Preparedness
Welcome to the Rusk County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Website. Our mission is to provide programs and activities to residents and county and city departments to help them prepare for, mitigate and recover from the effects of natural and man-made disasters. We accomplish this through implementation of all four phases of emergency management: preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation.
Primary Hazards in Rusk County
Natural Hazards
Extreme Heat
Cold Weather
Flooding
Severe Thunderstorms
Tornadoes
Wildfires
Man Made Hazards
Active Shooters
Hazardous Materials & Chemical Emergencies
Public Health Emergencies
Radiological Emergencies
Structure Fires
Terrorism
Utility Outages
Preparedness | Are you Ready?
Four Steps to Preparedness
Make an Emergency Plan
Each person, business, and family should have a plan in case disaster strikes. You may not have time to prepare before an incident.
Developing and practicing your emergency plan with your family keeps everyone on the same page. The resources below will help you develop your emergency plan.
Plan to Go
Whether for a fire, hurricane, hazardous materials incident, or flood, you may be required to quickly evacuate your home, neighborhood, or the city. Have a plan ahead of time to make sure everyone in your family knows what to do, where to go, and how to get a hold of each other:
How will you be notified of emergencies?
Plan to Stay
Plan to Stay In Touch
Have multiple ways to get a hold of each other:
Plan for When You’re Away
Practice your Plan
Take a moment every year to practice your family’s emergency plan. This might include holding a drill that tests:
Have an Emergency Supply Kit
What should be in your emergency kit? Who should you plan for? What resources are out there to help me make sure that I don’t miss something while packing it?
All of these are very good questions. The links below will help you put together a family emergency kit, with all the necessary supplies to be ready for whatever type of emergency.
Building a Shelter-in-Place Kit
Residents should be prepared to shelter-in-place in the event of an emergency. Emergencies that might trigger a shelter-in-place include: Tornadoes, Severe Weather, Hurricanes, Law Enforcement or terrorism situations, and hazardous material releases. Your Shelter-in-Place Kit should contain:
Photo of emergency supplies
Make sure your Shelter-in-Place Kit has everything you need ahead of time.
What does “Shelter-in-Place” mean?
Shelter-in-Place orders are issued when it is safer for you to be sheltered indoors than for you to evacuate.
In severe weather, you should:
In a hazardous material emergency, you should:
In law enforcement situation, if you are ordered to shelter-in-place:
If you are in a situation where an active shooter is in close proximity, immediately attempt to Run. If you cannot run, then Hide as best you can. If you cannot run or hide, then be prepared to Fight with anything you have at your disposal. Watch the Run.Hide.Fight™ video for more information
Building a “Go-Bag”
A “Go-Bag” will ensure you have what you need in the event you have to quickly leave your home. Make sure these supplies are already put together and in an easily-accessible place. In some emergencies, you may only have seconds to grab your supplies and leave.
Your Family’s Unique needs
Families are not all the same. It’s important to include items in your go-bag and shelter-in-place kits that meet your family’s unique needs. Consider the following:
People with Disabilities and Seniors:
Families with Small Children:
Be Informed About Emergencies in Your Area
Knowing where to get trusted emergency information is important. There are a variety of ways to get official information when it matters most:
RCOEM Alerts
Follow Rusk County OEM on Twitter @RuskCountyOEM and Facebook at facebook.com/ruskcountyoem
Smart911 Emergency Notification System powered by RAVE Mobile Safety
When emergencies happen in neighborhoods, the County uses a variety of tools to communicate with those affected. The Rusk County Communications Center operates the Smart911 by Rave Mobile Safety which will pulse out a phone call to all registered landlines in a specific area. Additionally, for those without landlines, the system allows you to opt-in to receive the call on your mobile or digital phone, as well as receive the message as an SMS Text and Email. For more information, or to register your phone, visit here.
Radio/Television
Houston’s local radio and television stations play a key role in helping inform residents about emergency situations. Rusk County’s local Emergency Alert System (EAS) stations are KWRD 1470AM/98.5 FM. They will receive information first, and then it will be pulsed out to all other radio and television stations in our area.
Wireless Emergency Alerts
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are sent by authorized officials when life-threatening situations are occurring. These include severe weather warnings, such as Tornadoes, Flash Floods and Hurricanes. Local authorities, including the Rusk County OEM, have access to this system to help broadcast short, important messages to local residents. Make sure your phone is set to receive WEA messages. You have the ability to opt-in or out of AMBER alerts and Emergency Alerts. Please, at the very least, ensure that Emergency Alerts are active on your phone. Contact your phone carrier if you have problems accessing these settings on your device.
Know Your Neighbors
Communities are a key element to how well people respond to disasters. Having a prepared community around you will help you be able to better respond to a disaster and recover faster. Take a role in your community and lead how they respond.
Rusk County CERT
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
The CERT training program is designed to fit into community members’ ordinary schedules. The training is divided up into eight three-hour modules. During that time, trainees will have classes on the National CERT program, the organizational structure used by government agencies in disasters, basic first aid techniques, basic search and rescue techniques, and ways to ensure that the individual trainee and his or her family members are prepared for a disaster. Classes are taught by local professionals who have experience in the units they instruct. The courses are managed by a lead instructor who has undergone a Train-the-Trainer program which meets the FEMA and CERT standards. All CERT training is provided free-of-charge.