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BE INFORMED September is National Preparedness Month sponsored by the US Department of Homeland Security. The Allegany County Health Department is taking part through a series of educational articles encouraging individuals and communities to be prepared for emergencies. It is especially important that individuals in Allegany County know where to get information during an emergency that can affect their health and wellbeing. The Allegany County Health Department and public information officers from other local agencies have agreed on the use of a siren as a symbol for community information. The siren is designed to indicate to the community that public health emergency information is available. Partner agencies collaborating with health department include Allegany College of Maryland, Allegany County Board of Education, Allegany County government, Allegany County Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security, Joseph D. Brandenburg Center, Cumberland Fire Department, Department of Social Services, Thomas B. Finan Center, Frostburg State University, American Red Cross, Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems Region 1, Salvation Army, Western Maryland Health System, North Branch Correctional Institution and the Western Correctional Institution. The health department and their collaborating agencies have been working together to prepare for possible public health emergencies. The siren was created to enhance communication between the general public and the health department.
When the county is in a non-emergency period, the siren will appear blue on the Allegany County Health Department’s website and on the collaborating partners’ websites. Clicking on the siren will navigate the internet user to the public health emergency information page. This page will be periodically updated with information regarding important public health emergency issues.
The Public Health Emergency website will contain the most up-to-date information during an emergency and will be dated to indicate the last update. Any information handed out to the public in paper form will have the siren and a date on it. This will ensure that it is the most recent information available. The siren icon was developed so that the community will know where to look for local information about public health emergencies. The red siren is to be prominently visible during a public health emergency. Individuals should also listen to local radio stations (including WDYK 100.5 FM, WFRB 105.3 FM, WKGO 106.1 FM, WQZK 94.1 FM, WROG 102.9 FM, and WTBO 1450 AM) and watch local TV stations in addition to the Cumberland Times-News and the Allegany County Health Department website for emergency information. For more public health emergency information, click on the siren icon on the Allegany County Health Department’s website at www.alleganyhealthdept.com.
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Allegany
County Health Department |
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The siren will be red when emergency information is available. This and visibility of the siren in paper media, indicates to the public that there is an imminent or current emergency that may have an impact on the community’s health and wellbeing, and may require immediate cooperation with certain public health measures. These public health measures may include, but are not limited to:
