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PREPAREDNESS

PREPAREDNESS

Preparedness is a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action. Training and exercising plans is the cornerstone of preparedness which focuses on readiness to respond to all-hazards incidents and emergencies.  

It’s important for everyone to plan for a disaster. Disasters can strike quickly and without warning. You may have to evacuate your home at short notice or may be confined to your home for an extended period of time. What will you do for food? How will you communicate with family members? What medications do you need? What will you do with your pets? How can you help your community? 

Disasters, both natural and man-made, can strike at any time. It’s important to be prepared and have plans for anything that may arise. Here you can find tips for preparing and information on how to make plans. 

Develop a Family Communications Plan 

Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact one another and review what you will do in different situations. Communication networks, such as mobile phones and computers, could be unreliable during disasters, and electricity could be disrupted. Planning in advance will help ensure that all the members of your household know how to reach each other and where to meet up in an emergency. 

FEMA’s Ready.gov site can help you prepare a family plan with details and downloadable materials on their Make a Plan page. 

Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as assembling an emergency supply kit for yourself, your family and your pets.  It’s important to say informed about what might happen and know what types of emergencies are likely to affect your region. 

  • Be prepared to adapt this information to your personal circumstances and make every effort to follow instructions received from authorities on the scene. With these simple preparations, you can be ready for the unexpected. 
  • Those who take the time to prepare themselves and their pets will likely encounter less difficulty, stress, and worry. Take the time now to get yourself and your pet ready. 

There are important differences between potential emergencies that can impact the decisions you make and the actions you take. Learn more about the potential emergencies that could happen in Minnesota.

There are a number of websites related to emergency planning. Following are a few links to different types of plans. If you have further questions in regards to planning or are looking for a specific type of assistance, please email the office. (jill_o@co.lotw.mn.us)

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION

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EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
CONTACT

Jill Hasbargen Olson Emergency Management Director 
Lake of the Woods County Sheriff’s Office 

206 8th Ave Se Suite 300 
Baudette, MN 56623 

jill_o@co.lotw.mn.us
Cell: 218-202-0771 
Fax: 218-634-1144

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MEETINGS & TRAININGS

1st of Every Month

Monthly Testing CodeRED Phone System

1st Wednesday of Every Month

Monthly Testing of the Warning Sirens in City of Baudette & City of Williams

Monthly Testing of the IPAWS Notification System