Give loved ones the gift of preparedness

YOUNGSTOWN -- Hot on the trail of some last-minute gifts?
Ohio Emergency Management Agency officials suggest putting gifts under the tree that will help loved ones be prepared for emergencies.
Nancy J. Dragani, Ohio EMA executive director, said 2005 will be remembered as a year in which natural disasters devastated thousands of lives. Giving preparedness gifts are practical in times when personal finances are tight for many people, and show concern for personal safety and well being, she said.
Dragani said giving preparedness gifts symbolize the importance of preparing families, homes, businesses and schools for any natural or man-made disaster.
She suggests creating a vehicle safety kit that includes jumper cables, flashlights, blankets, sand and a small shovel.
Ohioans should also be prepared for cold-weather vehicle problems by keeping boots, extra clothes and other cold-weather gear in vehicles as well as bottled water and nonperishable, high-energy snack foods such as raisins, peanut butter crackers and granola bars, she said.
Disaster kits for home, office or college dormitory could include bottled water, first-aid kits, blankets, battery-powered radios, flashlights, extra batteries, and foldable ladders for second-story, exterior escapes, she said.
Fire extinguishers and weather-alert radios with extra batteries are also good preparedness gifts, Dragani said.
For more information on emergency preparedness, visit the Ohio EMA Web site at www.ema.ohio.gov.