February 2023

CITY MANAGER'S NEWSLETTER

FEBRUARY 2023

We receive daily inquiries from the public about disaster plans and disaster preparedness. In December, some of us experienced power outages. Our crews and office staff worked 27 hours straight to get the power on for people, but the storm once again brought out the importance of being  prepared.

The Most Important Thing Is Personal Preparedness

Local, state, and regional resources may be quickly overwhelmed, meaning there will be more needs than a small city staff and mostly volunteer fire department can meet. You need to be prepared to take care of yourself, your family, and your pets. In December we had people call the city in a panic about their oxygen equipment. We delivered a few backup generators for folks, but in many cases, we won't have the time or the staff to do so.

Steps to Plan and Prepare for Any Disaster

• Assemble emergency kits and Go-bags. Every person, including children, should have a Go-bag.  See the  attached document for information on Go-bag and disaster kits. You can also find important  information here:  https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/article/217458

• Keep copies of important documents (passport, driver 's license, social security card, marriage license, will, deeds, financial statements, etc.) in an off-site location such as a safety deposit box. To facilitate insurance recovery, include an inventory of your valuables with photographs or video.
• Always keep your car's gas tank at least half full. Have a plan for what to do away from home as well, including during your commute.
• Prepare in advance for how you'll communicate, navigate, and keep your data safe, if  you lose power or the Internet during an emergency.

Have a Storm Outage Kit

• Non-perishable food and a can opener, pots, pans, and utensils
• Provisions for medical equipment
• Barbecue, gas grill or camp stove to use outside, plus fuel and a lighter or matches
• Flashlights or headlamp
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio, battery-powered clock, or watch
• Extra batteries, cell phones and chargers, including a car charger
• Water, one gallon per person per day, especially if you rely on an electric pump

Register for Everbridge

To receive alerts about disasters and other urgent issues, please subscribe to Everbridge.

Go to Coos County Sheriff's Office Emergency Management website:

http://www.co.coos.or.us/Departments/SheriffsOffice/EmergencyManagement....

Click on the Coos County Emergency Mass Notification System Everbridge Signup Link or type this URL into the address bar of your web browser:

https://member.everbridge.net/892807736724057/login

Click on the "SIGN UP HERE" button to create your account in the notification system.

CALL OUR LIBRARY IF YOU DON'T HAVE COMPUTER ACCESS. (541) 347-3221

IT'S BUDGET SEASON AGAIN.

BUDGET CALENDAR

All budget documents will be available online before the meetings, and hard copies are available to review at City Hall. If you would like your own hard copy of any document, give us a call and we can print one for you. (541) 347-2437

**A charge will apply for a hard copy.