FAQs

• NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service office. NWR broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A great individual preparedness tool! Outdoor warning sirens are not meant to be heard indoors. This radio will provide the alerts as soon as they are issued by the National Weather Service. NOAA - Weather Radio All Hazards

As with the Emergency Management Office, it is important for all families to have a disaster plan and to practice their plan. Each family should also have a family disaster kit with items in it such as flashlights, water, portable radio, and extra batteries.

For further information on how you can plan for your family before a disaster strikes, go to the links provided on our web page labeled "Emergency Kit" & also "Family Disaster Plan" under "Planning & Preparedness".

In the event of a chemical release or spill causing immediate danger to our community, you will be notified to Shelter-In-Place. 1. Go inside. Stay Inside. 2. Close windows & doors. 3. Turn off the Heater / AC. 4. Listen to the TV / Radio.

In a house, go to the middle of the basement. Stay away from doors and windows. Get under something like a heavy table, if you can, cover yourself with a blanket or sleeping bag. If there is no basement, go to an interior room on the ground floor. Stay away from windows. You do not have to open them to equalize air pressure. All you are doing is putting yourself in danger of getting cut from flying glass. Get out of mobile homes. Try to take shelter in a permanent structure. If none is available, you are safer in the open than in a mobile home. Tie-downs will not help. Get out of your car. Never try to out-run a tornado. If you are caught in the open, lie down in a ditch, away from trees. In a high-rise building, use the stairs to go to the designated shelter area or an interior room on the lowest floor possible. In a school, nursing home, hospital, factory or shopping center, go to a pre-designated shelter area. Interior hallways on the lowest floors are usually the safest. Stay away from windows and open areas with freestanding roofs. Before the weather gets bad, take time to identify potential shelters and be sure to keep a battery-powered radio handy to hear the latest emergency information. Nothing can stop a tornado, but being prepared can help you and your family survive.

You should consider the items below: Towel First Aid Kit Plastic Trash Bags County Map Non-Perishable Snacks Small Container of Water Eyeglasses & Hearing Aid Prescription Drugs Wide Tape Flashlight Small Radio with Extra Batteries.

A WATCH is issued when conditions are right for a tornado to develop. Remind your family members where the safest places in your home are located. Keep alert to changing weather conditions and listen to radio or television for developments. A WARNING is issued when a tornado has been sighted or is indicated by radar. Go immediately to a safe place and wait until authorities give the "all clear".

The Emergency Management Director basically coordinates the response to an emergency and ensures that the response to an emergency is running as safely and efficiently as possible by coordinating the allocation and use of resources. We work hand-in-hand with Law Enforcement, Fire, Public Health, Social Services EMS, Environmental Services, the MN National Guard (when called upon) and volunteer agencies like Red Cross and Salvation Army to make sure that the Disaster Response is as effective and efficient as possible.

Responding and recovering from a disaster is just a small part of the functions of the Emergency Management Office. We are responsible for updates and revisions to the County Emergency Operations Plan, coordinating various exercises to test the plan, conducting public education, providing assistance to local jurisdictions and county agencies before, during, and after disaster strikes, applying for State and Federal Grants, participating in on-going training in Emergency Management, and compiling periodic reports and reviews that need to be submitted to state offices.

Grant County Emergency Management works closely with local, state, and federal officials and cooperatively with neighboring jurisdictions, to better prepare for and respond to incidents ranging from tornadoes to terrorism to pandemics.

EOC stands for Emergency Operations Center. An EOC is an area set aside for use by Emergency Management during a disaster to conduct operations regarding the disaster, conduct emergency communications, distribute information to stakeholders and the media, and an area for elected officials.