FROM: THE
HERITAGE HUNT
EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS
TASK FORCE
EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS
101
SEGMENT 2
PLANNING FOR
EMERGENCIES
O.K., so you
read last
months’ article
and have gotten
together (or
plan to get
together)
suggested items
for an emergency
kit to be used
by you and your
family for at
least three
days. You’ve
stored it in a
“safe room” and
plan to update
it periodically
and maybe even
add to it as you
shop, to be
prepared to stay
in place during
an emergency.
You’ve even
planned on how
to take supplies
with you
should you
need to
evacuate. You’re
also planning to
obtain an
all-hazard
battery operated
emergency radio
(www.midlandradio.com).
Now what? Well,
the next
important step
is to put
together an
Emergency /
Disaster Plan
for you and your
family.
One that all
your family
members know
about.
What should you
and your family
members DO if
something does
happen? Where
might each of
you be when
something
happens? How
would you
communicate?
That’s what
this article
is all about*.
First of course
is getting the
initial notice
that something
is wrong /
something has
happened; an
emergency
situation has
occurred or may
shortly occur.
That’s why we
encourage you to
consider
purchasing that
all-hazard
battery operated
radio (www.midlandradio.com).
They run on
batteries but
also plug into
the wall. When
set up, they
will
automatically
turn on
when information
is broadcast by
authorities
regarding any
emergency or
hazard that may
affect this
area. Then they
will turn
themselves off
when the
emergency notice
is over. While
we (the
Emergency
Preparedness
Task Force) are
in the process
of trying to set
up a Heritage
Hunt community
notification
system, we are
still working on
the details; and
a radio such as
this is a really
good idea.
The Plan.
First, meet with
your family and
discuss the
provisions you
have already
made (your
supply kit(s)),
and the types of
disasters and
emergencies that
are most likely
to happen and
what to do in
each case (the
next few
articles will
discuss several
disaster
/emergency
scenarios and
reasonable
responses). Your
planning steps
should include:
Develop a
family
communications
plan. Your
family may not
be together when
an emergency or
disaster
strikes, so plan
how you will
contact one
another and
review what you
can do in
different
situations.
Consider that
local phone
systems may be
jammed and cell
phone systems
overloaded. A
possible plan
could include a
designated
“out-of-town”
contact, a
friend or
relative, to
relay messages
among family
members. After a
disaster, it’s
often easier to
call long
distance. Make
sure each family
member knows
that phone or
cell number, and
keeps available
coins or a
pre-paid phone
card. Sometimes
email gets
through when
calls cannot;
consider trying
that. Some
people are
planning to use
the
old-fashioned CB
radios (remember
“10-4”?) during
an emergency;
they have very
good range and
many channels.
Staples, Office
Depot, Radio
Shack, Costco
and BJ’s all
sell 5-mile
range small
“personal
communicators”.
We have used
them on
multi-car
driving
vacations and
they work fine.
Determine where
to meet if at
all possible,
whether in your
home if it has a
safe room, or a
shelter, or a
location outside
your
neighborhood.
Make sure
everybody knows
the plan. Make
sure to consider
any
mobility-impaired
family members
in your plans.
If you have home
health care
service, plan
ahead with your
agency for
emergency
procedures. Post
emergency phone
numbers where
they are easy to
reach and read.
Think about
your pets.
Emergency
planning is for
all members of
the family,
including pets.
With the
exception of
service animals,
most shelters
will not accept
pets. Prepare a
list of kennels,
friends or
family members
who may be able
to care for your
pet in an
emergency. If
you plan to use
a kennel, make
sure they are
set up for
long-term care
and have a
disaster plan of
their own. If
you and your
family must
relocate to a
shelter and they
won’t take your
pet, and no one
else will, as a
last resort
confine your pet
to a specific
room in the
house and
provide plenty
of food and
water. Plan for
the event in
which you must
evacuate the
area: include
supplies and
food in your
“get-away” kit
for the pet. We
recommend: food,
water, bowls,
blankets, waste
disposal items,
collar and
muzzle/leash,
and an
airline-approved
pet carrier.
Deciding to
stay or go.
Depending on
your
circumstances,
the information
you have, and
the nature of
the disaster /
emergency /
attack, the
first important
decision is
whether to stay
put or get away.
You should
understand and
plan for both
possibilities.
Use common sense
and available
information - -
remember the
all-hazard
battery operated
radio (www.midlandradio.com)?
If you have
power, watch TV
or listen to the
radio (we
suggest WTOP or
NPR) and check
the Internet
often for
available
information. If
not, use the
emergency radio.
You may also be
able to call to
that
“out-of-state”
contact to see
what information
they can give
you.
Staying Put.
Staying put
means sheltering
in place. This
is when that
well-equipped
emergency kit
becomes very
important. There
may be
situations when
it’s simply best
to stay where
you are and
avoid any
uncertainty
outside. In
fact, there are
some
circumstances
where staying
put and creating
a barrier
between yourself
and potentially
contaminated
outside air
(“sheltering in
place”) is a
matter of
survival. Plan
in advance where
you will take
shelter in this
kind of
emergency.
Choose an
interior room
with as few
windows or doors
as possible. A
basement room is
good. Consider
precutting
plastic sheeting
to seal windows.
Label each piece
with its
location where
it fits. Use all
available
information to
assess the
situation. If
you see or hear
of debris in the
air or
authorities say
it is
contaminated,
you may want to
“shelter-in-place”.
Quickly bring
your family and
pets inside.
Lock doors and
close windows.
Close all air
vents and
fireplace
dampers. Turn
off air
conditioning,
forced air
heating systems,
exhaust fans and
clothes dryers.
Go into your
designated “safe
room” (where
your emergency
supplies should
be). Seal all
windows, doors
and vents with
the fitted
plastic sheeting
and duct tape.
Listen to your
battery powered
radio for
additional
information.
Getting Away.
There may be
conditions under
which you decide
to get away, or
you may be
ordered to leave
/evacuate. Plan
in advance how
you will
assemble your
family and
anticipate where
you will go
(chose a place).
So you have some
options, choose
several
destinations in
different
directions. Keep
a half-tank of
gas in your car
at all times.
Expect I-66 to
be jammed soon.
Look at maps and
become familiar
with alternate
routes. Take
your emergency
supply kit,
unless you have
reason to
believe it has
been
contaminated.
Take important
papers
(financial,
house, house
inventory), ID,
passports, and
cash. Turn off
lights, stoves,
water, heating
and air
conditioning
systems. Secure
large or heavy
items that could
fall and cause
damage. Lock the
door behind you.
Leave a note
where you are
going. Wear
protective
clothing and
sturdy shoes.
Take some
blankets and
warm clothing.
Take pets with
you but keep in
mind they may
not be allowed
in a shelter. If
you believe the
air may be
contaminated,
use those face
masks we spoke
of in the last
article and
drive with
windows and
vents closed and
keep the air
conditioner and
heater turned
off. Listen to
the radio.
Maintain Your
Plan. Once
you have a
reasonable plan,
you should
practice and
maintain it.
Conditions
change, and
plans left on a
shelf quickly
become obsolete.
Replace items in
the emergency
kits as needed,
including water.
Periodically
go over the plan
with your
family, and test
out as much as
you can. Take a
Red Cross first
aid course. Know
where your
water, gas, and
electricity
shut-offs are.
Keep updating
potential escape
routes.
SUMMARY
We recognize
that you have
just read a lot
of information
and
recommendations;
- - and it may
be a lot to
absorb. You
don’t have to
absorb it all at
once. Start on
the initial
steps, and start
developing your
plan little by
little. What’s
most important
is that you
start; take
some
action, no
matter how
small, to get a
plan going.
Doing so will
increase your
confidence, and
put you in a
position to help
not only your
family but also
your neighbors.
You may want to
keep this
article handy,
along with
Article #1.
* Sources: U.S.
Department of
Homeland
Security
pamphlet
“Preparing Makes
Sense.
Get Ready Now”
(www.ready.gov),
and Virginia
Department of
Emergency
Management
pamphlet “Get
Ready for
Emergencies and
Disasters”
(Much of the
information
developed by
FEMA and the
American Red
Cross and used
with their
permission).
The Next
Installment:
Natural
Disasters.
Joe DeBell
