October 30, 2023 |
Photo – Cache of Emergency Buckets – Courtesy Carbon County Emergency Management
Carbon County senior centers will begin receiving buckets containing emergency supplies this week. The Office of Emergency Management will give a preparedness presentation when the buckets are distributed.
The Wyoming Department of Homeland Security has purchased five-gallon buckets containing emergency supplies to distribute to residents. Carbon County Emergency Manager Lenny Layman said our area has received nearly 100 of the buckets. Layman said staff at the Rawlins Senior Center are ensuring the containers get distributed to communities in the county.
Each bucket contains survival equipment, such as blankets, a first aid kit, and emergency information pamphlets.
Layman said last winter made officials at the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security focus on preparing seniors for emergencies by providing them with essential supplies. Layman said our high number of municipalities caused the state to allocate a large number of buckets to Carbon County.
Following last year’s extended winter, Hanna Senior Center Manager Debbie Schasteen invited Layman to speak to residents. In September, Layman, and representatives from SCWEMS, the Sheriff’s Office, and the Hanna Fire Department, gave a presentation on emergency preparedness in the town’s rec center. Layman said he’ll provide similar information when the buckets are delivered to senior centers across Carbon County.
Layman said his presentation is designed to start a conversation about how to handle winter emergencies. Layman said he will focus on the four key aspects of preparedness. The most important element, Layman said, is being aware of what is happening around you.
Layman said the second aspect of being prepared is knowing how you will spread the information you receive. The emergency manager said points three and four are knowing if and when you should leave your home.
Layman said the best way to be prepared for an emergency is to sign up for the county-wide warning system called Alert Sense. Layman said the Alert Sense system will provide residents with detailed instructions during an emergency.
The Baggs and Dixon senior centers will be the first to receive the emergency buckets and Layman’s presentation. The emergency manager said he will visit both towns this week.
Layman said he wanted to cover the southern towns before snow closed Highway 70. The emergency manager said he will then make his way north through Carbon County, presenting to the Encampment and Saratoga senior centers next.
Layman encouraged every Carbon County resident to sign up for the Alert Sense service. A link to create an account can be found at this address: https://public.alertsense.com/SignUp/?regionid=1587
