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North Carolina Department of
Public Safety
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Emergency Management |
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Pat McCrory, Governor
Frank L. Perry, Secretary |
Michael A. Sprayberry,
Director
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August 19, 2015
Contact: Julia
Jarema
919-825-2270
State Urges Families to Update Emergency Plans as Part of
Back-to-School Preparations
RALEIGH – As many schools get
ready to welcome back students and staff, state emergency management officials
are reminding families that now is a good time to update their emergency
plans.
North Carolina Emergency Management asks
parents, teachers, staff and students who are returning to school this month to
make a plan, get prepared and stay informed so they are ready for any type of
emergency.
“Emergencies can occur any time, any day,
any place – even at school,” said North Carolina Emergency Management Director
Mike Sprayberry. “While hurricanes are the most prominent weather threat in
North Carolina in the early fall, the state also faces the possibility of
tornadoes, lightning and floods. The best way to be ready is to be aware and
prepare.”
Parents should talk with their children
about what they should do if severe weather threatens while they are in school,
Sprayberry said. Be sure your child knows how to get in touch with you, he
added, and that you know where your child will go in the event of severe
weather or evacuation.
Other tips for back-to-school emergency
planning for parents of school-aged children are:
· Create an
emergency plan that contains phone numbers, ways to communicate with one
another and where to meet if separated during an emergency;
· Make a card for
your child(ren) to put in their backpack with all of the family’s emergency
contact information;
· Know the
emergency plan(s) for your child’s school or child care center;
· Learn where children
will be taken in the event of an evacuation during school hours;
· Find out school
release policies for severe weather and/or other emergencies, and ask how you
will be contacted should an emergency occur at the school;
· Pre-authorize a
friend or relative to pick up your child(ren) in case of an emergency;
· Make sure the
school and your child(ren) know who the emergency contact is; and
· Update your
emergency contact information at the beginning of each school year.
Many college campuses offer desktop,
phone, email and text messages to alert students of potential dangers, such as
severe weather and other threats. College students can sign-up for such
alerts at little to no charge.
Be sure your family has discussed what you
need to do during all types of emergencies and how to stay in touch, Sprayberry
said. If you haven’t already, he reminded, create or update your emergency
supplies
kit.
“Emergency preparedness begins at home,”
Sprayberry said. “Knowing what to do and where to go can reassure parents about
the children’s safety, and ultimately, save lives.”
For more information about how to get
ready and what to do during or after a storm or other emergencies, go to ReadyNC.org. You can also
download the free ReadyNC app, which has real time weather, traffic and shelter
information.
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Julia Jarema
Communications Officer
NC Department of Public
Safety (Emergency Management)
919-825-2270 phone
919-422-8814 cell
