Clark County emergency managers are encouraging residents to make emergency preparedness their New Year’s resolution for 2017.

“Emergency preparedness is always timely, but with the new year upon us it’s a great time to think about putting a plan into place to make sure you and your family are safe if an emergency arrives,” said Clark County Fire Department Deputy Chief John Steinbeck, who oversees the County’s Emergency Management Office.

One tool residents can keep in their pockets is the Southern Nevada Community Preparedness App. The app can be downloaded from any smartphone from this link: www.equickseries.com/eoc32003/core/v1/getApp. It provides an easy way for residents to receive emergency notifications and general preparedness information directly from Clark County and the neighboring cities.  Users can create a personalized emergency preparedness plan; access news, real-time weather alerts, evacuation routes, and emergency shelter information; receive critical emergency alerts directly to their smartphones via push notifications; find out what they need to do before, during and after an emergency; share their safety status with loved ones with the push of a button; connect to social media sites.

The three keys to emergency preparedness are:

  1. Get a disaster supply kit. The kit should contain items for you and your family’s basic needs for three days to two weeks, including food and water and unique needs such as supplies for infants, medically fragile family members and pets. You also should prepare an emergency kit for your car.
  1. Create an emergency plan. Family members may not be together when an emergency occurs, so it’s important to plan in advance how you will connect with one another. Choose a primary and secondary meeting place in case an emergency affects your home or neighborhood, and designate an out-of-state contact for family members to call in case you are separated. In an emergency situation, it’s often easier to call out-of-state than within an affected area.
  1. Be informed. In an emergency, stay tuned to local TV or radio stations for alerts, instructions, and official notifications. Have a hand-cranked or battery-powered radio (with extra batteries) on hand in case of a power outage. Use a NOAA weather radio if possible. 

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Officials also recommend these resources to learn more about emergency preparedness:

  • Be aware of the “See Something, Say Something” campaign. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security developed the campaign to thwart terrorism and other criminal activity by encouraging citizens to report suspicious activity to the proper state and local law enforcement agencies. As part of the effort, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center have set up a 24-hour hotline for the public to report suspicious activity at (702) 828-8386.