March 29, 2024
Annapolis, US 40 F

County fire department wants you to be prepared

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FD_BannerSeptember is National Preparedness Month, a nationwide, month-long effort hosted by the Ready Campaign encouraging households, communities, and businesses to prepare and plan for emergencies. This year we are asking you to take action now- make a plan with your community, your family, and for your pets. Plan how to stay safe and communicate during the disasters that can affect our community

September 13th through the 19th is focused on Hurricanes. Hurricanes and other storms of tropical origin can bring flooding, storm surge, high winds and even tornadoes that can be life-threatening and cause serious property damage.

Hurricane season is currently at its peak. Now is a great time to take action and prepare your family for these powerful storms. Each year, many parts of the United States experience heavy rains, strong winds, floods, and coastal storm surges from hurricanes and tropical storms. Hurricanes can also affect inland communities.

Get the How to Prepare for a Hurricane guide from America’s PrepareAthon! to learn hurricane basics and how to protect yourself during these storms, including:

  • Close windows, doors, and shutters
  • Turn off propane tanks

An All Hazards Response Organization, Committed to Your Safety

  • Bring items inside such as patio furniture, hanging baskets, bicycles
  • Check your emergency supply kit
  • Unplug small appliances
  • Turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting in case power is lost
  • Fill your car’s gas tank
  • Stay informed with radio, TV, and reputable social media.

Also, power outages can last longer than expected, so having a disaster supply kit can help your family. Stay informed about hurricanes by monitoring weather reports and signing up to receive local alerts.

Anne Arundel County in conjunction with the City of Annapolis has an Emergency Mass Notification System capable of reaching thousands of residences and business in a matter of minutes. A pre-recorded message with important information can be delivered to a live person, an answering machine or TTY/TDD device.

The application, called CodeRED, is a geographical-based web application. County employees can access the system anywhere they have access to the Internet. Looking at a map of the county, staff can zoom to the area of interest and draw a polygon selecting the area to be called.

The system uses phone numbers from Verizon’s database and matches it to county structure address data. Not every residence or business may be in the system, and thus Anne Arundel County government would like to encourage all residents and business to register on our Community Notification Enrollment page.

Registrants can sign up to receive alerts via e-mail or on their cell phone including text messages. E-mail alerts may contain a picture if pertinent to the situation, e.g., missing person, crime suspect, etc. Citizens can opt-in to receive general notifications as well. For example, county agencies have contacted communities to warn against a rash of break-ins in their area or for changes in trash pick-up. You will know the call is CodeRED when your Caller ID displays: 866-419-5000 or Emergency Comm for Emergency Notifications 855-969-4636 or ECN Community for General Notifications If you would like to hear the last message delivered to your phone, simply dial the number back. Registration is confidential, free and only takes a few minutes. Feel free to contact the Office of Emergency Management if you have any additional questions or concerns.

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