Preparing for Disaster
All families and businesses in South Carolina should plan for a potential disaster. It makes good sense to be prepared for the unexpected.
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division (EMD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are able to offer substantial advice on ways you can better prepare for tragic events – both natural and man-made.
The EMD has prepared a terrorism brochure (pdf) that provides valuable advice for every South Carolinian. This brochure covers such topics as the types of weapons that may be used by terrorists, including biological, chemical and radiological; what could happen in a terrorist attack; how you can prepare; and how you should respond to terrorism.
FEMA also offers an informative booklet, entitled “Are you ready?” This booklet (pdf) provides a step-by-step outline on how to prepare a disaster supply kit, emergency planning for people with disabilities, how to locate and evacuate to a shelter, and even contingency planning for family pets. Man-made threats from hazardous materials and terrorism are also treated in detail.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website contains additional links to help you prepare your business for an emergency situation. A comprehensive plan for dealing with terrorism-related events should include specific instructions to building occupants, actions to be taken by facility management and first responder notification procedures. This list of documents and website links should be very helpful.