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10.22.13
5:00 am
Community, Storms & Emergencies
Concord, NH
The American Red Cross and Unitil Corporation, a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, are expanding their partnership to provide residents and communities with emergency preparedness training and education to help build safer communities in New Hampshire. The American Red Cross Community Resilience program focuses on building community resilience before a disaster by enhancing community collective action around preparedness.
“In order for communities in New Hampshire to become more resilient in their responses to emergencies or disasters, steps towards building resiliency must be taken before, during and after disasters or emergencies,” said Maria White, CEO of American Red Cross New Hampshire Region. “By teaming up with Unitil Corporation, we can help provide New Hampshire communities with the right tools and skills they need to be prepared.”
A Community Resilience event will be held at the Atkinson and Plaistow Community Center on October 29. At the event, Red Cross staff members and volunteers will help residents develop their Family Disaster Plan, receive preparedness tips and learn more about preparedness in the community. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 1-800-464-6692.
Should a disaster occur, the Red Cross and Unitil will be ready to support local communities in their recovery efforts. Together, the Red Cross and Unitil urge residents to be prepared and have a plan in place.
Unitil and the Red Cross suggest some basic steps to make sure you and your family remain safe:
- Meet with your family or household members.
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Discuss how to prepare and respond to emergencies that are most likely to happen where you live, learn, work and play.
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Identify responsibilities for each member of your household and plan to work together as a team.
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Choose two places to meet:
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Right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency, such as a fire.
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Outside your neighborhood, in case you cannot return home or are asked to evacuate.
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Choose an out-of-area emergency contact person. It may be easier to text or call long distance if local phone lines are overloaded or out of service. Everyone should have emergency contact information in writing or saved on their cell phones.
Download any of the Red Cross’s free disaster-specific mobile apps—particularly the Hurricane and First Aid apps—to get lifesaving preparedness information in the palm of your hand before and during emergencies. Red Cross apps can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross or by going to www.redcross.org/mobileapps.
“We’re proud to partner with the Red Cross to help our local communities become safer, stronger and more resilient,” said Carol Valianti, Unitil VP of communications and public affairs. “By making a plan, taking time to prepare and being ‘Red Cross Ready,’ you can keep your loved ones safe in the event of a disaster.”
Additional recommended community resilience actions are available at www.redcross.org. For more information on the Unitil and Red Cross partnership, please visit www.unitil.com/our-community/partnering-red-cross.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org/nh.
