Community Preparedness & Education

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Are You, Your Family and Business Prepared?

Wells, NV Earthquake 2008

Park City Municipal Corporation is committed to a prepared community. Two of the key components of Emergency Management are Planning and Mitigation. That includes the education and training of city employees, community businesses and Park City’s citizens.

In a major disaster like an earthquake, our local citizens need to be able to be on their own for three to five days. During day-to-day operations of emergency services we are used to response times of minutes. In a major disaster, emergency services will be overwhelmed and responses will be prioritized, which may mean no one will be in your neighborhood for days. Therefore you need to prepare to take care of your self, your family and your business.

Park City Municipal Corporation has a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) , which outlines how the City will respond to a disaster or emergency, does you family have an emergency plan?

The Park City Emergency Management Group has identified 16 possible Risks or Hazards , that could happen in Park City. We of course hope none of these problems will befall our community but we must be prepared none the less. Some have a higher probability or chance of happening than others. When you develop your family or business emergency plan please consider what things you might need to prepare for by reviewing the Risks or Hazards list.

Planning and Mitigation
Where will your family be when disaster strikes? They could be anywhere…at work…at school…in the car. How will you find each other? Will you know if your children are safe?

Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services -- water, gas, electricity, or telephones -- were cut off? Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone right away.

Families can and do cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working together as a team. Follow the guidelines presented in the Summit County Emergency Preparedness Guide to create your family disaster plan. Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility.

Visit the following links for other preparedness tips:

12 Points to Preparedness -
This is a great article by a Utah Emergency Manager named Al Cooper. The document gives you a good overview of how to prepare your family. Click on this link to start down the road to being prepared.
Supplies/72 Hour Kit -
72 hour or preparedness kits can be purchased from any number of local suppliers, including Emergency Essentials, WalMart, Costco, Online or you can make your own. Click on this link for lists of what should go in your kit.
Utilities -
Gas, Electricity, Water, Sewer, Telephone are all utilities that we use in our day-to-day lives. During a disaster you could lose one or all of these important resources. Make sure you have the necessary backup supplies and know how to turn your utilities off if they are damaged or leaking. Utilities should only be turned back on by a professional. Click on this link for more information.
Neighbors -
Our neighbors are important to us and our communities. Make sure you take a little time to make sure they are OK and don't need your help. Particularly help those that are elderly, have disabilities or other special needs. Click on this link for some neighborly tips.
Home Hazard Hunt -
Take a few moments and do a "Home Hazard Hunt." This is particularly fun to do with your children, but adults are welcome as well. Look for those things that would pose a hazard to your family in a disaster. Click this link for how to conduct your "hunt."
Evacuation -
You may be asked by the authorities to evacuate from your home or you may need to evacuate if your home is severely damaged. Click on this link for what to think about before you need to evacuate.
Shelter in Place -
You may also be asked by the authorities to "Shelter-in-Place." This is when you will be asked to stay home and care for yourself and your family and not leave. Click here for Shelter-in-Place ideas.
Special Needs -
Some citizens have Special Needs, that can range from mobility issues, medical problems, oxygen use, the need for electricity, help in evacuations, etc. It is important for emergency officials to know where folks live and what type of assistance they may need. This link will discuss those issues and also provide an additional link to the Utah Special Needs Registry.
If A Disaster Happens -
If we have a disaster in our community it can be from any number of hazards, earthquake, fire, explosion, utility disruptions, etc. Look at this link for the basics of how you, your family and your employees should react to an unexpected emergency in our community.

The following links provide valuable additional information on some of the Risks and Hazards that might occur in our community:

Training Opportunities:

A little training can go a long way in protecting and saving the lives of your family, friends and even strangers in your community. Learning to Swim, First Aid, CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation), the Use of an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator), Lifeguard are all classes that are available in our community and Salt Lake City. Some are free and most have a small fee. The American Red Cross and the Park City Fire District both offer a number of classes locally or a short drive to Salt Lake City. As the Boy Scouts tell us, "Be Prepared."

Park City Emergency Management in conjunction with the Park City Chamber/Bureau offer a "Be Ready Business" program. This is a one or two day course that reviews 12 steps in preparing your business for an emergency, disaster or business interruption. Also called Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP), this training is offered community wide or can be arranged for just your business. Contact Park City's Emergency Program Manager for additional information and to set up a class.

Park City, Summit County and the State of Utah plan a number of exercises throughout the area that will often involved various parts of our community. There are also opportunities to volunteer to help during emergencies and disasters through the Red Cross, State of Utah, Park City Municipal, Summit County Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and Summit County Search and Rescue just to name a few.

FEMA offers extensive courses for those truly interested in Emergency Management: FEMA Emergency Management Institute.

Where do you turn to get information during an emergency?
Communications is a key component of the community's response to a disaster or large emergency, as well as, its recovery. The following are places to check for updated information:

KPCW 91.9FM -
Park City, Summit and Wasatch County local radio station.
Salt Lake City Television and Radio stations -
A number of Salt Lake City stations are part of the National Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) and are available in the Park City area on cable, antenna, FM or AM stations. KSL TV Channel 5 and KSL Radio 1160AM are two Salt Lake City EBS stations.
1700 AM HAR Radio -
The local 1700 AM radio station is Park City's Highway Alert Radio (HAR) station. This station is on the air 24/7 and is used primarily for highway, streets, construction and special event information. It reaches most, but not all of the greater Park City area. In an emergency the City will broadcast information on this channel. When it is idle it transmits the National Weather Service forecasts for the Park City area.
Park City Municipal Hotline -
The Park City Emergency Hotline is 435-615-5999. When there is a significant emergency in the community, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will either staff this line with operators or place a recorded message for community members. When this number is not being used, it transfers your call to the main Park City switchboard.
Emergency Mass Notification System -
Park City has the ability to call your landline or cell phone (any listed or unlisted number), text, or email you with emergency messages or important information about your neighborhood. Virtually all traditional land lines are regularly uploaded in the system and no further action is required on your part. However, you can manually register your cell or VoIP phone at parkcityalerts.org, and elect to receive texts or emails as well. The City and County share the same alerting system, so if you reside outside of City limits, you can register at www.parkcityalerts.org or www.summitcountyalerts.org
Does someone in your family, a neighbor or friend have a a Special Need?

The Utah Special Needs Registry is available at no cost to the following individuals and provides a method for local cities and counties to know where citizens live that may need additional help during an emergency or disaster. Please take advantage of this confidential service if one of the following applies:
        Visually impaired
        Hearing impaired
        Mobility impaired
        People with special dietary needs
        People with medical conditions
        People with a mental disability

Do you still have questions on Preparedness and Emergency Management in Park City?

Contact Park City's Emergency Program Manager:

        Mike McComb
        2060 Park Avenue
        P O Box 1480
        Park City, UT 84060-1480
        435-615-5185 - Office
        435-615-4971 - Fax
        757-374-1515 - Cell
        mike.mccomb@parkcity.org

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