GET INVOLVED IN YOUR COMMUNITY The role of the EMA is to coordinate with other agencies in the community to foster relationships and build foundations of preparedness for when a disaster strikes. The agencies are often looking for people like you to get involved in building a strong and resilient community. The purpose and responsibility of the Calhoun County RACES is to furnish communications to the public safety agencies of Calhoun County and the general public, in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency situation. Volunteers Active In Disaster (VOAD) More VOAD works towards filling the un-met needs of the community after a disaster has occurred. If your organization, church, or community group is interested in joining VOAD please reach out to the EMA. More Volunteers Active In Disaster (VOAD) The Calhoun County EMA works towards our goal of protecting our citizens through mitigation and preparedness programs, as well as through response and recovery efforts. Emergency Management Agency The EMA works to help coordinate volunteer activities to make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation. It provides opportunities for people to participate in a range of measures to make their families, their homes, and their communities safer from the threats of crime, terrorism, and disasters of all kinds. If you are interested in receiving any of the training offered by the EMA or in volunteering with an emergency support group, please contact the Calhoun County EMA.

Social Media Toolkits Who We Are Winter Weather Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection. Active Shooter Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection. Severe Weather Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection. Prepared to go Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection. Flooding Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection. Summer Safety Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection. Hurricane Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection. Infectious Disease Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection. Heat Waves Heat can escalate quickly. Make sure you are prepared for it when it does! Click the icon to download toolkit. Preparedness Plan Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection. Fire Safety Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection. Halloween Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection. Thanksgiving Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection. Cyber Security Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection. Christmas Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection.

The goal of the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is to protect the health, safety, and economic interests of the residents of Calhoun County from the impacts of natural and man-made hazards. The EMA is responsible for coordinating with other local, state, and federal agencies before, SIGN UP FOR ALERTS PREPAREDNESS TORNADO SHELTERS STAY INFORMED Sign up for to receive emergency notifications for Calhoun County! TAKE SHELTER Know where you will go when severe weather strikes! Click here for full list of tornado shelters in Calhoun County. BE PREPARED Click here for more information on how to be prepared for any emergency. FACEBOOK FEED QUICK LINKS

Disaster Loans Available for those impacted by the March 25th severe weather event 1. Register with FEMA 2. Find out what loans can help you 3. Apply online with the SBA Application Filing Deadlines: Physical Damage: June 25th, 2021 Economic Injury: January 26, 2022 Why its important to Apply? SBA Loan Factsheet How can SBA help? Apply for FEMA assistance Disaster Assistance Information STAY CONNECTED Youtube See a collection of our latest PSAs and Press Conferences. Facebook Find all of our recents posts and LIVE videos here! X Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) for the latest news! Instagram Visually see what the EMA does on a daily basis! Dialing 2-1-1 connects you to a trained operator 24/7 that has access to a comprehensive database with a multitude of services in your community.

Flood Safety What do I need to know about floods? Flash Flood Watch vs. Flash Flood Warning A flash flood watch is issued when flash flooding is possible. A flash flood warning means a flash flood is occurring; seek higher ground on foot immediately. How can I prepare my home for a flood? Find out if your home is at risk for flood and educate yourself on the impact a flood could have on you and your family. Even very small streams, gullies, culverts, dry streambeds, or low-lying ground that appear harmless in dry weather can flood. Most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage. Talk to your insurance provider about your policy and consider if you need additional coverage. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) can help provide a means for property owners to financially protect themselves if additional coverage is required. The NFIP offers flood insurance to homeowners, renters, and business owners if their community participates in the NFIP. Turn Around, Don't Drown! Do not walk into or travel into water of unknown depth, or that is over your calf or hubcap deep in flooded areas. Did you know a 3 mph current of water can sweep the strongest people off of their feet? Do not drive on a flooded road! Just a few inches of water can make cars float off the road. Wait for the water to recede, or find another route around the flooding. If your vehicle stalls, abandon it immediately and seek higher ground. Do not try to go back to your vehicle. Many people drown while trying to rescue their cars.

Step 1: Designate and empower an Emergency Coordinator and supporting team for your organization Step 2: Create plans and information for your people and places for all hazards you may encounter: Emergency Medical Severe Thunderstorms Tornadoes Floods Winter Weather Heat Waves Active Shooter Cybersecurity CLICK HERE for more information and resources for Preparing Planning for your business. Step 3: Develop a continuity of operation plan in the event there is a major disruption that impacts your organization. CLICK HERE for more information and resources for Business Continuity Planning. CLICK HERE to go to the next Readiness Phase: Preparedness

STAY ALERT Preparing for the worst. Working hard toward the best. Have at least 3 ways you can be alerted Having multiple ways to receive emergency alerts will help make sure you are always informed and ready to respond. LEARN MORE Ways to Stay Informed Anchor 1 RAVE ALERT SYSTEM WEATHER RADIO SOCIAL MEDIA WEATHER APPS Rave Alert is a notification system provided to you free by Calhoun County EMA. It is customizable and is the primary way we send out emergency alerts in the county. If there is severe weather in the county, the NOAA Weather Radio will go off. This is a great way to be alerted throughout the night when you may be sleeping. SAME CODE: 001015 Channel 4 During an event, our social media accounts are consistently updated. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). The links are below. Download local weather apps or the NOAA weather app to receive notifications about weather in your area. Click Here to Sign Up for FREE Emergency Alerts Outdoor Warning sirens Outdoor sirens are made to alert those outdoors who are in the path of a potential tornado in the area. They are NOT made to hear indoors. They only sound if they are within the National Weather Service tornado warning polygon. Sirens

Infectious Disease Preparedness A pandemic is a disease outbreak that spans several countries and affects a large number of people. Pandemics are most often caused by viruses, like COVID-19 , which can easily spread from person to person. Preventative Actions: Avoid close contact with sick people. Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. germs spread this way. Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germ like flu. If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. After using a tissue, throw it in the trash and wash your hands. Treatment: Most people with viruses have mild illness and do not need medical care or antiviral drugs. If you get sick with flu/COVID-19 symptoms, in most cases, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. If, however, you have symptoms of flu/COVID-19-like symptoms and are in a high risk group, or are very sick or worried about your illness, contact your health care provider (doctor, physician assistant, etc.). CDC recommends prompt treatment for people who have flu infection or suspected flu infection and who are at high risk of serious flu complications, such as people with asthma, diabetes or heart disease. Additional Resources: Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) CDC Informational Series on 2019 Novel Coronavirus

Providing a blueprint to help organizations prepare their people and places for emergencies. The Emergency Management Agency (EMA) of Calhoun County is implementing the Preparedness Partners Program. The purpose of Preparedness Partners is to provide a blueprint to help organizations prepare their people and places for emergencies. The Program provides participating organizations free and critical resources including: Local Situational Awareness Alerts and Updates Checklists and information on how to prepare Individualized guidance from local emergency management professionals Physical signage and electronic logo designating organization as Preparedness Partner To successfully become a Preparedness Partner, organizations will complete 5 phases of readiness: Organizations in Calhoun County interested in learning more about becoming a Preparedness Partner can click the button below to register or you can always call the Emergency Management Agency at: 256-435-0540. Checklist Planning Partners Program No business will ever be disaster-proof. However, a business can be disaster resilient. This is the ability to withstand the impact of a disaster and continue as a strong, healthy organization.

Tornado Safety TORNADO WATCH A Tornado Watch is issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes. The watch is intended to give you time to review your safety rules. Watches may last for several hours. TORNADO WARNING A Tornado Warning is issued by the National Weather Service when a tornado has been spotted or indicated by weather radar, meaning a tornado is occurring or expected soon. TAKE ACTION because there is imminent danger to life and property. Immediately seek refuge. VS. Have at least 3 ways you can be alerted Having multiple ways to receive emergency alerts will help make sure you are always informed and ready to respond. LEARN MORE Seek shelter immediately when a TORNADO WARNING is issued. What is a good shelter? Find a Shelter near YOU If you hear an outdoor siren going off, it means that that area is under a tornado warning and you need to find shelter immediately. Do you know what to do during a tornado warning? Get Inside A tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service when a developing tornado has been detected by radar or has been reported on the ground by reliable sources. Get Low Get as low to the ground as possible. If you can, get below ground, in a cellar, basement, or storm shelter. Never use the crawlspace under your home for shelter-the house can collapse on top of you! If outside, with no other shelter available, you can go into a ditch, but be aware of possible flooding. Get Covered Cover your head using a football or bicycle helmet, pillows, and blankets. This is important. Head wounds are a leading cause of tornado-related injuries.

CALHOUN COUNTY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM The Calhoun County EMA offers internship opportunities to prepare present and future emergency management professionals to enter the public safety sector with the basic skills needed to function within an emergency management agency. Students who intern with the Calhoun County EMA will be able to use the experience to build resumes and gain valuable networking options as well as engage in projects to gain in-depth knowledge of the field. Click for more information: Deadline for Fall Applications: Date: July 31, 2026 Time: 4:00 PM What: Application and Resume For More Information Regarding the Calhoun County EMA Internship Program: Please click on each button to gain more insight into the program and what is required of you as an intern.

Be Prepared BE INFORMED CREATE A PLAN TAKE ACTION FIND OUT MORE HERE > OUTDOOR WARNING SIRENS 1. Not meant to be heard indoors They are useful for those participating in outdoor activities When you hear an outdoor siren, seek shelter immediately 2. They are on a POLYGON System When there is a tornado WARNING, the National Weather Service will draw a polygon around the track of the tornado. Only the sirens within the polygon will go off. If you hear a siren, it means the weather threat is NEAR. Take cover immediately. Outdoor sirens Have at least 3 ways you can be alerted Having multiple ways to receive emergency alerts will help make sure you are always informed and ready to respond. LEARN MORE Be Informed It is important to know the hazards in your community. These hazards can be natural, like severe weather, or man-made, such as a hazardous materials incident. Take time to discuss these hazards with your family, including how can prepare for them and how you will respond if faced with one. Some of the top natural hazards in Calhoun County include: Tornadoes Severe thunderstorms , high winds, and lightning Ice Storms Being informed also includes knowing how to get emergency information. In an emergency, you may hear information broadcast using something called the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The EAS provides emergency information on the radio, over TV channels, and on cable TV (some stations). Another important method of receiving emergency information is Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). WEA alerts are sent to smartphones capable of receiving them (most smartphones). You do not have to 'sign up' for these alerts--your phone will receive them automatically. It is important NOT to 'cancel' or 'disable' WEA alerts when you receive them, or you may not receive future alerts. A NOAA Weather Radio is an important item to have in your disaster supply kit because it not only lets your receive severe weather watches and warnings but it can also be a way authorities broadcast important information during an emergency. To ensure that you are receiving information for Calhoun County, make sure your radio is set to Channel 4 and S.A.M.E. county code 001015. For weather radio programming instructions, please visit this page hosted by the National Weather Service (NWS) in Birmingham: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/?n=nwr An important part of being informed also means knowing your siren tones. In Calhoun County, we use different tones for tornadoes, a hazardous material accident, an attack on the United States, and siren tests The severe weather tone is a long, high pitched tone. The tone for a hazardous material accident is a high-low tone (like a European ambulance siren). The sound for the siren test, conducted the first Tuesday of each month at 4:00 PM, is a long wail tone. The sound for a hostile attack on the United States is a fast wail tone. Create an Emergency Plan Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes! It is important to plan in advance what you will do if a disaster happens and you are separated. You should talk with your family about: How you will contact each another, Where you will meet up and get back together, and What you will do in different situations, like being at work, at school, at nights, and on weekends, if one of you is out of town on business, etc. Talking about your plan now will help reduce fear and anxiety if a disaster happens. Here are some tips in mind when creating emergency plan: Create a list of addresses and phones numbers for the places where your family spends the most time along with family members’ cell phone numbers and work numbers. Each family member should have a copy of the list and a copy should be placed in your disaster kit. Identify meeting places in your neighborhood (in case of a house fire) and meeting places outside your neighborhood in case you have to evacuate. Select an out-of-town relative or friend to be the “family contact person”. After a disaster, it is often easier to make a long distance call than a local call. If separated, family members should call the “contact person” and tell him or her where they are. Everyone must know the contact’s name, address, and phone number. Know what to do if authorities instruct you to shelter in place or evacuate. Practice and maintain your plan by reviewing and updating it every six months or with any major changes in your family. Create a Kit Putting together a disaster supply kit requires very little time or money but can be invaluable to you in the days following a disaster. Most items in your kit should be in a sturdy, waterproof container and include the things your family will need (don’t forget the pets) for the first three days after a disaster You don’t have to create your kit in one day; take time each week to place a few of the items you need in your kit. Some suggested items include: Water, at least 1 gallon per person per day Non-perishable food and a manual can opener Paper cups, plates, plastic utensils, and paper towels Battery-powered radio and a NOAA weather radio with extra batteries for each Flashlights with extra batteries Hygiene products such as baby wipes, extra soap and shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, etc. Fire Extinguisher First Aid Kit Tools, including a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities Copies of important family documents, insurance policies, etc. Other things to think about putting in your kit: Comfort items for kids, such as books, puzzles, and toys Money, both cash and change, in case credit and debit cards do not work A complete change of clothing for each family member including a pair of sturdy shoes Prescription medications and extra glasses/contacts Specialty items for infants, the elderly or anyone in your home with special needs Be Informed Create a Plan Take Action