Ridge here to promote readiness

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge comes to Cincinnati this morning to kick off a citizen-preparedness campaign.

The Ready Campaign will use television and print ads and a new Web site to educate individuals how to prepare for terrorist attacks or other emergencies.

It also will give them "real-time" information if something happens, U.S. Rep. Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park, said Tuesday.

Ridge will speak to up to 300 volunteers, emergency workers and officials at 10:30 a.m. at the American Red Cross downtown Cincinnati office.

Portman and Marsha Johnson Evans, president of the national Red Cross, also will be there.

Web sites offer tips for preparing

Web sites and agencies that offer information on how citizens can prepare for the worst:

• Department of Homeland Security

• Hamilton County sheriff

• Federal Emergency Management Agency

• American Red Cross

• Cincinnati Area Chapter: Web site; phone numbers: General information, 579-3000; Northern Kentucky, (859) 371-1800

Private Jewish school adds security

Yavneh Day School, a private Jewish school in Sycamore Township, sent a memo to parents Tuesday informing them of security measures put in place at the beginning of the school year.

Those measures include:

• Having a locked facility with controlled electronic access only.

• Cameras at entry points and other locations throughout the building.

• Concrete barriers at each of the entry points.

• An emergency communication plan to parents and law enforcement via e-mail and phone.

• Constant two-way radio communication among all key staff members.

"I am writing to assure you that the administration has taken steps to deal with the security of your children and our staff," wrote Tom Boeing, director of security. "We are constantly reviewing and assessing these policies and procedures, especially during this period of heightened security alert and uncertainty in the Middle East."

Morton Rabkin, the school's director of business and finance, said cost prevents the school from taking further measures. For instance, the school could use a gated system to prevent people from entering the parking lot unless they were granted access.

"But for a school in Cincinnati, I think we're as well prepared, if not more so, than many of the others," he said.

Packing an anti-terror kit?

So just what should you pack in that family emergency kit you're supposed to have in an upstairs room?

Experts around the country and Greater Cincinnati advise that should a terror strike come - be it a chemical or biological attack - your chances of survival could improve with a box that contains the following:

A flashlight, batteries, first-aid kit, pepper spray or other home-defense weapon, and up to three days' supply of ready-to-eat food and bottled water (a gallon a day per person).

Don't forget a multipurpose knife, mess kits, non-electric can opener, pencil and paper, needles and thread, medicine dropper and fire extinguisher.

And for those with babies or the chronically ill: Remember extra baby food, diapers and medicine.

But what about gas masks and protective suits? Experts disagree about their value. Used properly, they can save lives. However, they can be expensive and require training.

Also, many retail-level gas masks are not equipped to protect against chemical or germ warfare.