January’s theme for “Do 1 Thing” is Make A Plan.

Our second tip for the month is to protect your house from damage in a disaster. Fortunately, we are not in a hurricane zone so we may not need to get plywood to cover all windows in our home. However, we may need to take similar actions for the tornadoes we encounter in the spring. Start planning for this now.  Maybe your home will require some sort of window protection. Have a plan to secure outdoor furniture and toys. Is this storage area a small shed or the garage? A small shed may need to be a secure building. Do you have a tornado safe room or can you add extra protection to an existing room to keep your family safe?

For our lake effect snow storms, think of the heavy snow on the roof. Is your roof in good shape our will the weight cause an issue? Do you have the “roof rake” to pull excess snow off the roof? Look around the residence; are branches or trees a problem? Is there a chance the tree or branches will fall onto the house or a vehicle? When was the last time your furnace had maintenance? Is it safe to put the heavy burden on the machine during the cold spells like we recently had? During the emergency is not the time to discover there is a problem.

Do you remember last winter when in February we had the warm spell causing the snow to melt quickly? Are you in a flood plane? The Ionia Sentinel-Standard readers know about flooding during normal spring times, but are you prepared when there is odd weather and the flooding starts in the middle of winter? Is the basement sealed properly?

In Michigan, lake effect snow, flooding, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms are the most common types of yearly disasters we may encounter. Do what you can to protect your home. Check out DO1THING.Com for more information.

The Michigan State Police is still actively recruiting for upcoming recruit schools. Last Sunday, Jan. 5, 115 Recruits started a 21-week academy in Lansing where they will learn firearms, driving, patrol techniques, first aid, and swimming as a new Trooper. Other standards will have to be met before graduating and being assigned a Post, based on operational requirements.

We are looking for recruits for a school beginning in June. Any questions or comments regarding taking our civil service test, feel free to call me.

Start with www.mi.gov/mspjobs to create a NEOGOV profile and apply for the test. This test score is good for five years in the event you can’t make the June school. If you do not receive a passing score, there is no need to panic. You are allowed to wait six months and retake the test. In one year, we had over 4,000 take the test with about 600 passing.

In the next few articles, I will be announcing upcoming events that your Community Service Troopers will be attending and organizing for the public.

Stay safe and be careful. Email any questions and/or comments to TrooperRob53@Yahoo.com.