Department of Homeland Security to evaluate Hoosiers’ preparedness

The Federal Emergency Management Agency classified September as National Preparedness Month in 2004, an initiative designed to prepare Hoosiers for natural disasters and emergencies.

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security is conducting an online survey, which was last administered in 2011, to assess the emergency preparedness of households and help increase preparedness.

The 10-minute survey, which can be accessed at in.gov/dhs, is available until Sept. 20. All participants will be entered in a drawing to receive an all hazards radio, which broadcasts emergency and weather information.

Sample survey questions ask if participants own a preparedness kit, ask what specific items are in their preparedness kit and ask about evacuation plans.

John Erickson, senior public information officer for IDHS, said a score for each respondent was calculated using a formula that assigns a value to each
response.

The findings of the 2011 survey indicated that respondents from rural areas were nearly 12 percent more prepared than those from urban areas and that respondents in rural areas are 28 percent more likely to have a home evacuation plan than those in urban areas, according to the IDHS website.

“The results of the 2011 survey helped the department make recommendations to the state as well as to specific counties on how to better prepare,” Erickson said.

Monroe County was assigned a preparedness level of medium following the same 2011 survey, with other counties receiving ratings of low, high and no response. Areas with the highest level of preparedness are located in the northern portion of the state, according to the IDHS website.

“In our community a hazards analysis indicates the most likely events are weather related,” Jim Comerford, Monroe County Emergency Management coordinator, said in an email.  “These include flood, tornado, wind storms and winter weather. Other hazards with less probability but causing a medium to high impact if they do occur are an earthquake or a hazardous materials release.”

Comerford said his department’s main focus is providing early warning for disasters, including outdoor warning sirens.

Comerford said assembling an emergency preparedness kit is one of the most important tasks a family can complete to prepare for an emergency.

Comerford said Monroe County Emergency Management recommends every home have a weather radio, and they  encourage everyone to have a survival kit including items such as water, shelf stable foods, medications, lights, batteries and a battery-powered radio, among other items.

“We also have a current initiative between state homeland security and local Emergency Management Agencies to place weather radios in high risk residences such as mobile homes,” Comerford said. “We have given out over 200 radios over the last two years.”

Follow health, science and environment reporter Brianna Meyer on Twitter@brimmeyer.