This community presentation from Polk County Emergency Management walks residents through everything they need to know to get ready before, during, and after a disaster. It reviews the hazards Polk County faces — severe weather, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and man-made incidents — and explains key concepts like the difference between a hurricane watch and a warning and the storm categories and wind speeds behind them. From there it covers practical preparation: building a family disaster plan with meeting places and out-of-area contacts, assembling a seven-day disaster supply kit and first aid kit, preparing financially through insurance reviews and document safekeeping, and planning for pets. It also details evacuation and sheltering options — including guidance for mobile and manufactured home residents, plus the Special Needs Program and its transportation requirements — and closes with post-storm safety around flood waters, generators, grills, and debris, along with how to sign up for local emergency alerts and stay connected with Emergency Management. 

Fire Safety Begins at Home is a community fire-prevention program from Polk County Fire Rescue. Built for homeowners, renters, and families, it covers the most common household fire hazards — cooking, electrical cords and outlets, clothes dryers, candles, smoking materials, and space heaters — along with smoke alarm placement and maintenance, home escape planning, and safe fire extinguisher use with the P.A.S.S. method. Practical, easy to follow, and packed with steps you can take today to protect your family and home.  

Hurricane Preparedness is a practical, community-focused presentation that helps residents get ready before the next storm arrives. Built around the phases of a hurricane — approach, arrival, and aftermath — it covers how to stay informed, build a family evacuation plan, and assemble the supplies that matter most, from two weeks of food and water to medications, pet kits, important documents, and a go-bag for every household member.  It also details local public and pet-friendly shelters, special-needs sheltering requirements, and what to do once the storm passes — staying home until the all-clear, documenting damage, and checking on neighbors — closing with a call for volunteers to join the community's CERT response team.