Photo By Joshua Cox | Make a Plan. Build a Kit. Stay Informed. Update the Navy Family Accountability and...... read more read more
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Make a Plan. Build a Kit. Stay Informed. Update the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System (NFAAS).
The Fleet and Family Support Center Pensacola recommends service members and their families complete the abovementioned tasks or review and adjust their established plans during National Preparedness Month.
National Preparedness Month (NPM) is recognized each September to promote family and community disaster planning now and throughout the year, according to Ready.gov.
“Every September, the civilian sector and the Navy go above and beyond for service members and families with Emergency Preparedness training in multiple specific topics,” said Thomas J. Butler Jr., emergency management coordinator, Fleet and Family Support Center Pensacola.
“First, families should start by preparing a Family Emergency Plan with checklists,” Butler said. “They should create the plan and checklists as a family.”
It is good to get the children involved in the planning stage so they take ownership and understand the plan, he explained.
“A plan is only good if it is detailed and communicated with the entire family,” he added.
For more information about Family Emergency Plans and Checklists, visit www.ready.navy.mil or www.ready.gov.
Butler said the second step is to build an emergency kit for the family.
“There are many different types of kits that families can make to become better prepared,” Butler said. “The top five emergency kits are medical kits, food and water kits, lighting kits, important document kits and pet kits.”
Family Emergency Kits are dependent on the needs of the family, and can be customized to accommodate each family member, including pets.
Next, families should stay informed by local and national weather stations, Butler said.
“Keeping up with the latest weather reports can keep families informed so they can take steps to stay ahead of a pending disaster,” Butler said. “Families should also educate themselves with resources available for them in the local area in the event they are affected by the disaster.”
Helpful resources include the National Weather Service (www.weather.gov), the National Hurricane Center (www.nhc.noaa.gov) and your county’s emergency management office.
“Finally, families should have a basic understanding of the importance of the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System (NFAAS),” Butler said. “They should make sure their information is accurate in NFAAS.”
Butler said service members should ensure phone numbers, a current physical address and monitored e-mail addresses are added to the system.
“This is also the website that families will use to muster if they are ordered to evacuate the area by their commanding officers,” Butler said. “NFAAS is extremely important during a disaster so that everyone can be accounted for and commands and the Navy know where they are sheltering from the storm.”
For more information, visit https://navyfamily.navy.mil/.
Butler said families need to understand that general Emergency Preparedness is always dependent on the family and the needs of that family.
“For families, having a Family Emergency Plan and emergency kits ready gets them ahead of a pending disaster,” he added.
In the event of a hurricane or disaster on the Gulf Coast, service members should monitor NAS Pensacola social media and local news outlets for the latest developments. Individual commands, Ombudsmen and The Fleet and Family Support Center will also release information about storm and disaster-related procedures and instructions.
| Date Taken: | 09.01.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 09.01.2020 11:44 |
| Story ID: | 377217 |
| Location: | NAS PENSACOLA, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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