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What
Kinds of Emergencies? Emergencies are events--natural or
human-generated--that disrupt daily life to a high degree. They may have
. . .
What
Kinds of Emergencies?
Emergencies are events--natural or human-generated--that disrupt daily
life to a high degree. They may have already resulted in death and
damage or they may threaten death, injury, and damage. At the family
level, most emergency preparation is similar regardless of the cause of
the emergency. Think about past emergencies in your area. Hurricanes,
earthquakes, floods, fires and tornadoes suggest the kinds of
disruptions communities and families may face. Hazardous material spills
may present different challenges. Terrorist attacks can take many forms.
The idea is to know what's likely and what's not. By making your plan
based on your specific risks, your family can be better prepared. What
kinds of events are common in your area? If you are not sure, check with
the local Red Cross or your city or county emergency management or
emergency preparedness office or with firefighters and police officers
in your area.
So how
do you plan?
First, think about your goals. For most people, the prime goal is
knowing that all family members are safe and as secure as possible
against harm. Most families want to be together if that is at all
possible. A second goal is having what you need to make it through the
immediate disaster period. The "Making Sure You Have What It Takes"
checklist can help with that. A third goal might be communicating with
out-of-town family about your family's safety. What other goals should
your family's plan address? Talk with other adults in the family. Talk
with teens and children. Find out their concerns and help ensure that
your disaster preparations address those concerns where possible. Remind
everyone that you're being preventive and prepared--not running scared.
Second, develop a plan with these goals and the following outline in
mind. Your family's plan is probably going to have some unique features.
But there are some basics.
*
Who: Who is included in this plan? Relatives across town? Close friends?
Just immediate family members? What about family pets?
*
Where: Home is where the heart is, and it's probably going to be the
center of your family plan. But what are the back-up locations? It might
be the nearby house of worship, the closest elementary school, or a
close friend's home. The point is to decide on the back-ups and make
sure everyone knows what and where they are.
*
What: What will trigger the emergency plan? An official announcement?
Notification from authorities to people in your immediate area? A call
from one of the adults to all the others involved? A call from a child's
school? Remember to think about how other family members will be
notified.
*
When: What time frames help shape your plan? Does everyone work or go to
school within a few miles? Then people should be at home fairly quickly.
If some people have a long commute, they may be held up by emergency
conditions. How do you cope if the emergency is projected to last
several days?
*
Why: Family members should understand, to the best of their ability, why
the plan includes certain provisions. Why must children stay at school
under certain circumstances, for example? Why might a parent stay out of
town if on travel during an emergency?
*
How: This gets down to the steps of the plan. Think through key points.
Who will take what responsibilities? Where will emergency supplies be
kept? How will supplies be updated? What about the Family Link-Up
Plan--how will it be updated? What different steps are involved in a
"shelter in place" situation versus an evacuation order? What if there
is no information from authorities? What training do family members
need? How often will the family review its plan?
Strategies and Tactics To Consider
Some of
the strategies and tactics to consider in developing a plan include the
following:
*
Make sure everyone has basic family phone contact numbers and business
or school addresses. Remember that email may work when phone circuits
are overloaded.
*
Identify places to meet both near the house and farther away. Set a
priority order about which place to go to, why, and when.
*
Establish an out-of-town contact that everyone can call and report to.
Make sure the contact agrees, and make sure everyone knows how to dial
that long-distance number. Consider prepaid calling cards for everyone's
convenience.
*
Keep vehicles in good working order and keep the gas tank at least half
full at all times. Remember, if power fails, gas pumps won't work!
*
Stockpile a disaster kit in advance and refresh supplies at least every
six months. Consider seasonal changes in your family's needs. For
example, you might want to have more blankets available in the fall and
winter season.
*
Know how to turn off safely the water, electricity, and gas that serve
your home.
*
"What if?" your plan. What if a major roadway is blocked? What if power
is out and the car is low on gas? What if mass transit is unavailable?
Where will these family members go? How will they communicate that they
are safe?
*
What local situations in your neighborhood or community might result in
evacuation? How should family members pack for this situation? What
about care for pets in cases where they cannot be in shelters?
*
Find out about plans that link with yours. What plans do children's
schools have in place? What plans are in place where you and other
adults work? Make sure school and workplace have updated contact
information for all members of your family. What are local authorities'
plans for your area?
* How
might your family work together with neighbors to prepare and survive an
emergency? Are there neighbors with special needs? Who could help them?
Talk together; share the skills and equipment you could make available
to each other. Devise ways you could help each other's families if the
need arises. Third, revisit your plan.
*
Review the plan as a group every few months. Consider holding family
rehearsals or drills if you live in areas where there might be little
warning of an emergency.
*
Don't forget to update the plan to account for new schools children
attend, changes in job locations or employers, and the like.
If you
have any questions, please contact Deputy Shawn Brownell at
818-878-5506. |
