UPDATE: December 20, 2011: UMCD no longer a Chemical Weapons Convention storage site
Ready = Know what to do
If
there were an emergency at the Umatilla Chemical Depot, would you be
Ready
and Set to Act quickly?
The Umatilla Chemical Depot has had a good safety record for almost 60 years, including its work handling the chemical weapons stored there since the 1960s. It is unlikely there could be a chemical accident serious enough to affect communities outside Depot boundaries. But the possibility still exists.
If that possibility becomes real and you're in the emergency zones near the Depot, you'll need to act quickly to protect yourself. People in or near the following Oregon cities would be asked to shelter in place:
The Umatilla Chemical Depot has had a good safety record for almost 60 years, including its work handling the chemical weapons stored there since the 1960s. It is unlikely there could be a chemical accident serious enough to affect communities outside Depot boundaries. But the possibility still exists.
If that possibility becomes real and you're in the emergency zones near the Depot, you'll need to act quickly to protect yourself. People in or near the following Oregon cities would be asked to shelter in place:
- Hermiston
- Echo
- Stanfield
- Umatilla
- Irrigon
- Boardman
People in Southern
Benton
County (Washington) in or near the following Washington cities would be
asked
to evacuate:
- Plymouth
- Paterson
Set = Get it together
If you have a home or business in Hermiston, Echo, Stanfield, Irrigon, Umatilla or Boardman (Oregon)...... make sure that you have your free shelter in place kit and a Tone Alert Radio.
-
To order a Tone Alert Radio, call (800) 307-7708. Leave your name, physical address and daytime phone number. A Tone Alert Radio will be programmed for your location and given to your local fire department. They will then call to arrange a time to deliver it.
-
Shelter-in-place kits can be picked up at the following locations:
- Hermiston -- OutReach Office, Main Street
- Umatilla -- City Hall
- Stanfield -- City Hall
- Echo -- City Hall
- Boardman -- City Hall
- Irrigon -- City Hall
At Home
- Choose the room that you would use if you were asked to shelter-in-place. Choose a room (on the highest floor available) that has the fewest windows / doors to the outside. Cut the plastic in your shelter kit to window and door size. Use a permanent marker to label the plastic if you have more than one door or window in that room. Fold neatly and return to your shelter kit.
- Expand your shelter kit to include the things your family would need if they were asked to stay in that room for a few hours. Items to include might be: a battery powered radio (so that you know when to come out and what you should do next), bottled water, snacks, things to keep kids occupied (books, puzzle, games), diapers, flashlight and batteries.
- Store this kit in the room you've decided to use as a shelter. Make sure that everyone knows where the kit is and how to use it.
- Have a family meeting to talk about the types of emergencies that could happen in our area (i.e. fire, floods, winter storms) and how your family can be prepared. (See the section below on developing a Family Emergency Plan.)
At Work
- Make sure that your businesses' emergency plan has a section on an emergency at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. Note: If you you would like to schedule a presentation for your business please call us. We would be happy to meet with you to talk about how you can develop a plan. In Umatilla County call (541) 966-3703. In Morrow County call (541) 922-5262.
- Learn more about the Umatilla Chemical Depot, the chemical agents stored there and the incinerator being built to dispose of those chemical weapons. Visit the Outreach Office on Main Street in Hermiston.
"All Hazards" Family Emergency Plan
Disaster
can strike quickly and without warning. It could be a house or
wild fire, it might be a weather-related emergency such as a flood,
wind or winter storm. It can force you to evacuate your
neighborhood or confine you to your home. What would you do if
basic services -- water, gas, electricity or telephones -- were cut
off? Local officials will be on scene, but they cannot reach
everyone right away.
Families can -- and do -- cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working as a team. Follow some of the ideas below to create your family's disaster plan. Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility.
Families can -- and do -- cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working as a team. Follow some of the ideas below to create your family's disaster plan. Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility.
- Meet with household members to discuss the dangers of fire, severe weather, earthquakes and other emergencies. Explain how to respond to each.
- Find the safe spots in your house for each type of emergency.
- Discuss what to do about power outages and personal injuries.
- Draw a floor plan of your home. Mark two escape routes from each room.
- Show family members how to turn off electricity, water and gas at main switches when necessary.
- Post emergency telephone numbers near telephones.
- Teach children how and when to call 911, police and fire.
- Instruct household members to turn the radio on to a Umatilla County radio station for emergency information.
- Pick one out-of-state and one local friend or relative for family members to call if separated during a disaster. (It is often times easier to call out-of-state than within the affected area.)
- Teach children your out-of-state contact's phone number.
- Pick two emergency meeting places:
- A place near your home in case of fire.
- A place outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home.
- Take a basic first aid and CPR class.
- Keep family records in a water and fire-proof container.
- Know where to find the flashlight, battery operated radio and extra batteries.
Create a family plan
In some types of emergencies, you might need to evacuate. Some families like to prepare ahead by assembling things they would need to take with them such as:
-
1. Clothing,
personal hygiene items
2. Medical supplies such as eyeglasses, dentures, prescription drugs and a first aid kit
3. Snack foods and bottled water
4. Portable, battery powered radio and flashlight.
5. Checkbook, credit cards and cash.
6. Sleeping bags/extra blankets.
7. Special items for infants, elderly or disabled family members.
Practice and maintain your plan
- Quiz your kids every six months so they remember what to do.
- Conduct annual family drills on sheltering-in-place, fire and emergency evacuation.
- Test and recharge your fire extinguisher(s) according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries at least twice a year.
