The responsibilities of the LEPC include collecting information about hazardous materials in the community and making this information available to the public upon request. The LEPCs also are tasked with developing an emergency plan to prepare for and respond to chemical emergencies in the community. Ways the public will be notified and actions the public must take in the event of a release are part of the plan. The local emergency management office can provide contact information on the LEPCs.

Summary: Find out if your community has a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). Contact the LEPCs to find out more about chemical hazards and what needs to be done to minimize the risk to individuals and the community from these materials. Prepare an emergency supplies kit and make sure to include plastic sheeting, duct tape, and scissors.


Oars can be stored horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, so you just need one dimension of the space to be as long as the oars. This space can be in whatever storage area you have, such as a garage or basement, but make sure that you will be able to access them when you need them.  Functional oars can be stored diagonally if your space is limited, but they might be a bit less convenient to get off the wall. If you have a variety of lengths of oars to store, be sure that the area you pick is large enough for the longest oar. Before you begin to put decorative oars up on a wall, you need to make sure they will fit in a pleasing arrangement. Measure the oars and make sure that you have a space on the wall where they will fit.  Since the oars can hang at an angle, you can measure a space diagonally to see if the oars will fit that way. Remember that oars can be put up vertically, so they can be a nice decorative element in a narrow wall space. Once you are sure you have enough space, you can begin playing with how you want the oars to be arranged. Hold the oars up at a variety of angles to see what arrangement will look best. One pleasing arrangement for oars is placing them crosswise in an "x." However, simply hanging them horizontally, one on top of the other, is also a good choice. Even if you want the oars to be parallel, that doesn't mean they need to match each other perfectly. Try putting up oars that are parallel but flipped in opposite directions, so the handle of one is next to the head of the other. Oars are most easily stored on racks made specifically for oar storage. These vary in design, from simple blocks of wood with pegs coming out of them to specially cut pieces that hold the exact shape of the oars. However, oars can also be stored on a variety of other racks or hook systems, such as racks made to store brooms or rifles, so look at a variety of options before choosing.  When choosing your rack, consider whether you want to store vertically or horizontally. There are different racks for these 2 configurations. When picking out a rack, take into consideration how many oars you need to store. Storage racks vary widely in the number of oars they can hold.
Summary: Find a location where functional oars can be stored. Make sure you have room to put up decorative oars. Plan the arrangement. Purchase an oar storage rack for a convenient option.