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Know the drill in case of emergency

Many of us may remember taking part in tornado drills during our school years. Perhaps when the alarm was sounded you were told to immediately get under your desk, or perhaps it meant heading out to the hallway and being instructed to sit facing the wall while covering your head.

Fortunately, we live in an area where tornadoes are not a usual occurrence. Very rare, in fact. But we still must learn the proper way in which to react should one develop.

As part of Ohio’s Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week, which runs through Saturday, a statewide tornado drill is planned for 9:50 a.m. today.

The state’s Emergency Alert System will be used at this time, and many counties throughout Ohio, including Columbiana County, will test their outdoor warning sirens.

According to information from the Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency, all fire department sirens will be sounded as part of the exercise.

We encourage our area schools to take part in the drill, as well as incorporate the reason why it’s taking place into the daily lesson plan. Also at this time, business owners and employers should share their overall emergency plan with employees – at the very least, they should have an idea of what needs to take place in the actual event of an emergency.

All households should have an emergency plan as well, especially those with younger children. Practice it this week, and do so regularly, so everyone knows what to do should the plan ever need put into place.

Living in an area with constant-changing weather conditions, it’s important to know the types of hazards we face, and how we should react to them.

We urge you to visit www.weathersafety.ohio.gov to learn about severe weather safety and preparedness.

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