Emergency Management

Kids, there are a few really easy things that you can do to better prepare you and your family for a disaster like a flood, earthquake, or fire. By knowing these things and keeping yourself safe, you could be a hero and save someone's life!

1. Know your address and phone number by heart.
   If you have to call for help, you need to let the police or fire department know where you are. In addition to your address, you should know your phone number as well. The 911 operator will ask you for this in case he or she has to call you back to get more information.

2. Know and practice your family's disaster plan.
   If you had to leave your house in a hurry, do you know where you and your family will meet? Is it at a neighbor's house, at the big tree across the street, or somewhere else? Ask your parents what your meeting place should be and practice using your plan.

   Suggest to your family that you have a fire drill at home, just like you do at school. Practice getting out of your house several different ways and heading to the family meeting place.

3. Have your family contact's phone number memorized or written down
   Phones can become very busy and jammed locally when a disaster strikes. Your family should have either a relative or family friend who lives out of the area that everyone can call in the event of a disaster. If you were at school during a disaster, you could call this person to find out where everyone else in your family is and how they are doing. You should have your family contact's phone number written down and with you at all times.

4. Know our local emergency phone numbers.
   This is easy, because here in Teton County we use 9-1-1 for emergencies! Press 9, then 1, then 1 again on your phone to talk to an emergency dispatcher. These are specially trained operators who are going to get you help for your emergency as fast as they can. The 9-1-1 operator is going to ask you the following questions:

   • Where is the emergency happening?: Tell the operator the best you can where this is happening. Remember, don't give them your home address if the emergency is really happening at your friend's house, for instance. The operator needs to know where to send the policemen and firemen.

   • What is the emergency?: Explain to the operator exactly what is going on. Is it a fire, is someone hurt, has someone fallen through the ice, etc.?

   • What is the phone number you are calling from?: This is very important. The 9-1-1 operator needs this just in case the phone gets disconnected or if he or she needs to call you back to get more information.
    

   If for some reason 9-1-1 is not working (you get a busy signal or it just keeps ringing) you can try the non-emergency number to see if that works. You'll talk to the same operators, it just rings them on a different line. That phone number is:
   

   (307) 733-2331

Boy Scout Merit Badges >
Teton County Emergency Management can help with some Boy Scout merit badges. Click here to learn more.

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