Be prepared

By November 28, 2007Punch Forum

Heidi
28 Nov 2007

A Ferry service idea is a great one. But it takes a lot of planning before making it happen.

One thing is for sure though, it will generate a lot of money and it will help a lot of people.

But, that’s not what most Pangasinenses want for now. The current event that most of Lingayen and the neighboring towns’ residents are worried about right now is how to prepare for the aftershock… after an intensity 6 earthquake drove the residents in this town into a panic mode!

The earthquake occurred on Monday. Homes within a quarter mile radius submerged in water due to a surge flooding caused by dangerous high tides and waves.

Are the people prepared for such an emergency? I don’t think so.

I suggest for the governor to create an Office of Emergency Management to oversee the emergency preparedness. This office should create evacuation centers located in central Pangasinan, away from the coastal zone, preferably in a higher area, accessible to the people coming from the affected areas.

There should be a map on how to go to these designated areas. Centers should be fully equipped to accommodate thousands of families to stay in in case of emergency.

There should be a local government ran radio station to broadcast warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day. People should be well informed as to what to do in case of hurricanes, earthquakes or any disasters.

An instruction about which areas of the town should evacuate should be made available through the local media.

People outside evacuation zones are to be encouraged to sponsor/offer to shelter family and friends who may need to evacuate. Teach the residents how to secure their homes if a tropical storm or hurricane is issued.

The way to do this is for the Guv to allocate money just for this purpose. There should be a supply of Emergency Kit for every family who are living within the affected areas.

Pangasinenses who live in these disaster areas should have a plan to protect their families and their livelihood. They have to know what to do if a disaster strikes PANGASINAN.

We can’t afford to ignore the warnings, we have to prepare for an emergency!

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments