Emergency Preparedness starts in the home: 

Make a Plan

• Discuss the types of hazards that could affect your family (fire, flood,power outage, etc.) 
• Pick a safe place outside your home to meet; identify two or three safe ways to evacuate your home if necessary.
• Pick a safe place in your town to meet (library, place of worship).
• Designate an out-of-state contact so all family members have a single point of contact during an emergency.
• Designate an out-of-state meeting point if necessary.
• Consider downloading a Preparedness App such as: FEMА, CT Prepares or Red Cross (allows you to communicate via one text to all family and friends. During an outage, text messages are more reliable than phone calls.)
• Always keep cash on hand in case banks are closed or without power.
• Remember that text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.
• Subscribe to Ridgefield Alerts

Get Involved

• Get to know your neighbors so that you can help them or they can help you.
• Get involved through your place of worship or local service organization such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Rotary, etc.
• Learn more about your local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
• Ask a representative from the Ridgefield CERT team to talk to your neighborhood about how you as a group can be better prepared.
• To learn more about becoming a Ridgefield CERT volunteer, call 203-431-2783 or email [email protected].

Make a Kit

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First Aid Kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust Mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers and portal or solar charger

Be Informed

• Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as making an emergency supply kit and developing a family communications plan, are the same for both a natural or man-made emergency.
• There are important differences among potential emergencies that will impact the decisions you make and the actions you take. Learn more about the potential emergencies that could happen where you live and the appropriate way to respond to them.
• Learn about the emergency plans that have been established in your area by your state and local government. For Americans, preparedness accounts for man-made disasters as well as natural ones. Knowing what to do during an emergency is an important part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count.

Preparedness Resources

• FEMA Brochure: Preparing Makes Sense. Get Ready Now
• Ridgefield Emergency Preparedness Sheet
• Prepare Your Pets for Disaster
• For more Information call 1-800-BE-READY

• Is fully equipped with the supplies necessary to operate a clinic
• Has Mobile Communication and a Health Alert Network System that provide the ability to communicate with partner response agencies
• Will provide educational material about the health emergency at hand

Volunteers are always needed. Nurses, physicians, pharmacists, mental health workers and non-medical volunteers are welcomed. To become a volunteer, contact the Health Department at (203) 431-2745.

Are You Storm Ready

The Ridgefield Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) recommend that everyone make a solid preparedness plan for your people, your pets and your property. This includes knowing where you will get accurate and timely information, replacement of supplies depleted during the pandemic and making a plan to be self-sufficient by sheltering in place for at least the five to ten days. The time to be storm ready is NOW, before bad weather arrives. Here are some suggestions:

• Sign up for Ridgefield Alerts. This is where you will receive updated information from your First Selectperson and the Office of Emergency Management. There is an opt in segment where you can sign up for other town related news such as road closures.
• Make a family plan where to meet if separated and have an out-of-town contact person who can monitor town updates and provide you with information if your services are down.
• Have on hand one gallon of water per day per person for a week. Have non-perishables to prepare food at ready for a week and a manual can opener to use if power is lost.
• Refill all RX medications ahead of a storm. Update first aid supplies and over the counter medications.
• Fill automobile gas tanks and gas cans for generators ahead of a storm. Check your supply of propane. Have generators inspected and when in using portable generators keep them away from buildings and windows and doorways. Follow manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Make copies of important documents including your vaccination records for both family members and pets. Have cash on hand and buy ice if needed.
• Make sure pets have food and fresh water for a week.
• Have extra batteries for portable radios and lanterns.
• Before a storm, charge all electronics. Consider the purchase of an external back up battery for cell phones and computers.
• Assess potential hazards outside around your home. (Tree branches, furniture, etc.)
• Make a Go-Bag if Evacuation is Necessary (Check with your local shelter for requirements):
  • Hard copy and/or digital phone record of important documents: License, insurance, prescriptions, current pet rabies certificate, passport, deeds, etc. Have important phone numbers and passwords readily accessible.
  • Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes
  • Pet supplies: Current rabies certificate, leash, water, crate, pet food and feeding dishes.
  • Current medications.
  • Include snacks, drinks, paper and pen, cards, puzzles or games for children.
  • Cell phone charger, flashlight, pillow, sleeping bag and blanket.
• Follow Town of Ridgefield Social Media: The Ridgefield Office of Emergency Management and the Town of Ridgefield.
• Sign up for the Town Newsletter.
• Monitor local radio: 850 AM-WREF, 800AM-WLAD, 880AM-WCBS, 98.3FM-WDAQ, 95.1FM-WRKI
• Call Eversource to report power outages: (800) 286-2000