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Created on Friday, 01 December 2017 08:08

IEMA Highlights Holiday Safety in December

Tips offered for preparedness gifts, holiday decorating

SPRINGFIELD – With the holiday season in full swing, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies are offering tips to help people stay safe now and into 2018.

“Throughout December, we’ll offer tips to help people safely enjoy the holiday season, as well as provide ideas on gifts that can help friends and family stay safe during all types of emergencies,” said IEMA Acting Director Joe Klinger.

Klinger offered several ideas for preparedness and safety gifts, including the following:
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather alert radio with battery backup, a tone-alert feature and Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• First aid kit with sterile bandages and gauze pads in assorted sizes, antiseptic, latex gloves, tweezers, scissors, soap and moistened towelettes, and thermometer
• Home emergency preparedness kit stocked with a three-day supply of bottled water and non-perishable food, battery-powered radio, weather radio and flashlights with extra batteries, first aid kit, shut-off wrench (to turn off household gas and water), manual can opener, and fire extinguisher
• Vehicle preparedness kit stocked with a flashlight with extra batteries; first aid kit; water and non-perishable snacks; blankets; windshield scraper and brush; booster cables; sack of sand or kitty litter; tool kit; and shovel
• Smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector

Most preparedness gift items can be found in hardware and department stores.

Candles and strings of colored lights create a festive holiday atmosphere, but it’s important to be careful when using them. Candles should never be left unattended and should be placed on stable furniture in fire-safe holders that will catch dripping wax. Holiday lights and electrical decorations should bear the name of an independent testing lab to prove they were safety tested. 

IEMA will be posting holiday safety tips throughout December on the Ready Illinois Facebook (www.Facebook.com/ReadyIllinois) and Twitter (twitter.com/ReadyIllinois) pages. Additional information on emergency preparedness is available on the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov. 

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Created on Thursday, 02 November 2017 12:40

IMPORTANT NOTICE for users of the Champaign NOAA Weather Radio station (WXJ-76, 162.550 MHz):

WXJ-76 has a failed power divider on the antenna. This is resulting in the signal only extending a few miles at best from the transmitter site. Technicians are arranging for someone to climb the antenna tower to repair the problem, but the outage is likely to continue through the weekend.

There is a threat of severe weather on Sunday, and it is important to have multiple ways of receiving watches and warnings. While any warning alarm codes would be sent for the normal coverage area, it is likely that only people in the immediate Champaign/Urbana area would receive them.

Several neighboring stations cover parts of WXJ-76's coverage area. Visit the following link for specific details:

http://www.weather.gov/ilx/nwroutageCMI

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Created on Wednesday, 01 November 2017 15:00

Emergency Management Officials, National Weather Service Encourage Winter Preparedness

November is Winter Weather Preparedness Month in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – Chilly temperatures experienced across the state recently are a reminder that the cold, snow and ice of Illinois winters aren’t far behind. To help people prepare for potentially dangerous winter weather, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), the National Weather Service (NWS) and local emergency management agencies will highlight winter weather preparedness throughout November.

“According to the National Weather Service, there hasn’t been a winter in Illinois without at least one winter storm in the past century,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “During the winter of 2014-15, we had nine winter storms. To ensure you and your family stay safe no matter how bad the weather is this winter, please take a few minutes now to prepare.”

Joseph said IEMA and the NWS developed a winter weather preparedness guide to help people understand winter weather risks, along with tips for staying safe at home, in the car and at school. It also includes lists of suggested items for home and vehicle emergency supply kits. The guide is available on the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov.

“The past two winters across the state of Illinois have been rather mild with little snow and ice. That may not be the case this coming winter season.” said Chris Miller, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lincoln. “People traveling need to be aware that most winter time traffic accidents occur with minor amounts of snow or ice, particularly when it has been a long time since we've faced those types of road conditions. The key is to just slow down to give yourself enough time and distance to stop your vehicle.”

Follow the Ready Illinois Facebook (www.facebook.com/ReadyIllinois) and Twitter (twitter.com/ReadyIllinois) pages for winter preparedness tips through the season.

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Created on Thursday, 26 October 2017 16:28

Prepare for All Types of Disasters, Including
Zombie Apocalypse

Illinois Resolution Designated October ‘Zombie Preparedness Month’

SPRINGFIELD – With Halloween just around the corner, people throughout Illinois are pulling together costumes for their kids or themselves, buying candy for trick-or-treaters and preparing for a zombie apocalypse. Wait….a zombie apocalypse?

October was designated “Zombie Preparedness Month” by a resolution approved earlier this year by the Illinois House of Representatives. The resolution, sponsored by state Rep. Chris Welch, urges Illinoisans to educate themselves about natural disasters and take steps to create a stockpile of food, water and other emergency supplies that can last up to 72 hours.

“One of our top priorities is encouraging people to be prepared for all types of emergencies and disasters,” said Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) Director James K. Joseph. “TV shows and movies about zombies are very popular today, particularly with young adults. Focusing on zombie preparedness is a fresh way to call attention to the importance of personal preparedness.” 

“This is a great opportunity to bring awareness to an important issue like disaster preparedness,” said Rep. Welch. “As we have seen recently in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, a disaster can happen at any time. When it does, it's best to be as prepared as possible. And we know, if you are prepared for zombies, you are prepared for a natural disaster."

Preparing for an emergency, whether it be a tornado, flood, ice storm, earthquake, even a zombie apocalypse, includes having an emergency supply kit to help you stay safe and well until power is restored or you’re able to evacuate. The kit should include items to sustain your household for at least three days, including the following:

• Water – one gallon per person per day
• Food – non-perishable items that don’t require cooking or refrigeration
• First aid supplies
• Flashlight
• NOAA Weather Alert Radio with AM/FM radio (with battery back-up or crank-style)
• Extra batteries
• Copies of important documents (driver’s license, insurance papers, birth certificates, etc.)
• Pet supplies (food, water, litter, etc.)

It’s also important to have a family emergency plan that includes home evacuation procedures, as well as meeting locations and ways for family members to contact each other if separated when an emergency arises. However, having a plan alone isn’t enough – the plans should be reviewed and practiced regularly so everyone is familiar with it.

Information on how to prepare for all types of emergencies is available at www.Ready.Illinois.gov.