It’s National Preparedness Month 2014 – a time when all, living in Roseville CA and beyond, can stop and take stock of our emergency preparedness. It’s a great time to make sure we have some basic safety items in a set spot in our homes that everyone in the household knows about. That way, if a natural (or unnatural) disaster were to hit unexpectedly, we don’t have to stop and think, “where are the flashlights, the batteries, the vital documents, etc.” We just KNOW where they are, hopefully have time to grab them AFTER we’ve made sure all our beloveds, young to old, are headed to where they should be going, and then hunker down (or head for the pre-planned emergency spot) until things cool down.
Of course, every area has different requirements. When we lived in Virginia, we had to be concerned about hurricanes and know the best route to take to evacuate in case a hurricane was coming at us. In Kentucky, it was tornadoes and ice storms we talked about. For tornadoes, we made sure we had flashlights, battery operated faux candles (my grandkids LOVED those), batteries, and knew the best place in the house to hunker down in – at my grandkids, it was the unfinished basement. In our home, it was the inner bathroom – NOT a lot of room! In Washington state, volcanoes, forest fires, and a snowed in The Pass were my primary concerns and neither of them gave us any trouble. We were close to the Puget Sound, so that definitely helped. 🙂
For all those sweet spots, I had plenty of apps and websites on my iPhone that would alert me to problems. We were very blessed that our biggest disaster turned out to be snow days when I was supposed to help take grandkids to school. Instead…ohhhhh, the snowmen we built – tiny but fun!
At home in California, our biggest concerns over all are probably earthquakes. For many, there are also forest fires to take into consideration. Yes, there are also the occasional random tornado. Pretty tiny, so far, and hopefully they will stay that way. And, of course, the drought – which could lead to isolated flooding down the road when the rain does come back. And for all of those, some of our best weapons are flashlights, batteries, first aid supplies, extra water bottles, extra food that is securely wrapped – like granola bars, energy bars, nuts, etc. It might be wise to have a box in the home AND a smaller box in each of your vehicles. And one extra tip – I, personally, like to make sure I have plenty of Pepsi, Cherry Coke, and chocolate – after all, we will need some extra energy! 🙂
I very much appreciate Roseville’s City, Police and Fire Departments. They have been such a blessing to us over the years and continue to be. They are very proactive at their own preventive preparation. They provide great support for our neighborhoods and ourselves through RCONA (Roseville Coalition of Neighborhood Association), the individual neighborhood associations such as Cherry Glen, Woodcreek Oaks, etc., and the Neighborhood Watch Program the police department runs. As one gentleman commented to me recently, when I was handing out Neighborhood Association fliers for an upcoming meeting, “we have the best police department around!” He and I may be a bit prejudiced and no criticism intended towards the other excellent police, fire and city departments in the area or beyond, but I have to agree – they ARE great!
AND since having all their phone numbers and contact information easily accessible is a terrific way to be prepared, here you go:
- 911 – FIRST AND FOREMOST – ALWAYS CALL THIS NUMBER FIRST IN ANY EMERGENCY!
- Roseville California Police Department – (916) 774-5000 – 1051 Junction Blvd, Roseville, CA 956780 – http://www.roseville.ca.us/police/Default.asp
- Roseville California Fire Department – 401 Oak St., Roseville, CA 95678 – Admin Office: (916) 774-5800 Non-Emergency Phone: (916) 774-5000 – 401 Oak St., Roseville, CA 95678 – http://www.roseville.ca.us/fire/default.asp
- Some other useful contacts include:
- Roseville City Emergency Preparedness which includes links to:
- Current Alerts for those living in Roseville CA and the surrounding area
- AlertRoseville – this is where YOU can go to sign up for alerts for natural disasters and other emergencies and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU DO THIS. A perfect way to celebrate National Preparedness Month as well as National Prepareathon Day on September 30, 2014. You can sign up for AlertRoseville by clicking here. If you have any problems doing so, or have any questions, just contact the Roseville California Fire Department at (916) 774-5808 or email them at fire@roseville.ca.us (And did you know, some communities will also let you sign up for an elderly parent or relative’s area alerts as well. It’s definitely worth checking out where ever they might live. First, make sure THEY are signed up for the notifications. THEN see if you can also add yourself. That way, if something major is headed your relative’s way, you may be able to help them from long distance.)
I would also encourage each of you to get involved in your Neighborhood Watch program, if there is one on your block (or help start one), as well as your Neighborhood Association. By attending the meetings you will get to meet neighbors (one of your BEST crime prevention tactics), learn more about your city and neighborhood, and help Roseville become an even BETTER community! You can get more information:
- RCONA – Roseville Coalition of Neighborhood Associations
- Find YOUR Neighborhood Association
- Neighborhood Watch
- National Preparedness Information – You can sign up here for more information (Roseville is in Area IX otherwise known as 9 – It’s a fascinating site to poke around in and you can even sign up for informative email updates and alerts from a wide variety of governmental agencies.
Well, that’s a HUGE bundle of emergency preparation goodies, isn’t it? Remember, it’s not enough to just read about it all. It’s vital you take proactive steps to help you and your loved ones stay safe living in Roseville CA and beyond. And YES! If you have more tips to suggest, we’d love to hear them!
