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Dear Editor:
Many residents of Southwest Georgia view their county health departments primarily as the place to go for flu shots and back-to-school immunizations. While vaccinations are important, public health workers in the 14-county Southwest Georgia District also respond – along with emergency management officials, paramedics, firefighters, law enforcement, emergency medical technicians and others – when disaster strikes.
Our nurses and emergency preparedness specialists are among those who mobilize to action when tornados level homes and businesses, when exposure to anthrax is suspected, when rivers overflow their banks and when deadly diseases are poised to sweep through communities. Southwest Georgia Public Health District’s mission has three prongs: to prevent illness, injury and disability; to promote health and wellbeing; and to prepare for disasters.
During September, Southwest Georgia’s county health departments are joining the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and fellow emergency responders in observance of the fourth annual National Preparedness Month. We are encouraging individuals, families, businesses, schools, faith-based organizations, civic clubs and institutions to take steps now so that they will be better able to react swiftly and positively in the event of a disaster.
When bad things happen, limited information, rapidly changing events and high emotion can hinder decision-making and paralyze action. Poor decisions and failure to act promptly can not only escalate the problem but cause other adverse events to occur.
Advanced planning can give you and your loved ones the extra edge that could make a difference between life and death. For communities, it means the likelihood of less loss of life and property and a speedier recovery from disaster. Those who take advantage of advance planning will enable first responders to stretch limited resources, prioritize aid and provide support more efficiently.
Four simple steps you can take now can make a huge difference when seconds count:
- Get or make a family emergency supply kit
- Make an emergency plan for your family, your business or your organization
- Educate yourself about threats
- Sign up to be part of Southwest Georgia’s Medical Reserve Corps or other volunteer preparedness organization
Michael O. Leavitt, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has said that preparedness must be an ethic, not an episode. He is referring to the very human reaction to warnings about calamities like pandemic influenza, acts of terrorism and hurricanes. It is human nature to shrug off worries about disasters when nobody knows when they will occur or how bad they will be.
Rather than gearing up to face a specific threat, Southwest Georgia can and should emphasize readiness for all hazards – natural and manmade. Prepare. Plan. Stay informed. Volunteer. By embracing readiness as a way of life, we can make our ourselves, our families, community and our country safer and healthier.
To learn more about what you can do to prepare for emergencies, go online to www.southwestgeorgiapublichealth.org.
-- Submitted by Dr. Jacqueline Grant, Southwest Georgia District Public Health Director
