Daylight savings time begins on March 14 and the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management reminds the public to refresh their emergency supplies when changing their clocks with its “Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks” campaign.
“Make sure you have all of the necessary emergency supplies in your kits, and check the expiration dates on food, water as well as radio and flashlight batteries,” said Deputy Managing Director for Emergency Management MaryAnn E. Tierney. “If you haven’t put together a family preparedness kit or a Go Bag of emergency supplies if you need to evacuate, do so now. The time to start planning for an emergency is not in the middle of one.”
Be sure that you have at least a three-day supply of bottled water, non-perishable foods and essential medications set aside for each member of your family. Remember your pets are part of the family too, so include some emergency supplies for them. And as always, don’t forget to check the batteries in your smoke alarms! As we prepare for the arrival of spring, make sure you and your loved ones are prepared for emergencies.
It’s also a good idea to sign up for ReadyNotifyPA, the region’s emergency text and email alert system, by logging on to www.readynotifypa.org.
For more information on emergency preparedness, ReadyNotifyPA, or for a list of emergency supplies for a family preparedness kit and Go Bag, visit www.phila.gov/ready or call 3-1-1.
When talking about emergencies, most first responders say, “It’s not if an emergency happens, but when.” Be ready in 2010.