Tompkins Ready

Spring Weather Safety:
Check out the National Weather Service presentation on Spring Weather Safety, and review this spring safety checklist from the National Safety Council.
The National Weather Service has been forced to cancel all in-person SKYWARN spotter training classes that were scheduled for this spring, including the basic class at Cayuga Medical Center and an advanced course at Ithaca College, due to circumstances beyond its control. The good news is the NWS will still be able to offer several online/virtual trainings.
Learn more about SKYWARN and register for an online class at:
https://www.weather.gov/bgm/outreachSKYWARNtraining
Cooking Safety:
Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries.
- Keep an eye on food when cooking. Unattended cooking is the leading factor in home cooking fires.
- Move things that can burn away from the stove. This includes dishtowels, bags, boxes, paper, and curtains.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so no one can bump them or pull them over.
- In case of an oven fire, turn off the oven and keep the door closed until it’s cool.
- If you have a fire in your oven and the flames escape it, leave your home and call 911.
Learn more about cooking fire safety in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm6UMPP2z8I&t=0
What3Words:
What3words is a geocode system for the communication of locations with a resolution of three meters. What3words encodes geographic coordinates into three dictionary words; the encoding is permanently fixed. If help is needed, providing a what3words address on a 9-1-1 call can pinpoint your location quickly. Learn more and download the What3words app here.
Read how "What3words” helped rescue a group of hikers from Watkins Glen State Park.
Community Preparedness:

Register to attend a Citizen Preparedness Corps training near you and learn how to prepare for any type of disaster or emergency, respond accordingly and recover. Learn more at the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services page. The next class offered in Tompkins County will take place on Wednesday, May 14th at the Slaterville Fire Department (2681 Slaterville Rd.) at 6:00pm. The event is free to attend but registration is required.
Topics include how to develop a family emergency plan, how to prepare your family and home for a potential emergency such as fire, what to do in specific situations such as active shooter, and covers evacuation or sheltering-in-place due to a life-threatening event, and much more. The training also discusses what to do when returning home after an emergency, including re-entry procedures, checking for and documenting damage safely, addressing emotional and other personal needs in the aftermath of a catastrophic event, and being wary of post-disaster scams.


Additional Preparedness Checklists:
Tune In:
Disaster and emergency information will broadcast from these local radio stations:
- 870AM WHCU
- 97.3FM WYXL
- 91.7FM WICB
If your TV is working, monitor a regional all-news channel, such as Spectrum News, or the Weather Channel. A weather radio will also provide accurate and current information.
National Weather Service in Binghamton
What types of emergencies can happen in Tompkins county?
There are certain basic concepts of preparedness that apply to any type of situation:
- Be Informed
- Make a Plan
- Build a Kit
- Get Involved
Learn more at www.ready.gov.
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