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Local Emergency Planning Council For Hazardous Materials
| What to do if you are notified of a chemical emergency
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- Stay Calm
- If you are outdoors in the vicinity of a chemical incident, leave the immediate area, moving at least two miles away from the site of the release.
- If you are in your residence, turn on your radio to an Emergency Alerting System (EAS) station for information and directions.
- Stay off the telephone. The lines may be needed for official business.
- Emergency Activation Radio Stations
- WMAL 0630 AM
- WTOP 1500 AM & 103.5 FM
- WWRC 1260 AM
- WKYS 93.9 FM
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| Protective Actions |
EAS instructions will tell you the protective action(s) to be taken. The protective action could be Shelter-in-Place, Prepare-to-Evacuate, or Evacuate
Depending on the circumstances of the emergency, any of the three protective actions, or a combination, may be appropriate.
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| Shelter-in-Place |
Shelter-in-Place is one way to protect yourself. If you are told to Shelter-in-Place, do the following:
- Immediately go inside. Bring pets inside also.
- Close and lock all windows and doors, a better seal is made. Stay calm. Stay off the telephone.
- Turn off heating and cooling systems.
- Go to an interior room with no or few windows. Seal all openings into the room with plastic sheeting and tape.
- Turn on a radio to a local EAS station for information and directions. Stay tuned to the station until you are given instructions that the emergency is over.
- If told to protect breathing, cover your nose and mouth with a wet cloth, if possible.
- After the emergency is over, you will be instructed to air out your house.
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| Prepare to Evacuate |
You may be told to Prepare-to-Evacuate. When informed of this, you should do the following:
- Stay calm. Stay off the telephone.
- Turn on your radio or television to the local EAS station for emergency instructions.
- Pack only what you need. Gather critical medicines, appropriate clothing for the weather conditions, portable radio, flashlight, and spare batteries, check book, credit cards, and other essential items.
- Lock your house.
- If you have children in school, they will be taken to a reception center for the school. You may pick them up after the all-clear.
- PETS ARE NOT PERMITTED IN SHELTERS. Special pet shelter accommodations will be made available.
- You may return home as soon as the emergency is declared over, and have been instructed to return.
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For further information, please contact the
Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management at 240-777-2300 8:30 - 4:30 PM or the Hazmat Hotline 240-7772341 (24-hour number)
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