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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Planning for All Illinoisans’ Needs When Disaster Strikes

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Monday, April 7, 2014   

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Floods, tornadoes, and snowstorms are among the public safety threats faced by Illinoisans over the past year, and state leaders say community preparedness is just as important as personal preparedness in reducing the effects of any disaster.

Patty Thompson, communications manager for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, encourages families, schools, businesses and other organizations to have response plans in place that include the needs of everyone in the community.

"Whether it be for seniors or for children, people who don't speak English as their first language, people with different health concerns or disabilities, it's important to factor in those unique considerations," Thompson declared.

When developing an emergency plan, Thompson said, it's important to consider the risks that each community faces and determine the best actions for people to take in those situations.

"Certainly in the southern part of the state, we have more risks for earthquakes than we do in the northern part of the state," she pointed out. "Flooding seems to be almost an annual problem here in Illinois, particularly along some of our major riverways and streams."

Thompson also suggested having a disaster kit on hand, and practicing the emergency plan so your family or group is ready if the unexpected happens.

"If you have supplies in your home, everybody in your home or your business or your school know what to do, then you have more control and are better able to keep yourself and others safe when disaster strikes," she said.

The state offers planning resources, including a guidebook for people with functional needs, American Sign Language (ASL) videos, and information in six languages other than English. And on Tuesday, there's a webinar for emergency preparedness professionals on including people with disabilities in planning exercises. More information on that is available at ReadyIllinois.gov.



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