‘Ready in Renton’ stresses preparedness

Being “Ready in Renton” – all part of National Preparedness Month this September nationwide – means being prepared for a disaster.

Those preparations must happen before disaster strikes, not after, say city officials. The hurricanes hitting the Gulf Coast are visible reminders of the need to prepare.

In the Northwest, a more likely scenario is a massive earthquake or flooding from a winter storm during which responders are busy dealing with life-and-death situations.

“Emergency responders will not be able to reach everyone who needs help immediately after a disaster. The best way for us to take care of ourselves and those who depend on us is to be personally prepared for at least three days. This allows rescuers to focus on helping those who can’t help themselves,” said Deborah Needham, City of Renton’s Emergency Management director

This year for “Ready in Renton,” local stores are teaming up with the City of Renton to help residents get prepared. Local branches of stores, including Big 5 Sporting Goods, Fred Meyer, Lowes, McLendon Hardware, Target and WalMart, will make it easy for residents to build their emergency preparedness kits.

The businesses will stock many of the items required for personal disaster-preparedness kits and provide lists of necessary emergency items prepared by the city’s Office of Emergency Management.

Information about emergency kits is available at the city’s Web site at rentonwa.gov, under Ready in Renton.

Needham stresses that residents need to have emergency supplies, such as food, water, first-aid kit and clothing, for at least three days, and potentially even longer.

“That is three days that they won’t be hungry or thirsty,” said Needham.

The city’s program to “map” supplies and equipment available in a neighborhood also is taking off, she said. For example, Rolling Hills recently has gone through the program.

Emergency crews also will need assistance from trained volunteers who can help with some of the more routine but important jobs associated with disaster response. Those jobs including answering phones, setting up cots and helping in shelters.

More information will be available at a Disaster “Job” Fair 3 p.m.-8 p.m. Sept. 25 at Renton City Hall, seventh Floor Conference Center, 1055 S. Grady Way.

Classes are offered through Renton Technical College to train volunteers for a number of jobs, Needham said. Those who receive training are registered as an emergency worker with the state.

Contact Renton Reporter Editor Dean Radford at editor@rentonreporter.com or 425-255-3484, ext. 5050.

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