Some Bull Out-of-state Contact: “1EQText” Before a disaster: How to prepare your home and mobile device • • • • • • Be sure to put an out-of-state contact into your contacts list under the name “ 1EQText ” so that it is at the top of your contacts list. “ 1EQText ” means if you can only text one person, who would that be? Maintain a list of emergency phone numbers in your cell phone and in a printed list. Keep charged batteries and car-phone chargers available. If you have a traditional landline phone, keep at least one non-cordless phone in your home because it may work even if you lose power. Program “In Case of Emergency” (ICE) contacts into your cell phone so emergency personnel can contact those people for you if you are unable to use your phone. If you do not have a cell phone, keep a prepaid phone card to use if needed during or after a disaster. Communicating • Have a battery-powered radio or television available (with spare batteries). Subscribe to text alert services from local or state government agencies to receive alerts in the event of a disaster. Many local governments have emergency alert systems in place. Check with local governments and subscribe if available. Parents should sign up for their school district emergency alert system. • During and After Emergencies Credits Oregon Office of Emergency Management Ashland Fire & Rescue Department of Geology and Mineral Industries Hood River County Coos County Emergency Management - - - - - Websites www.Oregon.gov/OEM www.Ready.gov WHO YOU GONNA TEXT? PUT “ 1EQText ” FOR YOUR EMERGENCY CONTACT PERSON How to reach friends, loved ones and emergency services IF YOU HAVE A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY, CALL 9-1-1. Introduction to “Two Weeks Ready” Preparing for disasters can be done over time. The traditional three days of supplies is a good start and helpful for short-term power outages or temporary evacuation. But a large earthquake and tsunami will leave much of the region’s transportation routes destroyed. Delivery of assistance and supplies will be difficult or impossible initially. People will have to count on each other in the community, in the workplace and at home in order to be safe until responders can reach them. It is recommended that families, neighborhoods and communities strive to be self-sufficient for two weeks. If you are not experiencing an emergency, do not call 9-1-1. If your area offers 2-1-1 service or another information system, call that number for non-emergencies. • • • • • For non-emergency communications, use text messaging, e-mail, social media and the American Red Cross Safe and Well program. Keep all phone calls brief. If you are unsuccessful in completing a call using your cell phone, wait ten seconds before re-dialing. Conserve your cell phone battery. Tune in to broadcast television and radio for important news alerts. If applicable, be sure that you know how to activate the closed captioning or video description on your television. Siletz News Letters Policy Siletz News, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, is published once a month. Our editorial policy encourages input from readers about stories printed in Siletz News and other Tribal issues. All letters must include the author’s signature, address, and phone number in order to be considered for publication. Siletz News reserves the right to edit any letter for clarity and length, and to refuse publication of any letter or any part of a letter that may contain profane language, libelous statements, personal attacks or unsubstantiated statements. Not all letters are guaranteed publication upon submission. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Siletz News, Tribal employees, or Tribal Council. Please type or write legibly. Letters longer than 450 words may be edited for length as approved by Tribal Council Resolution #96-142. Please note: The general manager of the Siletz Tribe is the editor-in-chief of Siletz News. Editor-in-Chief: Kurtis Barker Editor: Diane Rodriquez Assistant: Andy Taylor A communication plan is important After a large disaster, one of your first thoughts will be about your family and friends. Having a communication plan is an important part of any preparedness effort. Knowing they are safe, or them knowing you are safe is key to being able to make wise decisions when you may be far from home and not able to return quickly. Your plan needs to inform your family about what is expected of them in an emergency. Should they call in? Radio in? Head home? Make sure you clearly spell out what the family member should do – or what you will do during an emergency so everyone is clear on the plan. Determine a preset time after an emergency event that the plan will be put into motion. For example – if something happens, the family member will wait exactly one hour to resume communications. If communications are non functional after that hour, he or she will head home. Make sure each family member has an idea of how long the commute might take. Practice walking the routes between home and work or home and school. By Walt Klamath (1993); submitted by the Siletz Tribal Arts and Heritage Society Walt’s Words of Wit and Wisdom were many times featured in Siletz News. The following is reprinted from the March 1993 issue. At my place at Logsden, my sister and I each have a bull in their respective pastures. Now her bull must be a four or five year old, maybe 14 inches between his eyes, probably weighs a ton or more depending upon how you are viewing and from which side of the fence. My bull is probably 18 months now, but he thinks he is bigger than he is and as long as there is a fence between him and the other bull he acts out quite a bit. Last year the big bull got smart and decided to wade Rock Creek and come into my pasture. This worked well for him. My bull was the most cooperative creature one would ever see, a most gracious host, shared everything. Anyway, I ran an electric fence across Rock Creek to discourage the old boy from coming in. Well this worked for a while, then the old boy decided to come visiting. Now, mind you, with an electric fence two feet above the water, this is a perfect ground. Well, one day on one of his visiting moods, he tried out the fence. This day I happened to be in the area and he did not see me as a threat to him. He went to the fence, he touched it and back he jumped. He looked at it for a while, then got down on his knees and started under the fence. Each time the power would surge, he would let out a large grunt or beller, but kept right on going. He made it through all right, but he did not come out the creek yet, but went on. Now on the other end is another electric wire and he proceeded to use the same sys- tem. Now he apparently figured that he had gone far enough and came up to the field. You know, I felt sorry for the old guy. After going through all of those shocking experiences, he had come up in his own field and there was a fence between him and where he wanted to be. But, he is not a dumb bull. He went back to the creek, under the fence, then came up again, but this time he came up where the sweat lodge is, and again there was an electric wire around it. I just went down and opened the gate and told him after all that he had went through he deserved to do a little fraternizing. He never did thank me for that. Apply now for Siletz Tribal Head Start The Siletz Tribal Head Start program is accepting applications for the 2022- 2023 school year. We have classrooms in Siletz, Lincoln City, Salem and Portland, and offer services to promote children’s school readiness skills and assist families with supporting their child’s lifelong learning. Classrooms offer 3½ hours of service per day, Monday through Thursday, roundtrip transportation and developmentally appropriate activities to promote each child’s success. To qualify, children must be age 3 or 4 by the local school district’s age cut-off date, and income limits may apply. Head Start applications can be found on the Tribal website or can be requested by calling 541-444-2450 or 800-922-1399 and asking for Head Start. August 2022 • Siletz News • 19