Oklahoma Severe Weather Safety Tips and Emergency Planning

We here in Oklahoma know how devastating and dangerous severe weather like tornados, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters can be to lives and property.

Make sure your Tulsa and Oklahoma City fire and security systems are current in case of an emergency. Regular testing and inspection can make sure that these life safety systems are continuously working properly. Alarm monitoring from MacNet will also keep your company safe in any weather using mesh radio technology. This wireless alarm monitoring service will be up-and-running irrespective of weather or natural disasters, so you know you will always have the security you need in an emergency.

What other things can you do to protect your family and employees during severe weather?

First, make sure you have an emergency disaster plan in place and make sure everyone understands what the plan involves. For instance, in a house fire, the emergency plan may include having a designated location away from your home where everyone will meet. Ensure that each person knows where a safe location to go is in an emergency, both somewhere near your home and somewhere outside your neighborhood in the event that it’s not safe to return home. For families, have an out-of-state, or at least an out-of-the-area, person for each person to contact in order to check-in if they are separated. In a tornado, residents should go to a storm cellar or basement underground or the most interior room of their home such as a bathroom or closet on the lowest level, staying away from windows.

When making a disaster plan for your business, OSHA recommends brainstorming the worst-case scenarios for your particular business. What are all the conceivable emergencies, and what are all the various natural disasters that could happen? Company owners need to make sure all employees know exactly what to do, where to go, and how to help other employees or customers in an emergency.

Elect someone to serve as an evacuation warden or coordinator on every floor to ensure everyone in that area safely evacuates in an emergency. Regular practice drills can make sure everyone is familiar with the emergency action plan. For more information on workplace emergency action plans, visit https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3088.html. For office buildings or other large facilities, if a tornado warning is issued, occupants should go to the lowest floor in the center of the building away from windows and glass.

Make sure your business has a mass notification system (MNS) that can clearly and quickly let everyone in your company know when there is severe weather or another emergency and that will give clear directions on what to do.

Know the severe weather warning terms and their meanings. Even though we may have lived in Oklahoma all our lives, do we really know the difference in a tornado watch and a warning?
A “Tornado Watch” means that tornados are possible, so stay alert to approaching storms and stay tuned to the local weather stations for more information. A “Tornado Warning,” however, means that a tornado has been sighted or is indicated by radar, so everyone in that area should take shelter immediately.

Have a disaster kit prepared and ready to go in case of an emergency. A portion of the basic supplies kit that the Red Cross recommends includes one gallon of water per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home); non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food; battery-powered or hand-crank radio (a NOAA Weather Radio, if possible); a First Aid kit; flashlights; extra batteries; medications and medical items for everyone; a multipurpose tool; copies of personal documents like birth certificates, deeds or lease to the home, insurance policies, and other personal information; extra cash; emergency and family contacts; personal hygiene and sanitation items; emergency blanket; and more.

To see a complete list of the minimum basic supplies that the Red Cross recommends, visit  http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-family/get-kit.

Make sure at least one person in your family and in your company is certified in CPR and trained in First Aid.

For more information on severe weather safety, visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/mkx/pdf/handouts/weather-safety-tips.pdf or http://www.ready.gov/.
For help to ensure you have an up-to-date fire and security system and alarm monitoring service for your Oklahoma business, call Mac Systems, Inc. in Tulsa or Oklahoma City.