Which group are you in?

The February 4, 2020 meeting of the Greenfield Chamber of Commerce was well attended.  Retta Livengood gave an insightful presentation on preparing your organization for disaster.  The organizations with representatives there is split, today, into two groups: those who took action and those who just listened and filed it away.  Which group are you in? Those who are very happy they went and got better prepared  – or one of those now wishing they had?

If you have more than the usual amount of time available during isolation you can still go back to those resources and get ready for the NEXT incident.  I am certain material is still available on the Greenfield Chamber web site (www.greenfieldcc.org) or you can go to the February 5th post at www.HancockCOAD.org.

Hancock County COAD Team
www.HancockCOAD.org

Why being prepared matters
I am concerned with some of the talking heads who criticize what they call “stockpiling” of supplies to fight the coronavirus. This isn’t hoarding; it is preparing for a fairly certain future event.  Proper leadership does not wait until an incident occurs to start amassing resources. That causes delay that causes increased damage from the incident.
 
We have a recent local example. A Hancock County COAD partner had an opportunity to receive a large quantity of items that could have been used to alleviate a need with local coronavirus response efforts. Unfortunately, the gift required use of other specific resources that had not been lined up in advance. Due to the lack of those resources that gift had to be declined.
 
So please help us be better prepared for whatever we might get hit with.  If you have access to any of these items that may be needed by local disaster response efforts, let me know so that we can contact you when we get hit, saving valuable time in our efforts to mitigate the damage.

4WD vehicles with towing capability
Pull behind camper with shower and kitchen for sale
Enclosed utility trailer for sale
Donations to help with above purchases
Generator
Warehouse space
Mobile food service equipment
Cold storage space
Data entry capability
Volunteer time for a variety of tasks
Hancock County COAD Team
www.HancockCOAD.org

How will we communicate?

In today’s world of mobile technology and cloud connections, we have the potential to lose all means of communication if a severe storm takes out the cell phone towers. Many of you have heard me ask at presentations: “How long could you survive without these?” while holding up my cell phone and a credit card. 

Hancock County has a plan. The Emergency Management Agency and Hancock County Health Department along with Hancock Amateur Radio Club (HARC) have the ability to activate and broadcast over AM radio station 1610 if all other traditional means of communication are down.  

Please make a family plan as part of your quarantine activities. If you need help with that go to www.ready.gov/plan. Add AM 1610 to your programmed buttons on your radio. (You may have to call Grandma and have her explain what AM radio is to some of the younger generations.)

Please share this with the community in any way that you can.

Hancock County COAD Team
www.HancockCOAD.org

Salvation Army Hancock County Team
www.SalArmyHancock.org