Author: Paul Faust

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1-800-PREPARE.com Expands Advisory Board with Two Preparedness Experts


New York, NY – May 11, 2010 – 1-800-PREPARE.com ™, the leader in preparedness information, products and services,  announced today that Paul Purcell and Thomas Buda have joined the company as advisors to the Board of Directors.

Paul Purcell is a widely-recognized expert in corporate preparedness and the author of Disaster Prep 101, considered by many to be the encyclopedia of preparedness.  He is a frequent keynote speaker to large and distinguished corporate audiences and outlines detailed preparedness plans and strategies for corporate America.

“I’m extremely excited to be associated with the leading brand in the preparedness space,” said Purcell.  “1-800-PREPARE.com is aggressively changing the definition of preparedness and I couldn’t be happier to partner with them to carry out their mission of bringing preparedness to the masses.”

Paul Purcell has a deep history in preparedness and his early cases included an informal security analysis of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.  In 1998, he, along with partners Frances Carter and Ben Willis, opened InfoQuest Investigators, Inc., and has been performing security analysis for corporate and industrial locations ever since.

Thomas J. Buda is currently with the U.S. State Department. In October of 2007 he was appointed as the Law Enforcement Liaison Officer at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. In August 2006 while on active military duty he was asked to manage the DOD distinguished visitors program at the U.S. Mission and coordinate DOD contacts with the UN.

“The United States Government has repeatedly made efforts to bring the concept of preparedness to the people of this country,” said Buda. “1-800-PREPARE.com is in a position to succeed where previous efforts have failed.  There are partnership opportunities with various government agencies and the private sector that will solidify 1-800-PREPARE.com as the premier name in all things preparedness.”

“Paul Purcell and Thomas Buda are two of  the most respected individuals in the preparedness space and will have an immediate impact on the government and corporate side of our business,” said Tony Fiorino, CEO of 1-800-PREPARE.com.  “To have people with such strong credentials on our team is a true testament to our value proposition and our unwavering commitment to making sure the people of America are prepared for whatever life throws at them.”

About 1-800-PREPARE.com: 1-800-PREPARE.com was founded by two emergency responders, Paul Faust and Gregg Hamerschlag and offers a full suite of disaster-preparedness supplies, products and resources to help people prepare for life’s everyday challenges as well as emergency situations. Visit www.1800prepare.com for more information.

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Preparing for a Tornado

The biggest threat from a tornado is its incredible winds. Here is an acronym to help you remember same basic things you can do to prepare and protect yourself.

W.I.N.D.S.

Warnings – Pay attention to watches and warnings, and be sure to warn others.    Get people and pets inside.

Interior – Prep the interior of your home by closing windows, and exterior and interior doors.

Now – Don’t waste time. Get to safety now. Don’t watch the storm, and don’t try to videotape the tornado.

Duck – Get in your safe room and get down. Even in the safe room duck under heavy items and cover yourself.

Signal – Signal for help if you are in any way injured or if your area sustained damages.

This great tip was taken from 1-800-prepare.com adviser Paul Purcell’s book, Disaster Prep 101. For more great information you can purchase a copy of this book at our store at www.1800prepare.com

And as always…remember….get a preparedness kit, make a plan, be informed

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Flood Preparedness General Preparedness Uncategorized

Preparing for a FLOOD

Here is an acronym to help you remember some basic FLOOD preparedness.

F.L.O.O.D.

Fixtures – If flooding is about to occur, turn off the appropriate utilities and prep your home for protection.

Levees – Do what you can to block the water and help neighbors with walls, sandbags and pumps.

Options – Objectively weigh your “stay or go” options, and set yourself up to react accordingly and quickly

Observe – Keep an eye on the weather and water levels so you’re not caught off guard.

Depart – People are more valuable than property. If you and yours can safely leave the area, do so.

This great tip was taken from 1-800-prepare.com adviser Paul Purcell’s book, Disaster Prep 101. For more great information you can purchase a copy of this book at our store at www.1800prepare.com

And as always…remember….get a kit, make a plan, be informed

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Hurricane Preparedness Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips

Preparing for Storms

Here is an acronym to help you remember some basic storm preparedness.

S.T.O.R.M.S

Shelter – As severe weather threatens, keep your family close to shelter

Time – Pay attention to storm trackers or the time between lighting and thunder.

Organize – Organize your goods and gear for a shelter-in-place or an evacuation; whichever seems more likely

Reinforce – Reinforce your doors and windows in anticipation of heavy winds. Prep for some potential flooding as well.

Move – Move to an evacuation destination if the storm’s severity dictates and its early enough to leave safely

Safe Room – Gather your family in your safe room or area if you intend to shelter-in-place during the storm

This great tip was taken from 1-800-prepare.com adviser Paul Purcell’s book, Disaster Prep 101. For more great information you can purchase a copy of this book at our store at www.1800prepare.com

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How to Talk to Your Employees about Emergency Preparedness

An emergency preparedness plan for your employees is essential to ensure the safety and survival of everyone in the wake of a disaster, and to minimize damages to your business. Talking with your employees about preparing for emergencies should be included in any orientation and ongoing training. There are also other opportunities to discuss the issue, and keep it fresh in their minds. With a plan in place, you’ll be able to continue operations if possible.

Revise and Review Employee Handbook

The easiest way to talk about emergency preparedness with employees is to include a plan in an employee handbook. If you’re a small business owner with no handbook, write a short document detailing your plan, which should include (if applicable):

  • Procedures for employees to contact family members (if phone lines are limited)
  • Checklist for closing the office
  • Point of contact for employees to inform employers of their well being if at home or elsewhere
  • Phone tree lists
  • Wellness Check Form, asking questions such as: 1) Are you and your family safe, 2) Do you have power on, 3) What are your food, water and medical needs?

You can require employees to fill out a short form to verify that they’ve reviewed this section, and provide them an opportunity to ask questions or make suggestions.

Solicit Input on Preparedness Supply Purchases

Use a meeting to discuss emergency preparedness, and to solicit input from employees.  Introduce and couch the topic as something that makes sense in little areas, not just in major catastrophes. Use a whiteboard, computer and projector screen or large newsprint pad to record a list of suggestions made by your employees for preparedness related purchases. Ask questions as items are named, such as “Why would we need that?”, “Which Preparedness Kit would be best for our company” or “How could we use that in the case of a flood?”

Disaster Preparedness Plan and Training

Hold training for employees on emergency preparedness, during work time, so that they’re paid for attending. That will help to set the tone for the importance of preparedness, because you would have made an investment in your time and their wages to talk and learn more about the topic.  Purchase a DVD on the subject to show to employees and follow up with a discussion. Another alternative is to hire an expert to conduct a training session for a couple of hours or a half day session to address emergency preparedness in the workplace. Encourage employees to actively participate in the workshop and to ask questions. Provide an incentive if possible for completing related worksheets. If time permits, include training on disaster preparedness at home. You’ll keep the employees even more interested in the topic, and they’re more likely to remember and apply the information.

The more prepared your employees are, the better it will go in a crisis for their families and for your business. Make the purchases and hire the experts necessary to help in your discussions with employees about emergency preparedness.

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1-800-PREPARE.com teams with SurvivalStrap to support soldiers

At 1-800-PREPARE.com we care very much about supporting organizations and charities that respond to and help after a disaster or emergency. Another group of people near and dear to our hearts are the men and women in uniform who serve our country.

While there is no way to truly thank them all for their bravery, sacrifice and service we want to try and do our part.

We are very pleased to team up with SurvivalStrap to help support their Soldier Care Package Program by providing Survival Bracelets to our troops.

Survival Bracelets are made with up to 16′ of 550# military spec paracord. They contain approximately 1.75′ of paracord for every inch (wrist size) ordered. In an emergency situation, you can unravel the bracelet and deploy the paracord for use.

If you visit our site at 1-800-PREPARE.com and purchase a Survival Bracelet we will also send one to a soldier.

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General Preparedness Preparedness Planning

5 Tips for Talking To Your Spouse about Emergency Preparedness

It can be difficult to bring your spouse around to the idea of emergency preparedness. It’s one thing to have a great intellectual and even heart-felt discussion about tragic disasters throughout the world or nationally that leave families and children hungry and without shelter. However, to convince your spouse to put some of your paycheck toward preparing for a flood or an earthquake takes some know-how.

1. Don’t Bombard Your Spouse with Information

Bring them along slowly, one step at a time. Don’t cram several worst case scenarios into a one hour meeting. Your spouse will shut down emotionally and mentally, even if they appear attentive and interested in what you have to say. Prioritize what you want to protect yourselves against first, based on your location and what’s happening in the news. For example, if major earthquakes are devastating different countries around the world, talk about the news with your spouse first, and use one meeting to talk about earthquake preparedness. Don’t suddenly transition into talking about preparing for bio-weapons or hurricanes, which can lead to information overload. Talk about “smaller” emergencies first, such as a flat tire after dark or a power outage that lasts for more than a day.

2. Be Prepared

To be effective in a discussion with your spouse about emergency preparedness, you must be prepared. Don’t come to the meeting without many answers, or that can cause your spouse to doubt that it’s worth preparing at all, or that you know what you’re doing. Learn about emergency preparedness and draft a plan. You should value your spouse’s input and wisdom, and modify your plan as needed. However, don’t show up empty handed, or answer “I don’t know” to most of the questions they will have.

3. Do the Math

Emergency preparedness takes money, for supplies, kits and some repairs to your home or cars. When money is tight, it can be hard to persuade a spouse to use what little money you do have for food storage, water filters and other necessities. Put your spouse at ease with a budget, showing them how you can both make this work. Most likely you both will have to make sacrifices in a spending area or two, and you should be ready to make suggestions on how much to cut or completely eliminate. Couch the budget to your spouse as a draft, and encourage them to help you modify it. Make “Emergency Preparedness” one category of the budget, and use subcategories underneath, such as “Light” and “Communications”.

4. Refer to Experts

Although you may be an expert on emergency preparedness because of all the reading and research you’ve done to date, it helps to show your spouse what the experts are saying. Find sources that your spouse considers credible, and share news and information on emergency preparedness from those experts or organizations. Invite them to read an article, blog post or other book with you, and follow that up with how you can apply what you’ve learned in your home. Ask questions and elicit commentary from your spouse, to help you figure out where they stand on emergency preparedness.

5. Attend a Class Together

Many spouses will agree to attend classes that benefit the family, such as a CPR class. Take advantage of attending classes together that your spouse will find beneficial, and that also relate to emergency preparedness. It’s a way to have someone else introduce the topic for you, and teach vital skills to you and your spouse at the same time. Class attendees and the teacher might share information and personal anecdotes on emergency preparedness that will reassure your spouse that it’s normal and responsible to be prepared.

Don’t delay speaking with your spouse about emergency preparedness. Before you get started, take the time you need to strategize your best approach using these 5 tips.

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Preparedness for Pets

Sometimes being prepared is not fun.

Prime example is getting a phone call at 7am from a friend who NEVER calls me at that time of day.  We also happen to be on the search team together so I thought he was calling me for a deployment but it turns out, he needed the after hours contact for our vet, he also has dogs.  This was not a usual question for him and on the way to my fridge (yes the fridge)  I asked him what had happened.    Turns out his retired search dog had fallen and hurt herself.

I keep two (yes two) magnets with the office and after hours office numbers for my vet on my fridge.  They have been in the same location for the past 5 years.  I don’t move them, not even when I clean.  You see, in a panic, people don’t think, they just do.  I’m sure my friend could have easily looked up our vets number in the phone book, or maybe he had magnets on the fridge and was sitting with his dog and didn’t want to leave.  For him in that moment, it was his first thought to call someone who could find the number for him.  I was that person.

I’ve had to use those magnets myself when one of my search dogs went down with a seizure 4 months after moving into the house.  The magnet was in that same spot then as it is now.  Every person who I might have watch my pets knows where those magnets are, I show them in person when they come in to pet sit.

Those magnets or contact numbers are as important to your pet as the poison control hot line is to your small child.  Make sure the family knows where the numbers are and that they don’t move.  I also have my vet’s information programed into my ‘in case of emergency’ function on my phone.    Under “other” it lists:  In case of a car accident please look for my search dogs.  The number of their vet is…..

Many of us view our pets as a part of the family, make sure you treat preparing for an emergency your pet  might have the same way. You also should have a pet preparedness kit that you can use to treat minor injuries.

Unfortunately, the injury that my friends’ dog sustained would not allow her to make a full recovery.  That day he had to make the decision to end her pain.  My thoughts are with him and his family.

Robin and K9 Dunder
Paws of Life Foundation

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Charities/Groups we support Emergency Responders General Preparedness Humor Personal Stories Uncategorized

First Responders Also Need to be Prepared

For the last two years as Dunder, my search dog, and I have been going through training, most of the time has been spent on him and getting him up and going as a certified search dog. We accomplished that task this last January in California which was a huge relief to me (I still get testing anxiety). But recently it sort of hit home as to how prepared the ‘people’ portion of the team, meaning me, also needs to be prepared.   I was talking with a friend of mine about how long it takes me to ‘get out the door’ after being deployed.

My answer, about 45 minutes.  (but that includes driving home from my work).

You might think that’s not a very long time but I have a 10 minute commute home (that’s if I hit all the red lights). I have to change my clothes, grab my two ‘go bags’ and get out of the house.  I also check to make sure I have fresh water and food for the dogs in the truck.    Doesn’t seem like it should take that long but it does (I also usually have a hard time finding the right socks for some reason, which is odd since I own 5 pair of the ‘right socks’).

After doing search and rescue work for about 10 years, I have this all down to somewhat of an art but it’s taken me about 8 of those years to NOT forget anything.  I also have to go through every spring and fall and rotate out what exactly is in my go bag for clothes.  I live in a climate that in the winter we need something to keep you warm in -10 degree weather and in the summer you need to have extra socks/pants/shirts  because the ones you are wearing are sweaty and wet.  In essence, you have to be prepared for anything when you walk out of the house.

However, I found myself on the phone today talking with my mom to find out when I had my polio shot.  Turns out the FEMA level task force I am hoping to be a member of requires my “shot record’ along with my dog’s.    This is part of me being prepared for deployment.  I also found it humorous to be wracking my brain to try and remember what year I had the chicken pox.

However, the one good thing I did find out, I’m probably do for a tetanus booster.  I would encourage everyone to check the status of your ‘shot record’ with your doctor….it’s part of being prepared.

Wags,

Robin Habeger and K9 Dunder

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Hurricane Preparedness Preparedness Planning

As Hurricane Season Approaches

I recently stumbled upon this site and wanted to share it with our readers. I truly believe that it is as important if not more important to have a plan in place as it is to have a kit and basic supplies. This site has some great tools to help you build your plan.

http://www.onestorm.org/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=/OnePlan/

OneStorm is a free tool to make hurricane planning as simple and painless as possible.