emergency plans must account for the vulnerable members of the community.

IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WLUC) - Water, non-perishable food, a flashlight and batteries are just some of the things the Dickinson-Iron District Health Department and the Iron Mountain Fire Department recommend you have on hand in case of a weather emergency.

Dickinson-Iron District Heath Department Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Jessica Perry said emergency plans must account for the vulnerable members of the community.

“It is important to prepare for people that can’t prepare for themselves such as small children, infants, your pets, and elderly family members,” Perry explained. “Help them if they have functional needs, if they have medications they would need in an emergency.”

Perry added that business owners have additional responsibilities.

“For businesses, they talk about downtime planning,” Perry noted. “If you didn’t have power what could your co-workers and employees do during the job to get through the day.”

Iron Mountain Fire Department Deputy Director of Fire Services Jeff Friedenstab has some advice on executing an emergency plan. He said plans work best with a group effort.

“If it’s a family event, then close friends and people need to be aware of what is expected of them in these types of situations and have some kind of plan in place,” Friedenstab said.

Friedenstab added that letting someone know travel plans during a storm is a simple way to get home safely.

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