During an Emergency
When an emergency occurs it is important to stay informed on what is happening in your community. You can stay informed by:
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Subscribe to updates from the City of Belleville website to stay up-to-date on what is happening at the City of Belleville
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Follow the City of Belleville and other organizations in your community on social media for updates from officials on what is happening in the community
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Listen to local radio and TV stations for updates on the emergency and actions you can take to stay safe
Every emergency situation is different, when an emergency does occur listen to local officials for guidance and advice on how you can stay safe.
Shelter in Place
Sheltering in place means finding a safe location indoors and remaining there until you have been notified that it is safe to come out. If you are at home when asked to shelter in place some actions that you should take are:
- Get your 72-hour emergency kit out
- Close all windows, doors, and fire place dampers and turn off all heating or air conditioning systems
- Contact your emergency contacts and let them know where you are
- Bring your pets with you to your safe location and be prepared to care for them
If you are away from home when an emergency occurs and you need to shelter in place follow the instructions of local authorities and contact your emergency contacts to let them know where you are.
Evacuations
Many emergencies can cause you to evacuate your home. In some emergencies you could have a day or two to prepare for an evacuation while other emergencies can require immediate evacuation.
If you have to evacuate your home during an emergency:
- Follow instructions of local authorities
- Take your 72-hour emergency kit with you and your pet emergency kit
- Let your emergency contacts know that you have left and where you are going
- Turn off all appliances before leaving, except your refrigerator or freezer
- Take your pets with you, make sure you have identified evacuation shelters that allow pets
- Follow recommended evacuation routes, and be alert for road hazards when you are evacuating
