As we have learned with past disasters, the fire department and other public servants can not be in all places at all times. It will be necessary for people to rely on family members, fellow employees and neighbors for immediate life saving and life sustaining needs for roughly the first 48-72 hours and possibly days after any major earthquake or natural disaster. This should not be a daunting task as there are resources which you can reference and prepare for a disaster.

One of these resources is the City of Salinas’s Community Emergency Response Team or CERT for short. This training program, led by the Salinas Fire Department, furthers the process of citizens understanding their responsibility in preparing for a disaster. This course also increases their ability to safely help themselves, their families and their neighborhood. The time to prepare is now, not later. Creating a simple disaster preparedness kit and reviewing emergency procedures will pay dividends at the time of an emergency.

Take the time to review the following links and prepare a disaster kit for you and your family. Disaster strikes without warning, but you can prepare yourself today for any future events by taking these small steps now.