Massiongale Said Preparedness Can Save Kids Lives

During the event of an emergency or disaster, is your family ready?

September is National Preparedness Month. Overton County EMA Director Chris Massiongale said creating a safety plan could save lives, especially children.

“If you practice it, it really helps the kids know what to do because in that hard time when things are happening you’re going to fall back to your training, or to what you’ve been taught by your parents,” Massiongale said.

Massiongale said there should be a prepared household kit available and accessible. Non-perishible items, extra medications, and first aid supplies are essential items for the kit.

Figuring out what to put in the kit should take place a head of time. Massiongale said items should be categorized by what to take, what has to be taken, and what would like to be taken. He said sadly not a lot of people make preparations before a disaster strikes.

“In the time of that emergency they don’t have that kit that they can grab,” Massiongale said. “It’s a hurried time most of the time whenever you’re leaving the home or running for shelter or cover. Having a kit that you can grab, and thinking about that before hand and what should go into it is a very good thing to do.”

Part of forming a safety plan includes choosing where to meet, such as which part of the house the family should go in case of a tornado warning or where to gather if the house is on fire. Massiongale said residential safety plans should be practiced monthly.