November 2011 PreparednessOREGONPreParedness Guide
Helping you prepare for the unexpected
November 2011
What Will the City do?
The City of Lake Oswego will provide service at the highest levels
possible during extreme winter weather events by:
• Plowing main roads and the downtown transit core with all
available equipment
• Ensuring emergency calls are responded to
• Responding to citizens in a timely manner
• Keeping sidewalks and parking lots at open City buildings
clear of snow and ice
• Effectively communicating closures or changes in services
• Posting closure information clearly on City buildings
• Communicating regular updates by using
the City website (www.ci.oswego.or.us) and
facebook page, twitter, email distribution, list
serves, and local media such as the Lake Oswego
Review and the Oregonian
• Identifying a warming center if needed
Safety for the public and staff is important to all of us and we
will be doing our part to provide the best service possible in any
extreme condition.
The current long range winter forecast for 2011-2012 is showing a particularly harsh winter for many parts of the U.S. including
the Pacific Northwest, where forecasters expect the region to experience a very severe winter. Past severe winter storms have
reminded us that a little preplanning can go a long way and that we all have a role in being prepared.
While the ability to respond to emergencies is the City’s highest priority, inclement weather situations can delay fire, police
and emergency medical services as well as increase demand. A few things that you can do to help us help you include:
• Ensuring that your address is clearly visible and not covered with snow or ice
• Clearing a path from your street to your front door
• Having an emergency supply kit
• Using flashlights instead of candles to help prevent fires
• Being aware of carbon monoxide hazards from some outdoor heating devices used indoors
• Be prepared - during some emergencies it can take more time for help to reach you
helP us helP you
emerGenCy PreParedness exPo - november 5
You are invited to a Lake Oswego Emergency Preparedness Expo
2011 on Saturday, November 5, from 1 to 5 p.m., at The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 14903 Westlake Drive.
Special Guest Speaker James Roddey, an award-
winning educator formerly with the Oregon
Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
and current Director of Communications for
the Oregon Chapters of the American Red
Cross, will speak on The Big One! - A
discussion about the inevitability
of a major earthquake in the
Pacific Northwest and how to
prepare for it.
Additional preparedness booths and presentations include:
At this free event, learn how you can prepare today for the
threats of tomorrow!
Please contact Tom Horey at tomhorey@yahoo.com, for further
information about this Expo.
• 72 hr emergency kits
• Neighborhood and family
disaster planning
• Financial planning
• Power and heat in an emergency
• Emergency communications
(ham radios)
• Pandemics
• CPR
• Child ID
• Food and water storage
• Canning and preserving
• Gardening
• Preplanning for final wishes
• Wills/advanced directives
• Cooking in the dark
Know before you go...
www.TripCheck.com
The Lake OswegO Fire DeparTmenT wiLL cOme OuT TO any
ciTizens hOme TO heLp insTaLL a smOke DeTecTOr, Or TO
check On a smOke DeTecTOr ThaT has been chirping.
it’s time to CheCk your smoke alarm!
Smoke kills...Most fire deaths and injuries are caused by smoke, not flames. They occur at night while victims are asleep. Smoke alarms
won’t prevent fires, but they will increase your chances of getting out and calling the fire department. Working smoke alarms more
than double your chance of surviving a fire.
Oregon’s Smoke Alarm Law requires all smoke alarms sold in the state to have a 10 year lithium battery with a hush feature. If your
smoke alarms are ten years old or older you, should replace them with the new 10 year lithium battery smoke detector. If your smoke
alarm is less than 10 years old, take time to press the test button and make sure it works. You should
do this every month. Newer smoke alarms have long-life batteries that you don’t need to
change every year.
Single family dwellings are required to have smoke alarms, per the Building
Code, at the time of construction. The minimum requirements are that smoke
alarms must be installed outside each sleeping area, such as in a hallway.
If the home has more than one level a smoke alarm must be installed on
each level. The Lake Oswego Fire Department recommends adding smoke
alarms to each bedroom for additional protection.
In addition, the Lake Oswego Fire Department encourages families to
make a home fire escape plan and practice it.
Oregon’s beautiful scenery is a year-round source of enjoyment. Driving in Oregon’s winters, however, can be challenging. Arrive safely
at your destination by following these recommendations:
• Before you go, visit www.TripCheck.com or call 5-1-1 for the latest in road conditions, weather forecast, chain requirements, and
incident information.
• Let someone know your destination, your route, and when you expect to arrive. If your car gets stuck along the way, help can be
sent along your predetermined route. Check in when you’ve reached your destination.
• Don’t use cruise control in wet, icy or snowy weather.
• Keep your car’s gas tank full for emergency use and to keep the fuel line from freezing.
• Put together a separate disaster supplies kit for the trunk of each car used by members of
your household. If you should become stranded during a winter storm, these items will make
you more comfortable until the storm passes.
travelinG this Winter?
• Several blankets or sleeping bags
• Rain gear and extra sets of dry clothing, mittens, socks, and a
wool cap
• Extra newspapers for insulation
• Plastic bags for sanitation
• Canned fruit, nuts, and high energy “munchies.” Non-electric
can opener if necessary
• Several bottles of water. Eating snow will lower your body
temperature. If necessary, melt it first
• Cans of broth or soup
• A small shovel, a pocket knife, and small tools, such as pliers,
a wrench, and screwdriver
• A small sack of sand for generating traction under wheels, a
set of tire chains or traction mats
• Jumper cables
• A first aid kit and neces-
sary medications
• A flashlight with extra
batteries
• A candle in a metal can or
other fireproof container.
While candles are generally
not recommended in disaster
situations, having one in your car
can be a source of heat and light if you are stranded
• Matches
• Cards, games, and puzzles
• A brightly colored cloth to tie to the antenna
The kiT shOuLD incLuDe:
Make sure you know where
the main shut-off valve for
your plumbing is located and
how to turn it off. If you need
help locating your water
shut-off valve or turning off
your water at the meter,
call Lake Oswego Public
Works Operations at
503-635-0280.
While winter doesn’t officially start until December 21, Lake Oswego has already experienced some
cold nights. As temperatures dip below freezing, exposed or shallow buried pipes may be at risk of
freezing and bursting, resulting in problems when warmer temperatures return.
Property owners are responsible for maintaining plumbing from their meter to throughout their
house. To help prevent frozen and bursting pipes, take a few preventative measures before the
freezing temperatures arrive:
• Drain your irrigation system or have it “blown out” using an air compressor.
• Insulate valves/backflow equipment.
• Cover hose bibs with Styrofoam covers and wrap free standing garden spigots in weatherproof insulation or pipe insulation to
at least 8” below ground.
• Close foundation vents to keep cold air from getting under the house and damaging exposed pipes.
• Keep minimal heat on in a vacant house. Or, if you are leaving the house for an extended period of time, set your
thermostat to between 50 and 60 degrees to maintain sufficient indoor temperature to protect appliances and indoor
pipes in the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, or any other room with water or drain lines.
• Wrap water heaters that are in unheated parts of the house to prevent freezing and to save energy.
• Drain water features/ponds to avoid damage to liners and materials. If your water feature is used in the winter,
make sure the water is continually flowing to prevent freezing.
• During the worst freezing weather, let a thin stream of water run from the faucets located farthest from
the street and open cabinet doors under the sinks.
If a water pipe freezes:
• Do not try to thaw pipes with an open flame of any kind.
• Shut off the water at the main shut-off valve.
• Open faucets.
• Gradually warm the frozen pipe by one of the following methods: expose the area to inside heat; use a blow
dryer; wrap the pipe with a heating pad; beam a heat lamp eight inches or more from the pipe; or wrap the
pipe with rags and pour hot water on it.
If a water pipe bursts
• Turn off the water at the main shut-off valve.
• Open all the faucets.
• Place a bucket underneath the leak until the pipe can be repaired.
• Call a plumber.
insulate your PiPes
ProjeCt alert & Codered
The Adult Community Center (ACC), in partnership with the Police and Fire Departments,
has developed a program for older adults living in Lake Oswego. Project Alert provides
a daily call to participants during times of emergencies and provides assistance as
needed.
When the program is activated, ACC volunteers make daily calls to each registered
participant. Special needs and concerns are relayed to ACC staff for follow-
up. This program operates only during times of emergencies, such as prolonged
heat, severe winter storms, and power outages. For more information or to register, visit www.
ci.oswego.or.us/acc or call 503-635-3758.
Project Alert is in addition to CodeRED the City’s emergency notification system which
distributes emergency messages via telephone, text or email to registered participants in the
community at a rate of 1,000 calls per minute. To be added to this emergency call list, register
online at www.ci.oswego.or.us (click on the CodeRED sign up link) or call the Citizen Information
Center at 503-635-0257. Registration is confidential, free, and easy.
OREGON
Emergency Information: 503-635-0257
www.ci.oswego.or.us/EmergencyManagement
City of Lake Oswego - Citizen Information Center
503-635-0257, www.ci.oswego.or.us
City facility closure information
Lake Oswego Public Works Operations
503-635-0280
City Operations information including plowing plan, broken City water
pipes, downed trees, storm drain blockage and sewer overflows
Allied Waste of Lake Oswego
503-636-3011, www.lakeoswego.disposal.com
Garbage and recycling information
PGE - 503-228-6322 Electrical outages or downed power lines
NW Natural Gas - 503-226-4211 Line locates or if you smell gas
Police - 503-635-0238 (Non-Emergency)911 in case of emergency
Fire - 503-635-0275 (Non-Emergency)911 in case of emergency
TriMet - 503-238-7433 press “2”Bus routes, schedules and snow delay information
Lake Oswego School District
503-534-2000, www.loswego.k12.or.us
School closure information
The City will use all available equipment to clear main roads for emergency responders, vehicles, and pedestrian safety. Once main
roads are addressed, maintenance crews will focus on other streets, if possible. For questions or concerns, call Lake Oswego Public
Works Operations at 503-635-0280.
reCyClinG and GarbaGe
To help ensure the safety of the public and its employees, if extreme weather conditions occur, Allied Waste
may delay garbage and recycling collection services. Services will continue the following day if conditions
improve. If conditions do not improve and your collection is missed, please store material on your property
until your next regularly scheduled collection day. A double amount will be collected at no additional charge. For
questions regarding service, visit Allied Waste at www.lakeoswego.disposal.com or call 503-636-3011.
numbers you need to knoW
PloWinG routes
Often it is the simplest of things that prevent a minor problem from turning into a huge frustration
or a crisis. In addition to a good supply of food (for humans and pets), water, good flashlights and
plenty of batteries, having the following items easily accessible can help you weather the storm:
• A shovel to keep your home accessible when there is snow, ice or piles from plowing on
sidewalks, walkways and driveways
• Traction aids for your car and feet - sand, gravel, or kitty litter as well as good snow/warm shoes
or traction devices to clip on your shoes
• Chains, snow tires or a 4 wheel/
all wheel drive car that has plenty
of gas; or a plan to use TriMet
• An alternative heat source or dry
wood for the fireplace (with a
clean fireplace and chimney)
• Prescription medications and
necessary over-the-counter items
• Internet access to work, school/
work projects and key contacts
PrePare to minimize your stress