Coweta EMA director Jay Jones speaks on emergency preparedness at October Safety Council meeting
Emergency preparedness training is available free of charge to all Cowetans through the local Emergency Management Agency, and Coweta EMA Director Jay Jones spoke on emergency preparedness at the October meeting of the Coweta County Safety Council.
"Have a kit and have a plan" was Jones's advice to the local safety professionals, and he told them he is such a fan of emergency preparedness kits that he has even provided starter kits for family members as Christmas gifts. "That's how much I believe in it," he said.
Jones said a kit can be as individualized as someone wants to make it, but he does recommend a kit include three to five days' worth of provisions, any extra medications that might be needed, and pet food.
He said it's important to be prepared to take responsibility for your own welfare following an emergency because of the chance that other assistance might not immediately be available. He jokingly called this "the YO-YO" effect, with those letters standing for "you're on your own."
Locally, Jones explained, the Coweta County Emergency Management Agency is the coordinating entity for large-scale man-made and natural disasters. The agency also serves as a liaison between local, state and federal agencies during disasters. Coweta EMA partners with organizations such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army and the local amateur radio club, all of which may be involved in an emergency response situation.
The agency offers public outreach and training on preparedness, conducts emergency response training exercises with multiple agencies, and prepares mass fatality plans. The agency also has plans for Points of Dispersal, or PODs, which are locations strategically placed across the county so that in the event of something like a contagious disease outbreak, medication could be given or administered to the largest number of people most efficiently. Some of these would be "open pods" where any Cowetan could come through, but a business may choose to serve as a "closed pod" that would serve only its employees and their families. A church is another example of a group that could choose to serve as a "closed pod" for its members, Jones said. He encouraged the local business professionals to contact him if they are interested in serving as a POD in the event of an emergency.
Jones also told the Safety Council about the Community Emergency Response Team or CERT training, a free program to help educate the community in emergency preparedness. Those who complete the five-week, ten-night program get their own kit stocked with emergency supplies.
For more information on emergency preparedness, Jones said to visit ready.ga.gov.
The Coweta County Safety Council, which was formed under the auspices of the Newnan-Coweta Chamber, meets monthly, usually at The Summit in Newnan, and is open to all safety professionals in Coweta. The group's next meeting will be November 14 at 3 p.m. at The Summit. For more information, email or call the Chamber at 770.253.2270.