State Health Officials Ask Connecticut To ‘Live Prepared’

HARTFORD — Would you know what to do if disaster strikes? The Department of Public Health (DPH) is asking Connecticut residents to consider this question and take steps to live prepared.

DPH recently announced the Connecticut Guide to Emergency Preparedness, a publication that provides important information about different types of emergencies, as well as the key steps people can take now to be prepared if a disaster hits.

The guide, originally developed in 2005, was revised with updated information, including a section on pandemic influenza preparedness.

“This summer’s tropical storm was a harsh reminder of the importance of being prepared for an emergency,” said DPH Commissioner Jewel Mullen, MD. “This guide can help people take steps now to protect themselves and their families if another crisis strikes our state.”

The guide provides important information about natural, biological, chemical, radiological, and other types of emergencies. It details what individuals and families should do to be prepared, including how to make a plan and build an emergency supply kit.

The guide is available in several languages.

The Connecticut Guide to Emergency Preparedness is part of DPH’s “Learn to Live Prepared” educational campaign, which includes television, radio, print, transit, and online advertisements. The campaign is funded by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC awarded Connecticut more than $7.5 million this year to advance public health preparedness capabilities such as public health laboratory testing, public health surveillance and epidemiological investigation, community preparedness, medical countermeasure dispensing, responder safety and health, and emergency public information and warning.

The guide is available online at www.ct.gov/dph/prepare or by contacting your local health department or DPH at 860-509-7270.