All across the country, communities have been increasing their emergency preparedness efforts.
Healthcare organizations have joined with their neighboring hospitals and local agencies to better prepare for possible events that could impact the community. Natural and manmade disasters have always been a concern, and now better structures have been introduced that allow for improved communication and coordination of resources.
- Self Regional Healthcare has been working with county and city agencies in preparing for events. We have purchased equipment, conducted staff training, and partnered with other hospitals and local community responders to increase our capabilities to respond to a disaster. Our planning efforts are paying off, as we continuously strive to enhance our capabilities for caring for mass casualties, purchasing backup supplies, communicating with other community partners, creating backup systems and writing plans that complement other responders.
Severe weather emergencies
Historically, Greenwood and surrounding counties have experienced a number of tornadoes, including one that destroyed the Greenwood Hospital in the 1940s. Tornadoes are a fact of life, and we all need to be prepared.
What can you do to prepare for a tornado?
- Purchase a NOAA Weather Radio, which will sound an alert when there is a tornado threatening the area. When a tornado is threatening a community, seconds really do count, so the sooner you know the better.
- In a home or building, move to a pre-designated shelter, such as a basement.
- If an underground shelter is not available, move to an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor and get under a sturdy piece of furniture.
- Stay away from windows.
- Get out of automobiles.
- Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car; instead, leave it immediately and lie in a deep ditch, covering your head.
- Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes and should be abandoned.
For more information on tornado safety and how you can prepare, visit the National Weather Service website at http://www.noaa.gov/tornadoes.html
Winter Weather Emergencies
Greenwood County has experienced snow and ice storms in the past, so there’s no reason to believe we won’t experience them again. While we can’t control the weather, we can prepare for bad weather, and can control how we respond to winter storm watches and warnings.
What can you do to prepare? Start by getting familiar with what the weather terms mean.