American Red Cross, Dominion Virginia Power Urge Households to Prepare for Emergencies

Developing an Emergency Plan is the First Step

RICHMOND, September 5, 2013 — Disasters can strike quickly and often without warning. During National Preparedness Month, the American Red Cross, Eastern Virginia Region and Dominion Virginia Power encourage all households to get ready for the next emergency or disaster.

Setting the tone, Bill Bolling, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, said, “I urge all Virginians to participate in National Preparedness Month by taking time to put together a household emergency plan and create an emergency kit. Start by downloading the Red Cross free mobile app that provides information on preparedness. Preparation can make a critical difference in the outcome of emergency situations. Do not delay in taking steps to better protect yourself and your loved ones.”

“Having a game plan in place is essential for all households so everyone knows what they should do when an emergency occurs,” said Reggie Gordon, CEO of the Eastern Virginia Red Cross. “National Preparedness Month is a perfect time for Virginia residents to create or update their plan.”

Dominion Virginia Power also urges customers to have an emergency plan and disaster kit. “It’s our business to be prepared for severe weather and respond safely and quickly when storms hit,” said Rodney Blevins, vice president of distribution operations. “Make it your business to stay prepared and keep your loved ones safe.”

MAKE A PLAN It is important that everyone in the household helps put the emergency plan together and knows what they should do if something occurs. Household members may not be together when a disaster happens – during the day many people are at work and school. The plan should include ways to contact one another and two predetermined places to meet – one near the home in case of a sudden emergency like a fire, and one outside the neighborhood in case circumstances prevent people from returning home. People should also identify an emergency contact person from outside the area in case local telephone lines are overloaded or out of service.

Any emergency plan should also include decisions about where family members will go if ordered to evacuate and what route they will take to get there. It’s a good idea to include alternate routes in case roads are closed. If pets are part of the household, make sure to include plans for them such as pet-friendly hotels and animal shelters along the evacuation route.

RED CROSS APPS The Red Cross has free mobile apps that provide information on what to do before, during and after emergencies including developing an emergency plan. “People can use the ‘Make a Plan’ feature in the apps to create their plan and then share it with their loved ones,” Gordon said. “The preloaded content in the apps gives people access to vital information to use during emergencies, even if they can’t connect to the internet.” The apps can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross.

Dominion Virginia Power’s preparedness focuses on severe storms and power outages. Dominion offers extensive information online. Real-time electric outage maps and restoration information, safety tips and more are posted on Dominion’s website, www.dom.com, its online storm center at www.dom.com/storm-center/index.jsp and through www.twitter.com/DomVAPower  and www.facebook.com/dominionvirginiapower. Outages also can be reported and monitored via smartphones by logging on to dom.com.

OTHER WAYS TO GET READY Another step to get one’s household ready is to build an emergency kit (see Dominion’s kit preparation video) in a container that is easy to carry so the family can use it at home or take it with them if asked to evacuate. It should contain a three-day supply of water (one gallon, per person, per day), nonperishable food, a flashlight, battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit, a 7-day supply of medications, a multi-purpose tool, sanitation and personal hygiene items and copies of important personal documents. The Red Cross also recommends having at least two weeks worth of emergency supplies at home.

Everyone also needs to stay informed about what types of disasters are most likely to occur where they live or where they plan to visit. It is also important to take a First Aid and CPR/AED course—a vital component of disaster preparedness in case emergency help is delayed.

For more information on how to prepare for emergencies, people can visit redcross.org

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

Dominion (NYSE:D) is one of the nation’s largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 27,000 megawatts of generation, 11,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline and 6,400 miles of electric transmission lines.  Dominion operates one of the nation’s largest natural gas storage systems with 947 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves retail energy customers in 15 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company’s website at www.dom.com. 

Dominion Media Inquiries: Karl Neddenien, (804) 771-6115; Karl.R.Neddenien@dom.com