Are you really better prepared?
JAMES J. ZYMANEK Director Emergency Services and Safety
Almost one year ago today, the Town of Amherst was the epicenter of one of the most disastrous events to strike Western New York. The Great October Storm of 2006 showed us how powerful Mother Nature could be, as the storm forever changed the landscape of our flourishing community and also showed how resilient Amherst residents are as we battled back. One year later, are you better prepared?

It was Thursday afternoon and the snow was falling, but we have seen October snow before. It continued all day and thoughts were of: "My snowblower isn't ready," "Traffic is going to be a nightmare," and "I hope my family is all right."

Now it is one year later. Have we pulled out that snowblower to make sure it's ready to go early, or have we looked into getting a simple emergency kit for our car? A simple kit can be purchased through a local safety store or home supply store. Toss a blanket in your back seat, an extra pair of socks, and boots. Most people carry some type of bag or case with them in and out of the workplace; toss in a bottle of water, snack or power bar in case you get hung up for hours. Have you talked to your family about what to do or whom to call in an emergency? Family emergency planning is a necessity. Go to www.amherst.ny.us and type in keyword "ready" to get helpful information on emergency preparedness planning.

There was a mad rush to find a generator. Have you ever used one before? Do you know the hazards of using one? Your generator, if hooked up incorrectly, could electrocute the power company worker on the pole down the street, start your house or your neighbor's on fire, or, as we saw so many times last year, cause people to sicken or die from carbon monoxide poisoning. Have you looked into becoming more educated? I was amazed at the amount of slightly used or like-new generators that started popping up for sale in the classifieds of local newspapers. I guess we will never need them again - or will we? What if the temperature had been 20 degrees colder? Did we have a plan for how to stay warm or where we could relocate, or did we know if the fireplace we rarely use was safe to use for the next several days? Did we have wood to burn safely?

Take a few moments to go out and do a search for generator safety or how to safely operate a wood stove. Contact your local code enforcement office (Amherst, 631-7080) and ask for guidance.

Family and business emergency preparedness planning is easy and doesn't take a lot of time. Make it simple and easy, but remember to practice and discuss what your plan is. There is a lot of information available on the Town of Amherst Department of Emergency Management Web site at www.amherst.ny.us, keyword "ready," or call our office at 631-7251. We are ready to help.