Staying informed and prepared during emergencies changes when you have to consider children. The Fond du Lac County Emergency Management, the Fond du Lac County Health Department and Community Safety Net have teamed up to make that easier.
The Emergency Safety Book is a free, online, award-winning resource meant to help families with children of all ages navigate various emergency situations.
Talking with children and making plans is the main focus of the book, and it discusses many different types of emergencies.
“Its not just focused on one particular event like a tornado or a fire. It goes into a wide spectrum of things you can do to be ready for emergencies,” John Ross, director of emergency management for Fond du Lac County, said.
The book mentions the typical emergencies such as fires, snow storms and tornadoes along with others such as earthquakes, hurricanes and allergic reactions.
Even though some emergencies like earthquakes or hurricanes are rare or don’t happen in Wisconsin, families may go on vacation to a place where they are common. So even reading through the emergencies that are rare to Wisconsin is important.
Being prepared during an emergency, especially with kids, is important for those going through it. But it’s equally important for those trying to help out.
Ross mentioned, “Any time that people can take the steps that they are able to to be prepared, it builds resilience in their community. Which helps them deal with the impacts of an emergency. It also has an impact on the response to the emergency by allowing responders to prioritize resources a little more effectively.”
Many resources are given in the book such as making an emergency supply kit, getting multiple sources of information, how to shut off utilities and how to prepare children for emergencies in an age appropriate way.
This collaboration has been in the works since early spring of this year. June is when the project really kicked off with the printing company looking for community donations.
“We had a nice mix of groups that offered support and saw the value in providing this tool to residents and families within Fond du Lac County,” Ross said.
They were able to get donations and they are thankful for the partners from the community. Those included: Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 400, Van Ert Electric Co. Inc., BCI Burke Company, Fond du Lac Natural Stone, SSM Health, Behnke Insurance Agencies Inc., Holiday Automotive, Pickarts Radiator and Capelle Bros & Diedrich Inc.
Residents don’t have to wait or pay to read this important information. The book is available online now through this link by clicking on the digital access link at the bottom of the page: https://www.fdlco.wi.gov/departments/departments-g-l/health-department/emergency-preparedness/community-safety-net-emergency-safety-book.
People can get physical copies of the book as well but there is a limited number. In 2027, copies of the book may be passed out at community events.
Ross explained, “We’re always working to get the word out about emergency preparedness and how important it is. Whether you’re thinking about heavy snow storms in the winter or you’re thinking about tornadoes in the spring and summer or severe weather events. Anything you can do to be better prepared puts you in a better position to deal with and address what emergencies might happen.”
As the Fond du Lac County Emergency Management says, have a plan, make a kit, be informed.
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