RALEIGH COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – Preparedness Starts at Home. Take September 2025 to prepare yourself during National Preparedness Month.
From hurricanes to flooding and more, emergencies can strike without warning, making it essential to be disaster-ready.
Beckley Fire Station 3 teaches you how to get prepared now.
“We try to encourage everybody with the winter months approaching, to take a look around their homes and be ready for power outages and things like that, which can happen during that time,” said Captain Chris Graham. “We suggest having nonperishable items and water on hand, at least three days’ worth to get by just in case something bad does happen.”
While we’re still enjoying the sunshine, check your furnaces to ensure they’re working properly before you really need them.
“If you have gas in your home, it’s a good time to have a CO detector. Make sure the batteries are up to date,” Graham said. “And we encourage everyone to have smoke detectors in their home.”
According to the captain, if you call the American Red Cross’ Customer Care Team at 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767), they will install smoke detectors in your home for free.
They use the ten-year detectors.
“So you never have to worry about changing a battery,” said the captain. “Those really do make a difference, especially if there’s a fire, because you don’t have a lot of time to get out and be safe.”
Graham says he sees a lot of belts that burn up and bad elements as people turn their heat on with the first autumn chill.
“It will fill the house or business up with smoke, and it causes a lot of panic,” said the captain. “But it’s really just the importance of having those items serviced.”
