By Danny Teigman
Beckmann addressed village residents at a special meeting held at the Lynbrook library on Dec. 7. "Tonight we are here to tell you what you can do to protect yourself," he said.
He stressed the importance of self-reliance over dependence on government, saying, "We can't take care of everybody all the time."
The meeting's sponsors were Lynbrook Team Coordinator Nancy Fischer and Deputy Team Coordinator Caryn Battaglia of the county's Community Emergency Response Team. Federally funded and organized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the program prepares residents for disasters, when they can assist first responders such as fire and police departments and take on leadership responsibilities in their communities.
Beckmann gave a 30-minute slide presentation outlining the types of disasters that communities are prone to - from terrorism and civil breakdown to natural disasters and technological failure. If government could be counted on to prepare for every contingency and disaster-proof society, he said, taxes would be sky-high and it would be cost-prohibitive to live.
According to Beckmann, one way for residents to prepare for emergencies is to have survival kits ready. They should include a gallon of water per person per day, extra clothing, a minimum of a three-day supply of non-perishable food, flashlights, radios, extra batteries, first aid kits, and waterproof bags for essential documents. Items too often forgotten include whistles, manual can openers, extra cash in small bills, garbage bags and other special-needs products, including medical prescriptions.
Alerting family members outside the disaster area is also critical, Beckmann said. Families or neighbors should have a designated meeting place so communication can be coordinated between emergency personnel and others like CERT members.
Robert Cribbin, director of emergency management for Lynbrook's director of emergency management, added that when an emergency is looming, residents must remain alert to radio and news broadcasts and be aware of sudden changes or official instructions from the county, state or federal government.
In recent years, Malverne, Valley Stream, Lynbrook and East Rockaway have coordinated disaster preparedness by launching an emergency radio broadcast station at 1620 AM. Cribbin noted that Malverne's Cablevision Channel 18 and Verizon Channels 33 and 34 will also broadcast critical information in the event of a local, regional or national emergency.
Although attendance was lower than expected, Fischer and Battaglia were optimistic that publicizing these efforts would improve preparation and reduce public complacency. "Future meetings could be directed toward smaller groups as requested by specific organizations," Battaglia said. "We go about our lives and expect that things don't go wrong, but unfortunately sometimes they do - and the more prepared we can be for emergencies, the better off we'll all be."
"It doesn't matter if it's a hurricane, snowstorm or other disaster," Beckmann added. "We'll keep doing these events to keep people safe."
Comments about this story? DTeigman@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 246.
