Emergency Operations Plan for Elk Township

FEMA’s “Are You Ready?” Guide

Community Emergency Response Team Course Announcement

Dear Residents:

We all hope our township and neighborhood will never have to endure an emergency situation such as flood, tornado or hurricane.  But our experience with the February 2014 ice storm teaches us it is possible to lose normal services and be faced with an emergency situation.  So, it would be wise for all of us to know how to get information if an emergency does happen or if help is needed in any situation.   Following are some services that everyone should know about and be able to use:

Chester county has set up a “211” phone system powered by United Way that provides up-to-date, county-specific information to callers on assistance that is available for emergency food and housing, job training, health services, elder support and other programs.  You can also reach the service by dialing 866-964-7922 or on-line at www.211sepa.org .

The county has launched ReadyChesco a mass notification system that notifies registered users of important emergency alerts; such as weather, road closures, health or community alerts.  Registration takes only a few minutes!  You can register by visiting http://www.readychesco.org/.    It is free to sign up for ReadyChesCo and you can choose the type of alerts that you get (e-mail account, cell phone, pager).  Your wireless carrier may charge you to get messages on your device, so check your plan to see what is covered.  You can choose to stop getting these messages at any time.

The county maintains a Special Needs Registry website at www.specialneedspa.org so that emergency services first responders are better prepared to assist those with special needs in an emergency.  An individual with special needs is someone who will require assistance in excess of that provided to the general public in a time of disaster, particularly in the event that large scale evacuation is necessary.  You (or a loved one on your behalf) should sign up at www.specialneedspa.org if you have challenges:  receiving, understanding  or acting upon emergency orders.

It is wise to prepare for an emergency and have a plan to deal with it.  That is the goal of the township’s Emergency Management Coordination program.  We hope you will find this information helpful and will save it for reference.

Milt Rudy
Emergency Management Coordinator