PREPAREDNESS

Family Preparedness Plan

Citrus County is known for its natural beauty, but like any community it also has its hazards. Click the link below to view the Family Preparedness Plan PDF files:

"The State of Florida Family Preparedness Guide" (English version)

(Spanish version) pdf file

A certain portion of Citrus County residents are impacted by natural disasters every year.  People are forced to leave their homes for fires, floods, tornado's and threats of tropical storms or hurricanes. The 2004 hurricane season set records for the State of Florida. Four hurricanes made landfall effecting millions of residents. Citrus County opened special needs shelters for three of the four storms. Some county residents were without power for 6 days and the flooding forced people out of their homes for months. Many of our businesses were  impacted by the storms, some for the first time.  The residents and businesses that recovered the fastest had some sort of preparedness plan. The recovery effort in the state of Florida will continue for a very long time. We urge every resident to design an emergency plan for their home or business. Florida Disaster link below will provide useful info from recovering from an emergency.

Floridadisaster.org

Here at the Citrus County Health Department, staff works with Emergency Management, Public Safety agencies and community partners to assist residents and visitors before, during and after a disaster. Our Emergency Coordinator works within the Tampa Bay Regional Domestic Task Force to assure the availability of regional and statewide resources. We also work with our local hospitals, EMS and health providers to prepare for future public health threats.

It is important that you and your family learn the hazards of your community and take time to prepare.

How can families prepare for unexpected events.
Due to national events, many families are asking, "What can I do to protect my family in an emergency situation." A Family Preparedness Plan is a good idea. This is a plan for emergencies that you make as a family. The family's plan can include Emergency Contacts, identification of Meeting Points, a Disaster Supply Kit, and more. Simple planning can help lessen the fear of the unknown.

Emergency Contacts
Use the recommended emergency contact checklist to make your personal directory of phone numbers. Put this list in places that all family members can find.

Meeting Points
Since your family is not together 24 hours a day, your plan will include how you would find each other in a disaster. Meeting points (physical locations) should be identified for the most commonly frequented locations (i.e. work, school, neighbors). For example, if a disaster happens at school-your plan will have a location where both parents and child decide to meet.

Disaster Supply Kit
To decide what supplies your family will need during a disaster, refer to the recommended Disaster Supply Kit.

By developing a Family Preparedness Plan and a Disaster Supplies Kit you can better cope with the out come of an emergency.  Learn the Evacuation Route and Shelter Locations in your community. You can  monitor any weather event by listening to the Radio Stations or by the National Weather Service web page. Don't forget to include your entire family in the planning Children, anyone with Special Needs and a Plan for your Pets as well.

Special Needs

Citrus County Sheriff's Office Emergency Management officials may order or recommend an evacuation of specific areas of the county for reasons that include: natural disasters such as a hurricane, fire, or flood; man-made incidents, rail, or highway accidents; or technological disasters such as a hazardous material release or nuclear power plant incidents. If you have a special need please fill out the Special Needs Registration Form.

For more information on HOW TO PREPARE:

• NEW! Special Needs Brochure
• NEW! Emergency Food Supply
• NEW! Instructional Videos from Ready America
• Disaster Help
• Food Safety
• What to do in the event of a Nuclear Emergency

Emergency Alert Stations
Radio Stations
WXVC 95.3 FM
WXOF 96.3 FM
WSKY 97.3 FM
WKTK 98.5 FM
WTRS 102.3 FM WRUF 103.7 FM
WRZN 720 AM
WTRS 920 AM
WINV 1560 AM

TV Stations
WUFT-TV Channel 5
WFLA-TV Channel 8
WTSP-TV Channel 10
WTVT-TV Channel 13 WCJB-TV Channel 28
WTOG-TV Channel 44
Adelphia Cable: All channels
Bright House: All channels

Citrus County Emergency Management officials can direct broadcast
over radio at 88.3 FM, 95.3 FM and 96.3 FM. The video for these
broadcasts can also be seen on WYKE TV 47, which is channel 16
for all cable services. Live updates on local weather conditions and
protective actions will be broadcast.

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