Office of Emergency Management helps city prepare for various situations

With recent tornado-related disasters in the South and Midwest, and still memorable tragedies in Haiti and along the Gulf Coast, Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management continues to take steps toward readying the city for widespread emergencies.

Deputy Director for External Affairs Joan Przybylowicz was at Tuesday night’s Lawncrest Community Association to highlight some of the services the office has, and review safety measures business and homeowners are encouraged to take.

Everything Przybylowicz reviewed is on the office’s website, including the following tips:

• Making arrangements for your pet during an evacuation
• Preparing for a shelter-in-place
• Evacuating the city

Technical difficulties prevented us from embedding the video from Tuesday. Instead, we’ve included two similar videos: Przybylowicz’s presentation to the Holme Circle Civic Association in January 2010, and a presentation from Edward Vassallo at the January 2011 Upper Holmesburg Civic Association.

Przybylowicz reminded LCA members to “check their stocks” when they set their clocks, meaning, during your twice-annual clock change, be sure to check your emergency supply kit to see if anything is missing, broken or expired.