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NEWS RELEASE
Mayor Jennifer P. Dougherty
CONTACT: Nancy Gregg Poss, City of Frederick Public
Information Officer,
301-360-3842
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, February 14, 2003
CITY OF FREDERICK ADDRESSES
CITIZEN CONCERNS
Frederick, Md. ---- The City of Frederick is working to inform residents of vital information needed in the wake of The Department of Homeland Security increased threat level. Americans are urged to prepare for a terrorist attack that could involve biological, chemical or radiological weapons.
Here are some frequently asked questions:
Q: Where can I get more information?
A: FEMA has a 100-plus-page manual, Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness. It is available at FEMA http://www.fema.gov/areyouready and on the city’s website at www.cityoffrederick
The American Red Cross
National Hotline 1-800-GET-INFO
Frederick County Chapter 301-662-5131.
Department of Homeland Security
City of Frederick
Channel 99 TV
Special Emergency Public Information Line 301-600-1300
Frederick County
Channel 19 TV
Public information Line 301-631-3000
Q: What should people do to prepare?
A: Families should choose two meeting places, one near home and one outside the neighborhood, in case members can't reach one another during an emergency. They also should choose a contact person who lives out of state who can relay messages if local phone networks are jammed or out of service. They should prepare disaster kits, “grab and go kits” for their home and cars.
Q: What's the most important item in a disaster kit?
A: A battery-powered radio (with extra batteries) so you can listen to instructions from authorities.
Q: What else should be in a kit?
A: At least three to five days' worth of water (one gallon per person per day), canned and other non-perishable food, over-the-counter medicine and regular prescription medicines. Flashlights with extra batteries. A non-electric can opener. Diapers and baby food, if needed. A wrench, if needed, to shut off utilities. Pet supplies. Candles and matches. Copies of important documents, such as birth certificates, passports, wills, deeds, bank account numbers, insurance papers and immunization records in a fire- and waterproof container. Cash, including change.
Q: We’ve heard a lot about duct tape and plastic sheeting, what are the duct tape and plastic sheeting for?
A: If authorities tell you to stay in your home during a chemical or biological attack, seek shelter in an internal room or basement and turn off all ventilation, including heating and air-conditioning units. Use the plastic and tape to seal off doors, windows and chimney flues. This may help prevent lethal agents from seeping into your home.
Q: If there has been an attack, should I try to leave town or stay home?
A: Follow any evacuation instructions from authorities. In an attack involving biological, chemical or radiological weapons, however, it generally would be safer to stay home. Authorities say trying to flee might only expose you to dangerous agents or leave you caught in traffic.
Q: What if I've been directly exposed?
A: Seek immediate medical help. If none is available, try to decontaminate yourself by removing all clothing (with scissors, if possible, to avoid contact with eyes and mouth), showering if possible or gently washing your face and hands and blotting other contaminated areas. Do not scrape or rub affected skin.
Q: What should I do in a radiological attack?
A: Seek shelter below ground and stay there until told otherwise. If you're caught outside, lie on the ground behind a solid object (such as a building, tree, car, etc.) and cover your head.
Q: Is the government telling only residents in New York City and Washington, D.C., to prepare for attack?
A: New York and Washington are particular targets for al Qaeda, but officials are telling all citizens to prepare.
Q: What will happen to my children at school?
A: Frederick County Public School central office administrators are in close contact with the law enforcement agencies, local emergency planning committees and emergency management teams responsible for planning our community's responses to emergency situations. All schools have emergency plans and crisis manuals that provide specific direction for a wide variety of critical incidents. These plans involve efforts to protect students while they are in school and to respond to countywide incidents.
FCPS’s response in a large-scale emergency will depend on the nature of the incident. The following are examples:
Ø Implement a partial or full security lockdown.
Ø Evacuate students to an alternative location.
Ø Dismiss school early.
Ø Establish emergency shelters for the community in some of our schools.
In the event of an emergency, FCPS will use the local news media, FCPS cable channel 18 and website, www.fcps.org, to broadcast urgent messages. Note, if your child attends a private school their plan is separate. Contact your child’s schools directly for disaster plan information.
Q: Why did it take 17 months after Sept. 11, 2001, to urge people to prepare for another attack?
A: Information about disaster preparedness was available on the Internet and in government offices well before the Sept. 11 attacks. But most people haven't read it. Officials decided that the latest terrorism alert warranted asking the news media to pass on the message that people should prepare. Preparations, which were posted, recently can assist you during any crisis period, whether it is an ice storm or a biological attack. Citizens should be prepared and ready for the unexpected at all times.
Q: Are government officials worried about causing
panic?
A: Yes, and they say that they do not mean to scare people with the warnings. They say they just want people to learn how to survive an emergency.
Q: Won't firefighters and police officers help me in an emergency?
A: The USA has only one firefighter for every 280 people and one police officer for every 385 people. In the City of Frederick has only one police officer for every 414 people. That means that in an emergency, most people "are going to be on their own for possibly 48 to 72 hours," says David Paulison of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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