Station House BSL - August 2015 - The Shoofly Magazine

Station House BSL - August 2015

8/2/2015

Planning Ahead Pays Off

While no one likes to be reminded of hurricane season, being prepared is the first step to weathering one safely. This month, the Chief explains the resources the city has in place to help citizens do just that.
- by BSL Fire Chief Pam San Fillippo

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First bands of Gustav coming ashore in 2008, photo by Ellis Anderson

It’s that time of year again, the peak of hurricane season, and I want to share with you some of the resources available to help you plan and prepare for a disaster.

Ten years ago many of us learned first-hand what a “disaster” really is - but it doesn’t have to be a storm like Katrina (or a hurricane at all for that matter) to make life uncomfortable, if not dangerous, for those who aren’t prepared to care for themselves for several days. As many of us saw after Katrina, help may be days away... literally. Don’t wait until the last minute - now is the time to plan!

If an evacuation is ordered, what will you do? Do you have extra money and a reliable vehicle available if you have to travel? If you must shelter in place, do you have enough supplies? Do you have elderly family members that depend on you, and have you made arrangements for their care?

Decide now what you will do with your pets - can you take them with you? If not, make arrangements now - don’t wait until an evacuation has been ordered to figure it out. Are you under a doctor’s care, do you have extra medication on hand? If you’re planning to have surgery or some other medical procedure performed will you be able to travel if needed? Lots of tough questions and the answers aren’t always easy, so act now.

The City of Bay St. Louis has a tremendous amount of information (or links to information) on planning and preparing your business, home, family and pets for emergencies and disasters on the city’s website (see our sidebar); and of course we do our best to keep the city and fire department Facebook pages updated with the latest news and information.

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Preparedness Resources

City of Bay St. Louis Hurricane Information

Opt-in Emergency Alert System for BSL

Fire Department Website - with links for transportation/MDOT, Pets, Weather and MEMA

Flood Plain Management w/Flood Maps

We also have a great (free!) service to offer all Bay St. Louis residents and business owners: the city’s Blackboard Connect Emergency Alert System. This system is used by the fire department and other city managers to notify the public of important news or emergency information; once you are registered in the system, you decide if you want to be contacted via email, cell phone, home telephone and/or text messages. It’s easy to sign up, and you can opt out of this free service at any time. If you aren’t already registered, or if you need to update your contact information since you registered,just follow this link.

(If you don’t live in Bay St. Louis, check with the emergency managers in your city, parish or county to see if they offer a similar emergency alerting system, many do.)

Plan and prepare when things are calm. Don’t delay. I hope the links we've provided will help. No matter where you live, if you need information or other assistance don’t hesitate to contact your local fire department, law enforcement or emergency management agency for help.