Family Emergency Preparedness
October 4, 2006
Part 2
Bob Kenyon – K8LJ
This is a continuation of the Family
Emergency Tips that began September 20, 2006
Tip 8
Check your child’s school Web site or call the school office
to request a copy of the school’s emergency plan. Keep a copy at home and work
or other places where you spend a significant
time and make sure the school’s plan is incorporated into your family’s
emergency plan. Also, learn about the disaster plans at your workplace or
other places where you and your family spend time.
Tip 9
Teach your children how and when to call 911 or your local
Emergency Medical Services number for help. Post these and other emergency
telephone numbers by all telephones.
Tip 10
Practice - practice.
Conduct fire drills and practice evacuating your home twice a year. Drive your
planned evacuation route and plot alternate routes on a map in case main roads
are blocked or grid-locked. Practice earthquake and tornado drills at home,
school and work. Commit time to update telephone numbers, emergency supplies
and review your plan with everyone.
Tip 11
A community
working together during an emergency makes sense:
Talk to your
neighbors about how you can work together during an emergency.
Find out if anyone
has specialized equipment like a power generator, or expertise such as medical
knowledge or other skills, that might be of value in a crisis.
Decide who will check
on elderly or disabled neighbors.
Make back-up plans
for all children in the neighborhood in case you or others can't get home in an
emergency.
Sharing plans and communicating in advance is a good
strategy.
Tip 12
What if disaster strikes while you’re at work? Do you
know the emergency preparedness plan for your workplace? While many
companies have been more alert and pro-active in preparing for disasters of all
types since the September 11, 2001 attacks, a national survey indicates that
many employees still don’t know what their workplace plan is for major or minor
disasters. If you don’t know yours, make a point to ask. Know multiple ways to
exit your building, participate in workplace evacuation drills, and consider
keeping some emergency supplies at the office. Visit www.ready.gov
and click on Ready Business for more information about business preparedness.
Tip 13
Preparing for emergencies needn’t be expensive if you’re
thinking ahead and buying small quantities at a time. Make a list of some foods
that:
Have a long
shelf-life and will not spoil (non-perishable).
You and your family
like.
Do not require
cooking.
Can be easily stored.
Have a low salt
content as salty foods will make you thirsty.
Keep the list in your purse or wallet and pick up a few
items each time you’re shopping and/or see a sale until you have built up a
well-stocked supply that can sustain each member of your family for at least
three days following an emergency.
Tip 14
Take a minute to check your family’s first aid kit, and note
any depleted items — then, add them to your shopping list. Don’t have a first
aid kit? Add that to the list or build a kit yourself. Just add the
following items to your shopping list and assemble a first aid kit. Consider
creating a kit for each vehicle as well:
First Aid Kits - Assemble a first aid kit for your home and
one for each car. (details don’t need be read on air – refer to Web site)
(20) adhesive
bandages, various sizes
(1) 5" x 9"
sterile dressing
(1) conforming roller
gauze bandage
(2) triangular
bandages
(2) 3 x 3 sterile
gauze pads
(2) 4 x 4 sterile
gauze pads
(1) roll 3"
cohesive bandage
(2) germicidal hand
wipes or waterless alcohol-based hand sanitizer
(6) antiseptic wipes
(2) pair large
medical grade non-latex gloves
Adhesive tape,
2" width
Anti-bacterial
ointment
Cold pack
Scissors (small,
personal)
Tweezers
CPR breathing
barrier, such as a face shield
First Aid Manual
Non-Prescription and Prescription Drugs (ditto from above – see Web site)
Aspirin or
non-aspirin pain reliever
Anti-diarrhea
medication
Antacid (for stomach
upset)
Syrup of Ipecac (use
to induce vomiting if advised by the Poison Control Center)
Laxative
Activated charcoal
(use if advised by the Poison Control Center)
Prescription drugs,
as recommended by your physician, and copies of the prescriptions in case they
need to be replaced
For more information about first aid kits, please visit www.redcross.org.
Tip 15
Keep at least a three-day supply of water per person. Store a
minimum of one gallon of water per person per day (two quarts for drinking, two
quarts for food preparation and sanitation). Store water in
plastic containers such as soft drink bottles. Avoid using containers
that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or glass bottles. A normally
active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot
environments and strenuous activity can double that amount. Children, nursing
mothers, and people who are sick will also need more.
Additional preparedness tips will be presented during
subsequent ARES nets. Further information can also be found at this Web site:
http://www.ready.gov/america/npm/index.htm