Week of Wednesday, June 7, 2023 ■ Page 6 pineisland-eagle.com Pine Island Eagle
Hurricane season is here, are you prepared? (Editor’s note: In the coming weeks, the Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District Community Emergency Response Team will be providing a series on disaster preparedness for islanders.) By NARCISSUS E. MAGTURO and KAREN TITOLO, CERT members Welcome to your CERT team’s series of disaster preparedness articles. What you can do now! Part II. 1. Collect and assemble a disaster supply kit. This is useful whether you shelter in place or need to evacuate. Prepare supplies for home, work, pets and vehicles. 1. Plan for a minimum 3-day supply. 2. 1-gallon of water per day person and pets, if you are planning to shelter in place or evacuate to another location that is not a county shelter. 3. Non-perishable foods. Don’t forget a can opener. 4. Personal items, clothing, pillows, blankets, toiletries, important papers, cash and credit cards. 5. Medical supplies, including medications and medical equipment. 6. Safety equipment - battery-operated radio, flashlight, extra batteries, charging cords for cell phones. 7. Fuel, vehicles and generators -
CERT Update During hurricanes like Irma and Ian, there was a shortage of available fuel locally. Fill up before forecasted storms arrive. Operate generators outside the Home. 8. A comprehensive list, in both English and Spanish, can be found in the Lee County All Hazards Guide available at www.leegov.com/publicsafety/emergencymanagement/plan/ahg 2. Learn where to seek shelter from all types of hazards. 1. All county emergency shelters are off-island. 3. Identify the community warning systems and evacuation routes. 1. Know your evacuation zone. Matlacha and Pine Island are Zone A. 2. Should evacuations be raised, they include which zones are under evacuation. News and emergency media outlets will continually update the zones under evacuation. 3. The free Lee County “LeePrepares” app, available through both the Apple and Android stores, provides information on preparing for and recovering from all types of disasters; features include information on active evacuations and EOC
activation level, shelter information, ability to sign-up for the AlertLee notification system for telephone, text, and/or email alerts, links to special needs registration, a full family disaster plan and emergency supply list, and ASL disaster preparedness videos. 4. WGCU-90.1 FM is the Southwest Florida affiliate of the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network. It will stay on the air during power outages and continue broadcasting information you need to stay safe. 5. NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information and associated alerts directly from the nearest National Weather Service office. Fort Myers information can be found on Channel 4 (162.475 MHz). 6. Emergency Alert System & Wireless Emergency Alerts - This Federal emergency alert system may be used by State and Local authorities for emergencies; the emergency alert system sends messages on radio and TV; the wireless emergency alerts are sent via phones.
Next time we will cover information for evacuating. --Did you prepare your family emergency plan? If you did, practice and maintain it. Even talking through your plan at the beginning of hurricane season is helpful. Below is the summary list of actions you can take now, ahead of a storm, to be prepared. Use this list as a reminder each week of actions you can take now to be better prepared. Prepare now actions: 1. Make an emergency plan (article #1) 2. Know your warnings and alerts (this article) 3. Register now with Lee County if you have special needs - online at www.leeEOC.com or by calling Lee County Emergency Management at 239533-0622; pre-registration is required1 4. Review important documents 5. Strengthen your home 6. Get tech ready 7. Help your neighborhood 8. Gather supplies Have questions about this article? You can contact the M/PIFCD, Station #1, at 239-283-0030, Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Lee Health Bloodmobile at Moose Lodge June 17 The Lee Health Bloodmobile will be visiting the Pine Island Moose Lodge at 8903 Stringfellow Road in St. James City Saturday, June 17, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. All the blood collected remains in Lee Health, which includes the Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida, the Regional Cancer Center and the only trauma center (which is located in the Lee Memorial Hospital) within a 5-county radius. The blood also supports Cape Coral
Hospital and Gulf Coast Medical Center. One in three people will need blood in their lifetime. You never know when you or someone you know or love will need blood. So come out and Give the Gift of Life! All donors will receive a free health checkup, cholesterol screening, and gift. New studies show that donating blood improves your overall cardiovascular
health. Regularly donating blood helps men in particular to reduce the amount of iron in the blood. This can reduce the chance of heart attack by 88%. Additionally, regular blood donation can lower the risk of severe cardiovascular events such as stroke by 33%. You also burn 650 calories! It's a win-win! Please help us make our goal of 20 units of blood.
Requirements for donating blood: ■ Weigh at least 115 lbs ■ Be at least 16 years old (16 requires
parental written consent) ■ Be relatively healthy ■ Provide photo ID ■ Have 56 days between donations Eat a meal before donating blood and be sure to drink plenty of fluids before and after donation. Questions about donating? Call us at 343-2333.