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Clark County emergency managers are encouraging residents to make emergency preparedness their New Year’s resolution.

“The new year is a good time for families and local businesses and organizations to think about emergency preparedness,” said Clark County Fire Department Deputy Chief Brian O’Neal, who oversees the County’s Emergency Management Division. “Emergencies by definition are unpredictable, but there are some key steps people can take to help themselves stay safe in the event of an emergency.”

The top hazards identified in Southern Nevada by local emergency managers include communicable disease, wildfire, flooding, earthquakes and extreme heat. Power outages also can happen sporadically. Local emergency managers encourage residents to download the free Southern Nevada Community Preparedness App to help prepare and plan for emergencies at https://tinyurl.com/yt5b73tn. The app offers free weather alerts, safety tips and resources to help families create personalized emergency preparedness plans and disaster supply kits. Safety tips for a variety of situations are on the Fire Department’s pages of Clark County’s website at https://tinyurl.com/5n73m6vc. The key steps for emergency preparedness are:

1. Get a disaster supply kit. The kit should contain items for you and your family's basic needs for three days to two weeks, including food, medication, and water and a NOAA weather radio. Your kit should include provisions for your family's unique needs such as supplies for infants, medically fragile family members and pets.

2. Create an emergency plan. Family members may not be together when a disaster strikes, so it's important to plan in advance how you will connect with one another. Choose a primary and secondary meeting place in case an emergency affects your home or neighborhood and designate an out-of-state contact for family members to call in the event they are separated. In an emergency situation, it's often easier to call out-of-state than within an affected area.

3. Be informed. I Know the risk of dangers in your area and check your insurance coverage. In an emergency, stay tuned to your radio or TV for instructions and information. Keep a hand-cranked or battery-powered radio (with extra batteries) on hand in case of a power outage. Follow Clark County on social media @ClarkCountyNV.

County Emergency Management staff may be available to talk to community groups. Requests can be directed to (702) 455-5715. A Clark County Television (CCTV) PSA about earthquake safety features The Scott Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwbJhENzVCg.

Officials also encourage the public to remember the “See Something, Say Something” campaign. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security developed the campaign to thwart terrorism and other criminal activity by encouraging citizens to report suspicious activity to the proper state and local law enforcement agencies. As part of the effort, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center have set up a 24-hour hotline for the public to report suspicious activity at (702) 828-8386. A CCTV PSA about the resource also is available on the County’s YouTube site at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xWmWg3Oitw.

These other emergency preparedness resources also may be helpful:

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