https://co.lincoln.wi.us/emergency-management

Lincoln County Emergency Management, 801 North Sales Street/Suite 202, Merrill, WI (2026)

09/25/2026

Preparedness does not stop at the edge of your property.

During emergencies, neighbors are often among the first people available to check on one another, share information, lend equipment, or recognize when someone may need extra help.

That is especially important for people who live alone, older adults, families with young children, people with disabilities, or anyone who may have difficulty traveling or receiving emergency information.

A strong neighborhood network can be simple:

• Know the names of the people around you
• Exchange reliable contact information
• Identify anyone who may need extra assistance
• Talk about how you will check on one another during an emergency
• Help neighbors connect to trusted emergency information

STAND READY: CONNECT

Introduce yourself to a neighbor you do not know well, or check in with someone you already know. A five-minute conversation today can make it much easier to help one another later.

If someone in your neighborhood needs help receiving local emergency information, consider helping them enroll in Lincoln County Alerts and identify additional ways to receive warnings.

Who is the first neighbor you would check on during an emergency? Tell us in the comments.

Preparedness Resources
Lincoln County Emergency Management: https://www.co.lincoln.wi.us/emergency-management
Lincoln County Alerts: https://lincolnwi.onsolve.net/
Ready.gov — Get Involved: https://www.ready.gov/get-involved

09/24/2026

Having an emergency plan is important. Practicing it is what helps turn that plan into action.

Even a simple drill can reveal details that are easy to overlook on paper. Maybe someone does not know the safest shelter location. A meeting place no longer works. Emergency supplies are difficult to access. Or family members are unsure who should contact whom if everyone is separated.

You do not need to stage a complicated exercise. Practice one realistic part of your household plan:

• Move to your severe weather shelter location
• Walk through an evacuation route
• Practice contacting your out-of-area connection
• Locate your emergency supplies or go-bag
• Review where household members would reunite
• Talk through what everyone would do after receiving an emergency warning

STAND READY: PRACTICE

Choose one part of your household emergency plan and practice it today. Afterwards, ask one question: What should we improve before we need to do this for real?

You can even build Lincoln County Alerts into the exercise. Imagine receiving an alert directing your household to shelter or evacuate, then practice what would happen next.

What preparedness drill would be most useful for your household to practice? Tell us in the comments.

Preparedness Resources
Lincoln County Emergency Management: https://www.co.lincoln.wi.us/emergency-management
Lincoln County Alerts: https://lincolnwi.onsolve.net/
Ready.gov — Make a Plan: https://www.ready.gov/plan

09/23/2026

A well-stocked emergency kit is important, but some of the most valuable preparedness tools are the skills you carry with you.

During an emergency, the first person able to help may be a family member, coworker, neighbor, or bystander. Knowing how to perform CPR, provide basic first aid, or use an automated external defibrillator (AED) can help bridge the critical minutes until first responders arrive.

Preparedness is not only about having the right equipment. It is about building the confidence and capability to act when someone needs help.

STAND READY: LEARN

If you have never taken a CPR or first aid course, consider finding one. If you are already trained, check when you last refreshed your skills and whether your certification is current.

Even basic knowledge can make your household—and your community—more capable when an emergency happens.

CPR, first aid, or AED use—which skill would you most like to learn or refresh? Tell us in the comments.

Preparedness Resources
Lincoln County Emergency Management: https://www.co.lincoln.wi.us/emergency-management
Lincoln County Alerts: https://lincolnwi.onsolve.net/
American Red Cross — Training & Certification: https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class

09/22/2026

Preparedness should not stop at your front door.

Many emergencies and disruptions happen while people are away from home—during severe weather, road closures, breakdowns, power outages, or unexpected delays. A basic vehicle emergency kit can help you stay safer and more comfortable until conditions improve or help arrives.

Consider keeping:

• Water and nonperishable snacks
• A flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid supplies
• Jumper cables
• A blanket and extra clothing
• A phone charger or backup power bank
• Seasonal supplies appropriate for heat, cold, snow, or roadside emergencies

STAND READY: PACK

Take a few minutes today to build or refresh your vehicle emergency kit. Keep it somewhere accessible and check it periodically so supplies remain usable.

If conditions change while you are traveling, continue monitoring Lincoln County Alerts and other trusted sources for local emergency information, closures, and protective-action instructions.

What is one item you never want to be without in your vehicle? Tell us in the comments.

Preparedness Resources
Lincoln County Emergency Management: https://www.co.lincoln.wi.us/emergency-management
Lincoln County Alerts: https://lincolnwi.onsolve.net/
Ready.gov — Car Safety: https://www.ready.gov/car

09/17/2026

A power outage can quickly become more than an inconvenience.

Extended outages may affect lighting, communication, food storage, heating or cooling, medical equipment, transportation decisions, and your ability to receive information.

Take a few minutes to think through what your household would need if the power were out for an extended period:

• Flashlights and backup lighting
• Charged power banks or other backup charging
• A plan for refrigerated medications or food
• Safe backup options for heating or cooling
• Backup power for essential medical devices
• A battery-powered or hand-crank radio
• More than one way to receive emergency information

STAND READY: PREPARE

Identify the supplies, equipment, and backup arrangements your household would need during a power outage—and address one gap today.

Lincoln County Alerts can help keep you connected to trusted local emergency information, but no single warning method should stand alone. Make sure your household has backup ways to receive updates if internet, television, or household power is unavailable.

What is the first thing your household would need if the power went out for 24 hours? Tell us in the comments.

Preparedness Resources
Lincoln County Emergency Management: https://www.co.lincoln.wi.us/emergency-management
Lincoln County Alerts: https://lincolnwi.onsolve.net/
Ready.gov — Power Outages: https://www.ready.gov/power-outages

09/16/2026

Emergency supplies should help your household manage two very different situations: staying home during a disruption and leaving quickly if evacuation becomes necessary.

That is why preparedness works best when you think in terms of both a stay kit and a go-bag.

Your household supplies should include essentials such as:

• Food and water
• Medications and first aid supplies
• Flashlights, batteries, and backup charging
• Hygiene and personal care items
• Important documents and essential contacts
• Seasonal clothing and other household-specific needs

A go-bag should include the items you would need immediately if you had to leave home with little notice. Keep it portable, easy to access, and tailored to the person who may need to carry it.

STAND READY: BUILD

Take time today to build or update your emergency supplies. Start with what you already have, identify what is missing, and make sure your most important items are easy to access.

As part of your preparedness supplies, include more than one way to receive emergency information if power, internet, or other normal services are disrupted. Lincoln County Alerts should be one part of that larger warning plan.

What is one item you always make sure is in your emergency kit? Tell us in the comments.

Preparedness Resources
Lincoln County Emergency Management: https://www.co.lincoln.wi.us/emergency-management
Lincoln County Alerts: https://lincolnwi.onsolve.net/
Ready.gov — Build a Kit: https://www.ready.gov/kit

09/15/2026

Recovery can become much harder when important documents are damaged, lost, or difficult to access.

A little preparation now can help your household recover more quickly after an emergency. Consider keeping copies of important records such as:

• Identification
• Insurance policies and contact information
• Medical and prescription information
• Financial records
• Property or vehicle information
• Important household contacts

Keep physical copies in a secure, water-resistant location and consider maintaining a secure digital backup that you can access if you are away from home.

It is also a good time to review your insurance coverage and make sure you understand what is—and is not—covered before you need to file a claim.

STAND READY: PROTECT

Gather your most important household documents today and make sure you have a secure backup.

What is one document you would want access to first after an emergency? Tell us in the comments.

Preparedness Resources
Lincoln County Emergency Management: https://www.co.lincoln.wi.us/emergency-management
Lincoln County Alerts: https://lincolnwi.onsolve.net/
Ready.gov — Financial Preparedness: https://www.ready.gov/financial-preparedness

09/14/2026

Pets depend on us to keep them safe during emergencies, which means they need to be included in the household plan from the beginning.

If you had to leave home quickly, would you have what you need to take your pet with you?

Make sure your pet preparedness plan includes:

• Food and water
• Medications
• Leashes, carriers, crates, or other restraint equipment
• Identification with current contact information
• Copies of important veterinary records
• A destination that can accommodate your pet if you must evacuate

STAND READY: INCLUDE

Review your pet’s emergency supplies today and make sure they are easy to grab if you need to leave quickly.

If an emergency requires evacuation or another protective action, continue monitoring Lincoln County Alerts and other trusted sources for official instructions as conditions change.

What is one item your pet would absolutely need in an emergency kit? Tell us in the comments.

Preparedness Resources
Lincoln County Emergency Management: https://www.co.lincoln.wi.us/emergency-management
Lincoln County Alerts: https://lincolnwi.onsolve.net/
Ready.gov — Pets and Animals: https://www.ready.gov/pets

09/12/2026

Emergency plans are not one-size-fits-all.

Every household depends on different people, equipment, supplies, services, and routines. An emergency may interrupt access to medications, transportation, electricity, communications, medical equipment, or other things you normally rely on every day.

As you review your household plan, think about:

• Medications and other essential supplies
• Mobility, medical, or communication devices
• Backup power or charging needs
• Transportation if you need to leave home
• Assistance a household member may need
• How you would maintain essential routines if normal services were disrupted

The goal is not to plan for every possible circumstance. It is to identify the things your household cannot easily go without and determine what your backup will be.

STAND READY: ACCOUNT

Choose one essential need your household depends on and identify a backup plan for it today.

If another family member, caregiver, or trusted person may need to help during an emergency, make sure they understand the plan as well. Everyone who may be responsible for receiving emergency information should also be enrolled in Lincoln County Alerts and have multiple ways to receive warnings.

What is one everyday item your household would not want to be without during an emergency? Tell us in the comments.

Preparedness Resources
Lincoln County Emergency Management: https://www.co.lincoln.wi.us/emergency-management
Lincoln County Alerts: https://lincolnwi.onsolve.net/
Ready.gov — People with Disabilities: https://www.ready.gov/disability

09/11/2026

Emergencies do not always happen when families are together.

If your child is at school or childcare when something happens, knowing how that facility communicates, who is authorized to pick up your child, and how reunification information will be shared can reduce confusion when time matters.

Take a few minutes to confirm:

• Your emergency contact information is current
• Authorized pickup information is accurate
• You understand how the school or childcare provider communicates during emergencies
• You know where official reunification instructions will come from

STAND READY: VERIFY

Review your child’s emergency contact and pickup information today. If anything has changed, update it now rather than during an emergency.

Make sure the adults in your household are also enrolled in Lincoln County Alerts and have multiple ways to receive trusted emergency information while your family is apart.

What is one thing you always make sure your child has with them for the school day? Tell us in the comments.

Preparedness Resources
Lincoln County Emergency Management: https://www.co.lincoln.wi.us/emergency-management
Lincoln County Alerts: https://lincolnwi.onsolve.net/
Ready.gov — Make a Plan: https://www.ready.gov/plan

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