Emergency Preparedness with Elder Affairs

Emergencies can happen at any time, any where, and to any one. As a household, are you prepared to manage any emergency, no matter how big or small? What if it included your grandparent? Would you know what documents or supplies should keep on hand? Braintree Emergency Management Agency’s own Robert Millette was invited to participate in this year’s Emergency Preparedness Event at the Department of Elder Affairs, organized by Janet Crowley and Sharmila Biswas with guest speaker Evan George to learn more information about how to be better prepared in any and all situations.

Emergency kits are important to all households, especially ones that include members of the elderly. One of the most important things a person can have in their emergency kit, not specific to the elderly but a necessity for them, is copies of important paperwork. This includes a list of medications, insurance policies, and personal documents (birth certificates, passports, etc). These are a vital part of any emergency kit, as if disaster strikes you’ll need these documents quickly to ensure quick answers for insurance and other companies. Other items to keep in your emergency kit should include water, thermal blankets, ponchos, and non perishable items. These items should be kept in a water and fire proof box to ensure they remain safe.

Robert spoke with Evan regarding shelters and communication during an emergency and discussed the importance of having local shelters available so community members don’t have to go far to remain safe in case of a storm. They also discussed the Braintree Smart 911 system that allows residents to log into a system and input data such as allergies, medications, and more to ensure residents are prepared for emergencies of all kinds.

BEMA is dedicated to ensuring the safety of Braintree’s residents and community and would love to get to know more of you! There will be a BEMA booth at Heritage Day, located at Braintree Town Hall, from 10am-4pm. Stop on by the booth to learn more about what the organization is about or email Robert Millette at rmillette@braintreema.gov.