Statue Outside the Fergus Falls Fire Station. (Derek Sidian, KBRF News)
Fergus Falls, MN – September is National Preparedness Month, and Fergus Falls Fire Chief/Emergency Manager Ryan Muchow is encouraging residents to be ready for disaster.
Every September since 2004, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has used the month to push a simple message: don’t wait for a disaster to think about how you’d handle one. This year’s theme, “Americans Stand Ready,” frames preparedness as a shared responsibility — starting with individuals, extending to families, and ultimately strengthening the whole community.
Muchow says that for our area, the timing lines up with a seasonal shift. Late summer and fall still bring severe thunderstorms and tornado risk, and we are only a few months from the ice, snow, and potentially dangerous cold. The best time to prepare for either is now.
Emergency preparedness often gets viewed as complicated or time consuming, but preparedness is simply being ready and equipped for an event or situation. Below are no cost and minimal time-consuming steps you can take to be prepared.
- Store your typical non-perishable snacks and bottled water in one location in your kitchen or pantry. This allows you to quickly grab items in a moment’s notice without needing to ‘have a kit’ that often has items that become outdated. Bonus points if you can keep a flashlight, whistle, and battery-operated radio in this same area!
- Take 5 minutes to determine where you will shelter during a severe or tornadic storm, or, in the case of fire, where your meeting spot will be outside of your residence or workplace. Again, bonus points if you practice this, even just one time!
- Communicate. If traveling, hunting, fishing, walking, or hiking – let someone know where you are going. A quick check-in text can also brighten someone’s day!
- Stay informed. Have several ways to receive alerts. Trusted sources can include AM/FM radio, weather radio, TV, Smart911 through Otter Tail County, commercial weather apps, and Enhanced or Government Alerts on your smart phone devices. Outdoor warning sirens are designed to alert people outdoors to seek shelter and turn to a trusted source of information for additional details.
Muchow says that small, no cost and minimal time-consuming steps taken this month is exactly what National Preparedness Month is designed to prompt. Preparedness starts with individuals, but it builds into a more prepared and resilient community when an emergency occurs.
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