Give the Gift of Awareness and Preparedness This Holiday Season

WARREN, Mich. – The holiday season is here, and the state of Michigan and FEMA wish you all the best during this special time of the year.  The heavy demands of the holiday season can be a busy time for all. Managing family obligations and handling seasonal preparations along with regular day-to-day activities can make disaster awareness and preparedness less of a priority.

Officials want to remind you that the holidays can also bring out scam artists and other criminals who want to prey on vulnerable survivors. The most common types of fraud after disaster strikes are contractor fraud and price gouging.

• Be wary of contractors who solicit work door-to-door or who promise –“I’ll do it right away and cheap.”
• Get estimates from more than one licensed, bonded, and reputable contractor.
• Get a contract in writing.
• Don’t make final payment until the job is finished.
• Don’t sign over an insurance settlement check to a contractor.

Gift giving is also on the minds of many this time of year. We would like to offer some gift suggestions for those family members who might not be prepared for disasters or emergencies. While these may not be the fanciest gifts to give, they may save a life, protect property or make dealing with a disaster a little easier.

• NOAA weather radios and extra batteries.
• A home disaster kit that could include items such as a flashlight and batteries, a battery-powered radio, a first aid kit, bottled water, and canned goods with a manual can opener. Place the items in a plastic tub or backpack.
• Car emergency kits such as flares, a shovel, an ice scraper, flashlight and fluorescent distress flags.
• Pet disaster kit that could include extra food, a leash, food dish, pet toys that would fit in a bag or backpack.

We wish you and your family a very happy and safe holiday season.

Those who suspect price gouging and fraud may call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721. Complaints may also be made to local law enforcement or through the Michigan Attorney General’s office at 877-765-8388 or online at www.michigan.gov/ag.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.