Holiday Gift Suggestion -- Emegency Needs

Here's a message we got from Clark County government...

If you’re in the market for some holiday gift ideas for friends and family, consider adding emergency preparedness items to your shopping list.

“Emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere,” said Clark County Emergency Manager Jim O’Brien. “The holiday season is a great time of year to give gifts that help ensure you and your loved ones are prepared.”

Emergency managers recommend taking a few minutes during a family gathering to discuss with loved ones what they would do in case of an emergency or disaster and how you would get in touch with one another if separated. It’s best to choose a primary and secondary meeting place in case an emergency affects your home or neighborhood. You also should designate an out-of-state contact for family members to call in the event they are separated. In an emergency, it's often easier to call out-of-state than within an affected area.

In addition to creating a family communications plan, it’s important to be informed of hazards our area faces and to tune into local TV and radio during emergencies. The hazards Clark County is most vulnerable to include: communicable disease, wildfire, flooding, earthquake and extreme heat. Emergency managers recommend you build a disaster supply kit before an emergency strikes. Several recommended items would make possible holiday gifts. The list includes:

• Disaster kits for homes, offices and autos (first aid kits, food, water, prescription medications, extra clothing, blankets and flashlights)
• NOAA weather radios with extra batteries
• Enrollment in a CPR or first-aid class
• Smoke detectors
• Pet disaster kits (food, water, leashes, dishes, and carrying case or crate)
• Fire extinguishers (for kitchen, garage, car etc.)
• Foldable ladders for second-story escape in a fire.
• Car kits (emergency flares, shovels, ice scrapers, flashlights and fluorescent distress flags)
• Battery-powered lamps


Clark County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security has more information about preparedness on its Web site at www.accessclarkcounty.com. Additional Internet resources include the American Red Cross, www.redcross.org; the Federal Emergency Management Agency, www.Ready.gov; and the Southern Nevada Health District, www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org.