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2019 Howard County Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) Survey

1.My perception of vulnerability to the following hazards in Howard County is:
Major threat/concern
Moderate threat/concern
Minor threat/concern
 This is not a perceived threat/concern
Active Assailant 

(Individual(s) engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined or populated area)
Animal/Pest Infestation 

(A large quantity of a pest species:   bedbugs, cockroaches, etc. that transmit disease)
Biological Hazard 

(The spread of harmful viruses, bacteria, parasites, or other biological disease-causing agents)
Chemical Hazard 

(Release of harmful chemicals: toxic vapors, aerosols, liquids, and solids)
Civil Unrest 

(Public disorder that has the potential to cause damage or harm)
Cyber/Communication Infrastructure Failure 

(A disruption of information and communication systems)
Dam Failure

(An unexpected release of water which results in hazardous conditions)
Drought/Extreme Heat
Earthquake/Land Subsidence/Sinkholes
Explosives
Flood
Hurricanes
Lightning
Nuclear Blast
Radiological Hazard 

(When the population is exposed to radiation that is non-nuclear)
Severe Winter Storm 

(Snow, sleet, ice, freezing rain)
Space Weather 

(Conditions in space that impact Earth, such as solar flares)
Structure Fire
Tornado
Transportation Hazard 

(Vehicle, train,  airplane,  or boat accidents)
Utility Disruption 

(Disruption of gas, water, or electrical infrastructure)
Wildfire
2.I have experienced the following disasters/hazards in Howard County or elsewhere:
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
Unsure
Active Assailant 

(Individual(s) engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined or populated area)
Animal/Pest Infestation 

(A large quantity of a pest species:   bedbugs, cockroaches, etc. that transmit disease)
Biological Hazard   

(The spread of harmful viruses, bacteria, parasites, or other biological disease-causing agents)
Chemical Hazard 

(Release of harmful chemicals: toxic vapors, aerosols, liquids, and solids)
Civil Unrest 

(A public disorder that has the potential to cause damage or harm)
Cyber / Communication Infrastructure Failure 

(A disruption of information and communication systems)
Dam Failure

(An unexpected release of water which results in hazardous conditions)
Drought/Extreme Heat
Earthquake/Land Subsidence/Sinkholes
Explosives
Flood
Hurricanes
Lightning
Nuclear Blast
Radiological Hazard   

(When the population is exposed to radiation that is non-nuclear)
Severe Winter Storm   

(Snow, sleet, ice, freezing rain)
Space Weather 

(Conditions in space that impact Earth, such as solar flares)
Structure Fire
Tornado
Transportation Hazard 

(Vehicle, train,  airplane,  or boat accidents)
Utility Disruption 

(Disruption of gas, water, or electrical infrastructure)
Wildfire
3.I feel prepared to handle or deal with the following hazards:
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
Unsure
Active Assailant 

(Individual(s) engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined or populated area)
Animal/Pest Infestation 

(A large quantity of a pest species:   bedbugs, cockroaches, etc. that transmit disease)
Biological Hazard   

(The spread of harmful viruses, bacteria, parasites, or other biological disease-causing agents)
Chemical Hazard 

(Release of harmful chemicals: toxic vapors, aerosols, liquids, and solids)
Civil Unrest 

(Public disorder that has the potential to cause damage or harm)
Cyber/Communication Infrastructure Failure 

(A disruption of information and communication systems)
Dam Failure

(An unexpected release of water which results in hazardous conditions)
Drought/Extreme Heat
Earthquake/Land Subsidence/Sinkholes
Explosives
Flood
Hurricanes
Lightning
Nuclear Blast
Radiological Hazard   

(When the population is exposed to radiation that is non-nuclear)
Severe Winter Storm   

(Snow, sleet, ice, freezing rain)
Space Weather 

(Conditions in space that affect Earth, such as solar flares)
Structure Fire
Tornado
Transportation Hazard 

(Vehicle, train,  airplane,  or boat accidents)
Utility Disruption 

(Disruption of gas, water, or electrical infrastructure)
Wildfire
4.I feel that the County is prepared to handle or deal with the following hazards:
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
Unsure
Active Assailant 

(Individual(s) engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined or populated area)
Animal/Pest Infestation 

(A large quantity of a pest species:   bedbugs, cockroaches, etc. that transmit disease)
Biological Hazard   

(The spread of harmful viruses, bacteria, parasites, or other biological disease-causing agents)
Chemical Hazard 

(Release of harmful chemicals: toxic vapors, aerosols, liquids, and solids)
Civil Unrest 

(Public disorder that has the potential to cause damage or harm)
Cyber/Communication Infrastructure Failure 

(A disruption of information and communication systems)
Dam Failure

(An unexpected release of water which results in hazardous conditions)
Drought/Extreme Heat
Earthquake/Land Subsidence/Sinkholes
Explosives
Flood
Hurricanes
Lightning
Nuclear Blast
Radiological Hazard   

(When the population is exposed to radiation that is non-nuclear)
Severe Winter Storm   

(Snow, sleet, ice, freezing rain)
Space Weather 

(Conditions in space that impact Earth, such as solar flares)
Structure Fire
Tornado
Transportation Hazard 

(Vehicle, train,  airplane,  or boat accidents)
Utility Disruption 

(Disruption of gas, water, or electrical infrastructure)
Wildfire
5.Please indicate how likely you are to utilize the following sources for emergency information:
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Local TV
Local Radio
Facebook
Twitter
Nextdoor
6.Please indicate which of these items are true for you (please check all that apply)
7.I have taken the following actions to prepare for an emergency:
Yes
Partially
No
Reviewed Ready HoCo emergency preparedness resources from ReadyHoCo.com.
Sought out information on emergency preparedness from other sources, such as FEMA, MEMA, Ready.gov.
Attended meetings such as: Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), Community Organization Active in Disaster (COAD), etc.
Attended trainings or workshops such as: Skywarn, Emergency Preparedness, CPR, First Aid, Stop The Bleed, etc.
Developed an emergency preparedness plan for myself, my family, or my business.
Signed up for emergency weather alerts (National Weather Service).
Created an emergency go-kit for myself, my family, and/or my pets to last up to three days.
Made copies of important documents (ID, medications, medical records, birth certificate, social security card, etc.) for my emergency go-kit.
Followed Howard County Government, Howard County Office of Emergency Management, Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, and/or Howard County Police Department on social media 
8.How old are you?
9.What type of structure do you live in?
10.What type of neighborhood do you live in?
11.What is your gender?
12.What is your Race or Ethnicity ( please check all that apply)
13.What is the highest level of education you have completed?
14.What is your annual household income?
15.How did you learn about this survey?
If you are interested in receiving information about emergency preparedness trainings, workshops, or meetings in Howard County, please sign-up here!
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