Dear Heritage Hunt Resident:

The world that we live in today is far different from that in which we grew up. Technological advances have improved both our life style and the quality of our lives. These advances have also impacted that feeling of safety and security that we were brought up with. Natural disasters – hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, fires, etc. – have always been with us. We have tended to take these events in stride and depended upon our public safety services to aid us in coping with these events. This approach has, generally speaking, served us well in the past. Since the tragic events of 9-11, however, the additional possibility of man-made disasters has become a grim reality. The likelihood of chemical, radiological, biological and conventional munitions attacks here at home have, unfortunately, increased.

Following a major disaster, either natural or man-made, the traditional “first responders” who provide public safety (fire, medical and law enforcement) services may not be able to meet the demand for these services. Factors such as communications systems overload or failure, large number of victims needing help, and road blockages may prevent not only you getting through to 911 but hinder response time and availability.

People will have to rely more and more upon themselves and each other for help in order to meet their immediate life saving and life sustaining needs. Under these kinds of conditions, family members and neighbors will not only need to prepare their own homes but also try to help others in their community. In a very real sense, each of us will become our own “first responder”. This means that the primary and immediate responsibility for your safety and that of your immediate family may well rest with you.

Key to the success of these efforts is information. With this in mind, the Heritage Hunt Emergency Preparedness Task Force is providing you with several “links” to sites that provide extensive information concerning the steps that can be taken by families to plan and prepare for emergencies of all types. The Task Force urges you to visit these sites and implement those steps that you feel are most appropriate for you and your family so that you can be better prepared for these exigencies.