Los Alamos County Emergency Manager Beverley Simpson speaking Tuesday about the importance of emergency preparedness, particularly in light of recent communication outages, Watch her talk here and other Rotary talks here. Courtesy/Rotary

By JAMES WERNICKE
President-Elect
Rotary Club of Los Alamos

At this week’s Rotary Club meeting, Los Alamos County Emergency Manager Beverley Simpson spoke about the importance of emergency preparedness, particularly in light of recent communication outages. She highlighted the County’s vulnerability to wildfires, droughts, flash flooding and high winds, noting that New Mexico is among the top states at risk for wildfires.

Simpson emphasized that proactive planning and community involvement are vital to effectively manage and recover from disasters.

She introduced the Seven Ps of Preparedness, which include:

• People: Ensuring family members are informed and have a communication plan;
• Pets: Preparing emergency kits for pets, including food, water and medications;
• Papers: Safeguarding important documents such as identification, insurance policies and property deeds;
• Prescriptions: Maintaining a sufficient supply of essential medications;
• Pictures: Documenting property and valuables for insurance purposes;
• Personal Computers and Phones: Backing up important data and ensuring devices are easily accessible during evacuations; and
• Practice: Regularly reviewing and practicing emergency plans to ensure readiness.

Simpson advised residents to assemble 72-hour kits containing essentials like water, food, clothing and first aid supplies. She also recommended maintaining a supply of cash, as ATMs and electronic payment systems may be inoperable during emergencies. Additionally, she underscored the importance of creating defensible space around properties to mitigate wildfire risks and encouraged participation in community preparedness programs. Residents were urged to sign up for CodeRED, which provides timely emergency notifications. Simpson also highlighted the County’s efforts to enhance emergency readiness, including securing significant grants to bolster preparedness and establishing a dedicated Emergency Operations Center to improve disaster coordination.

The Rotary Club of Los Alamos invites the public to join us for our weekly lunch meetings every Tuesday at noon in person at United Church (2525 Canyon Road) or online at https://rotarylosalamos.org/meetings. If you can’t attend our meetings, you can watch them anytime at https://www.youtube.com/@RotaryClubOfLosAlamos.

In addition to featuring engaging speaker presentations on a variety of local and global topics, these meetings provide an opportunity to connect with fellow community members and get involved with service projects. See https://rotarylosalamos.org for more details.