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Garrett County Residents: Frequently Asked Questions

All county government offices and services are now operating on a regular schedule.

Q:  I am still without power.  Are shelters still available?

A:  The County is no longer offering shelters at this time.  People without power are encouraged to visit or call Community Action 301-334-9431.

Q:  I am still without power and am in need of water.  Where can I go?

A:  Water is available at this time through Community Action at the 360 West Liberty Street facility in Oakland.  For further information contact (301) 334-9431.

Q:  What can I do with storm debris?  Will the landfill accept it?

A: Effective immediately residents may take storm related woody debris resulting from Hurricane Sandy to the following locations for disposal free of charge:

Garrett County Landfill

3118 Oakland Sang Run Road; Oakland

Monday to Saturday:  8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Closed on Sundays

Phone: 301-387-0322

Old Oakland County Roads Garage

North Oakland Garrett Highway- Across from the Brodak Plaza; Oakland

Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Closed on Saturdays and Sundays

Grantsville Roads Garage

13266 National Pike: Grantsville

Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Closed on Saturdays and Sundays

Q:  What can I do with storm related woody debris?  May I burn it?

A:  To report burning of brush that is associated with the recent storm damage, please call the Garrett County Non-Emergency number in the 9-1-1 Communications Center at 301-334-1929.  The normal permitting procedure for open burning through the Garrett County Health Department is temporarily suspended until November 17, 2012.  Brush may be burned any time of the day provided there is snow on the ground, otherwise burning should occur between 4 p.m. and midnight.  All fires must be kept 200 feet from neighboring habitable dwellings and gathering places.

Q:  Is it safe to eat food that hasn’t been refrigerated for multiple days due to the storm? 

A:  Food Safety Tips:

• Discard all perishable foods that have been without refrigeration and have remained at a temperature of 40° Fahrenheit and above for two hours or more

• Do not eat canned foods if the can has been damaged

• Keep foods that have been stored in an unopened, well functioning freezer based on the following criteria:
  •  A half-full, unopened freezer will keep foods safely for up to 24 hours;
  • A fully stocked, unopened freezer can keep foods safely for 48 hours;
  • Refreeze foods only if the items still contain ice crystals and feel cold and hard to the touch

• Do not taste foods to see if they are spoiled — If in doubt throw it out.

• For more information, visit http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/foodwater or http://www.fsis.usda.gov/help/FAQs_Food_safety/index.asp

Q:  Will my insurance cover storm-related damages?

A:  Contact your own homeowner insurance company or check out the Maryland Insurance Administration at http://www.mdinsurance.state.md.us/sa/jsp/Mia.jsp for answers to your storm-related insurance questions.

CONTACT the Maryland Insurance Administration at 410-468-2000 or 1-800-492-6116

Q:  I have contacted my insurance company.  Do I need to contact the County to report property damage related to the storm as well?

A:  If your property has sustained damage or loss, please remember it is your responsibility to contact your home owners insurance to file a claim.  The County encourages residents and businesses to report damages by using the DILP storm damage reporting form found at: http://garrettcounty.org/disaster or call 301-334-7470.

By reporting your damages, please be aware that the County is not responsible for repairing or mitigating damages. The purpose of this reporting system is to enable the County to collect data in order to possibly become eligible for state and federal disaster assistance.  The County will only be eligible if the disaster declaration threshold is met.

For a list of consumer resources and information on flood insurance, please visit the Maryland Insurance Administration at: http://www.mdinsurance.state.md.us

For more information on disaster survivor assistance, please visit FEMA at:  http://www.fema.gov/disaster-survivor-assistance

Maryland Sending Health Care Professionals, Incident Managers to New Jersey and New York to Aid Emergency Medical Response

REISTERSTOWN, MD (November 4, 2012) – About 50 Maryland healthcare professionals are working out of Brooklyn, NY, to assist survivors of Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey. Meanwhile, a team of 12 emergency medical services professionals from the Baltimore region will leave from Millersville in Anne Arundel County early tomorrow to help coordinate EMS response in New Jersey.

The healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, paramedics and logistics professionals, are members of the Maryland Disaster Medical Assistance team (DMAT) and left Maryland on Saturday. They have been working in Federal Medical Shelter Operations and Special Need Centers in Manhattan, built and staffed Federal Medical Stations, supported Emergency Departments in hospitals that are able to open, staffed a mobile hospital in the Rockaways section of New York City and are setting up a mobile hospital in New Jersey to help support special need and sub acute patients.

They are one of 18 DMAT teams from around the country that are helping to provide medical care for survivors of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey and New York.

The 12 EMS professionals leaving tomorrow morning for Newark, NJ, will form two six-person Incident Management Teams (IMT) and will assist with resource management to provide tracking and accountability of personnel, assets, and requests. This Baltimore Regional IMT includes EMS staff from the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services System (MIEMSS), Baltimore City and Anne Arundel and Howard counties..

The IMT will work with New Jersey Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) personnel to assist with the coordination of EMS resources from many different areas who have deployed to the area and will provide situational awareness, communicate with EMS field units, and plan for future needs and operations.

They join other Maryland responders who have been providing assistance to hard-hit areas to Maryland’s north. Twenty-five troopers from the Maryland State Police have been assisting local law enforcement in New Jersey, while four employees from Baltimore City are in Albany, helping the staff at the New York State Emergency Operations Center. Also, 10 two-person advanced life support ambulances and three supervisors went to New Jersey on Thursday and are providing EMS service in northern New Jersey.

Maryland Sending More Resources to New York and New Jersey to Assist with Recovery Efforts in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy

REISTERSTOWN, MD (November 3, 2012) – Twenty-five troopers from the Maryland State Police and four employees from Baltimore City will be heading north to help the states of New Jersey and New York with recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. They will be joining 23 emergency medical providers from various parts of the state that deployed earlier in the week and are providing service in northern New Jersey.

“As we were preparing for Hurricane Sandy, several other states came to Maryland with personnel and equipment to help with water rescues and operating emergency operations centers,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “We are thankful that we are now able to return the favor in states to our north which suffered more damage from Sandy.”

The troopers are being sent to Fort Dix in central New Jersey, where they will be deployed to assist local law enforcement officers, primarily in Monmouth and Ocean counties. The Baltimore City personnel, led by Robert Maloney of the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management and Public Safety, will be assisting staff in the New York State Emergency Operations Center in Albany. They comprise an Incident Management Assist Team (IMAT).

Ten two-person advanced life support ambulances and three supervisors went to New Jersey on Thursday. After originally staging at the Atlantic County Training Center near Atlantic City, they were sent to MetLife Stadium in northern New Jersey. Most of their work has been in Jersey City, N.J. The team includes units from private service Life Star and public safety units from Baltimore City and Talbot and Washington counties.

Resources for Garrett County

Shelter Information

South Rescue Squad, 200 Baltimore Street, Oakland, MD 21550

Friendsville Volunteer Fire Department, 122 Walnut St., Friendsville, MD 21531

Community Assistance Hotline 

A “Community Assistance Line” has been set up by the Department of Human Resources to collect information from citizens in Garrett County who are seeking assistance. The line will facilitate the collection of information from citizens seeking assistance, and the connection of those needs for assistance with the Agencies and Departments working to meet those needs in Garrett County. Call toll free at 888-756-7836 (for emergencies please call 9-1-1).

Power Outage Safety Tips

If the power goes out, know what steps to take to be comfortable and safe.

• Use flashlights. Avoid using candles, they are fire hazards.
• Report your power outage to your utility company.
• Turn off major appliances. The water heater and heating system breakers need to be turned off to avoid overloading your circuits when the power is restored. Unplug any voltage-sensitive equipment.
• Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Food in a refrigerator will last 12 to 24 hours if the doors are kept closed. A full freezer can last 24 to 48 hours. Helpful Hint: You can drape a sleeping bag over your refrigerator or freezer for added insulating value in case of an extended power outage.
• Listen to radio reports. Keep either a battery operated or battery free (hand crank) radio on hand for emergencies. During an extended outage, please listen to the local radio stations for updates and information.
• To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, use generators, grills, and similar items outdoors only.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Keep Water Safe After an Emergency

Safe Drinking Water

After an emergency, especially after flooding, drinking water may not be available or safe to drink for personal use. Do not use water you suspect or have been told is contaminated to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, make ice, or make baby formula.

Note: Caffeinated drinks and alcohol dehydrate the body, which increases the need for drinking water.

Floods and other disasters can damage drinking water wellsand lead to aquifer and well contamination. Flood waters can contaminate well water with livestock waste, human sewage, chemicals, and other contaminants which can lead to illness when used for drinking, bathing, and other hygiene activities.

Before an emergency or a temporary problem with a community water system, a community drinking water treatment facility should have an emergency plan in the event that service is disrupted. Water treatment facilities monitor drinking water to meet federal and state regulations.

Make Water Safe

Water often can be made safe to drink by boiling, adding disinfectants, or filtering.

IMPORTANT: Water contaminated with fuel or toxic chemicals will not be made safe by boiling or disinfection. Use a different source of water if you know or suspect that water might be contaminated with fuel or toxic chemicals.

Boiling

If you don’t have safe bottled water, you should boil water to make it safe. Boiling is the surest method to make water safer to drink by killing disease-causing organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

You can improve the flat taste of boiled water by pouring it from one container to another and then allowing it to stand for a few hours, OR by adding a pinch of salt for each quart or liter of boiled water.

If the water is cloudy,

• Filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter OR allow it to settle.
• Draw off the clear water.
• Bring the clear water to a rolling boil for one minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for three minutes).
• Let the boiled water cool.
• Store the boiled water in clean sanitized containers with tight covers.

If the water is clear,

• Bring the clear water to a rolling boil for one minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for three minutes).
• Let the boiled water cool.
• Store the boiled water in clean sanitized containers with tight covers.

Disinfectants

If you don’t have clean, safe, bottled water and if boiling is not possible, you often can make water safer to drink by using a disinfectant, such as unscented household chlorine bleach, iodine, or chlorine dioxide tablets. These can kill most harmful organisms, such as viruses and bacteria. However, only chlorine dioxide tablets are effective in controlling more resistant organisms, such as the parasite Cryptosporidium.
To disinfect water,

• Clean and disinfect water containers properly before each use. Use containers that are approved for water storage. Do not use containers previously used to store chemicals or other hazardous materials.
• Filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter OR allow it to settle.
• Draw off the clear water.
  • When using household chlorine bleach:
    • Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops; about 0.625 milliliters) of unscented liquid household chlorine (5–6%) bleach for each gallon of clear water (or 2 drops of bleach for each liter or each quart of clear water).Add 1/4 teaspoon (or 16 drops; about 1.50 milliliters) of bleach for each gallon of cloudy water (or 4 drops of bleach for each liter or each quart of cloudy water).
    • Stir the mixture well.
    • Let it stand for 30 minutes or longer before you use it.
    • Store the disinfected water in clean, disinfected containers with tight covers.
  • When using iodine:
    • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
    • Store the disinfected water in clean, disinfected containers with tight covers.
  • When using chlorine dioxide tablets:
    • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
    • Store the disinfected water in clean, disinfected containers with tight covers.

Filters

Many portable water filters can remove disease-causing parasites such as Cryptosporidium andGiardia from drinking water. If you are choosing a portable water filter, try to pick one that has a filter pore size small enough to remove both bacteria and parasites. Most portable water filters do not remove viruses.

Carefully read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the water filter you intent to use. After filtering, add a disinfectant such as iodine, chlorine, or chlorine dioxide to the filtered water to kill any viruses and remaining bacteria. For more information about water filters, see the Water Treatment Resources section.

Source: http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/foodwater/facts.asp#water

Power Outage Safety Tips

If the power goes out, know what steps to take to be comfortable and safe.

• Use flashlights. Avoid using candles, they are fire hazards.
• Report your power outage to your utility company.
• Turn off major appliances. The water heater and heating system breakers need to be turned off to avoid overloading your circuits when the power is restored. Unplug any voltage-sensitive equipment.
• Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Food in a refrigerator will last 12 to 24 hours if the doors are kept closed. A full freezer can last 24 to 48 hours. Helpful Hint: You can drape a sleeping bag over your refrigerator or freezer for added insulating value in case of an extended power outage.
• Listen to radio reports. Keep either a battery operated or battery free (hand crank) radio on hand for emergencies. During an extended outage, please listen to the local radio stations for updates and information.
• To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, use generators, grills, and similar items outdoors only.

Map of Shelter Locations: http://mema.maryland.gov/current/Pages/PowerOutages.aspx

MEMA Urges Maryland Residents To Be Prepared for Possible Visit from Hurricane Sandy

REISTERSTOWN, MD (October 25, 2012) – Maryland residents are being urged to prepare now for Hurricane Sandy, which might affect our area as early as Sunday. While forecasts are still uncertain, computer models have been predicting the path of the storm to move closer to Atlantic coast states as the system has developed.

If the storm hits our area, it is expected to move slowly and could bring as much as 48 hours of heavy rain and strong winds. Potential issues could be stream and tidal flooding, trees falling due to the combination of wind and wet ground, and power outages caused by winds and falling trees. Ocean City and Assateague Island likely will see higher than normal waves, even if the storm does not make landfall in the Maryland area, and forecasters are predicting that Garrett County and adjacent parts of Allegany could receive a heavy wet snow as a cold front clashes with the western fringe of the tropical system.

The Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) reminds residents to make plans now to deal with the possible effects of the storm and follow weather forecasts over the next several days to learn more about the possible path of Hurricane Sandy. Activities to prepare include:

• Prepare for possible power outages lasting several hours or even several days.
• Realize that the daytime temperatures are expected to be about 20 degrees cooler after the storm. If the power goes out, make sure you have extra blankets and appropriate clothing to deal with cooler temperatures if you power is out.
• If using a generator, make sure it is not in a basement or garage and make sure it is located a safe distance from any door, windows or ventilation systems.
• Make sure cell phones and other electronic devices are fully charged. Consider purchasing a car charger if you don’t already have one.
• Secure any loose items such as yard furniture and grills outside of your house.
• Make sure you have a disaster supply kit with water, non-perishable food, a change of clothes, extra medications and any special items you might need for infants, children and pets.
• Have a battery-operated or crank powered radio available to follow news and weather reports if the power goes out.
• Stores may be crowded on Sunday; consider stocking up on essentials a day or two sooner.
• If you lose power, practice safe food handling. Several web sites can provide appropriate information.
• If you are driving in or just after heavy rains and you see standing water, do NOT drive through it. TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN.

For more preparedness information, please visit the following web sites:

www.Mema.maryland.gov/prepared

www.ready.gov/hurricanes

www.hurricanes.gov

www.bt.cdc.gov/disaster/hurricanes

Halloween Safety Tips from the State Fire Marshal William E. Barnard

Jack-o-Lanterns are ushering in Halloween across Maryland and State Fire Marshal William E. Barnard has put together several fire and life safety tips to help everyone enjoy a safe Halloween. “Planning ahead can help make this Halloween a fire safe one. Taking simple fire and life safety precautions, like making sure fabrics for costumes and decorative materials are flame-resistant, can prevent fires and avoid needless burn injuries”.

The State Fire Marshal provides these sensible Halloween fire safety tips:

The Great SouthEast ShakeOut

Are You Ready to ShakeOut?

With 38 million people living and working in SouthEast, a major earthquake could cause unprecedented devastation. What we do now, before a big earthquake, will determine what our lives will be like afterwards.  With earthquakes an inevitable part of SouthEast’s future, we must act quickly to ensure that disasters do not become catastrophes.

Great ShakeOut drills worldwide involved over 12.5 million people through broad-based outreach programs, media partnerships, and public advocacy by partners in each region. The drill is held statewide annually on the third Thursday of October, and is organized by the Earthquake Country Alliance (www.earthquakecountry.org).  The 2012 Great SouthEast ShakeOut earthquake drill will be at 10:18 a.m. on October 18.

A key aspect of the ShakeOut is the integration of comprehensive science-based earthquake research and the lessons learned from decades of social science research about why people get prepared.  The result is a “teachable moment” on par with having an actual earthquake (often followed by increased interest in getting ready for earthquakes).  ShakeOut creates the sense of urgency that is needed for people, organizations, and communities to get prepared, to practice what to do to be safe, and to learn what plans need to be improved.

Not just any drill will accomplish this; it needs to be big.  It must inspire communities to come together.  It must involve children at school and parents at work, prompting conversations at home. It must allow every organization, city, etc., to make it their own event.

The 2012 ShakeOut drill will be the largest preparedness event in U.S. history. To participate, go to www.ShakeOut.org/SouthEast/register and pledge your family, school, business, or organization’s participation in the drill. Registered participants will receive information on how to plan their drill and how to create a dialogue with others about earthquake preparedness. All organizers ask is that participants register (so they can be counted and receive communications), and at the minimum practice “drop, cover, and hold on” at the specified time. It is only a five minute commitment for something that can save your life. It all begins with registering, which is free and open to everyone.

For more information, visit www.ShakeOut.org/SouthEast.

The Advocate- Oklahoma Road Middle School wins PSA Competition

“Two former Oklahoma Road Middle School students won first place in their category in a public service announcement video competition focusing on emergency preparedness.”

Full Story: http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/advocate_of_eldersburg/news/oklahoma-road-middle-school-wins-psa-competition/article_569e6c2a-620c-54e8-b852-06335ceea644.html#.UGtWdinr7Jo.email