to keep the public informed that we encourage all residents to utilize,” said Sheriff Golden.
For a downloadable version of this press release, click here: News-Release-MCSO-Kicks-off-National-Preparedness-Month
