Category: Preparedness Planning

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Personal Preparedness Preparedness Planning

Preparedness: Are You Ready?

It was Benjamin Franklin who said, those who ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail.’ When you think about things – and I mean, really think about them – the chances of disaster striking really aren’t that low. I’m sure you’ve had enough scare mongering from the 10pm news, so I’ll spare you that, but, we’re all aware of how fragile life can, and we all realize how everything exists in fine balance.

If you’ve ever worked for a multi-national company, you’ll know they’re insured against practically everything. It wouldn’t surprise me if many had coverage against snowman attacks, given the prepared nature of most CEO’s. Yet, curiously, when a person takes similar precautions, they can be seen as somewhat paranoid. It’s peculiar.

72 hour kits are something you buy and then forget about. They’re like bandages. You hope you’ll never one, but it’s there if ever you do. See the real scary outcome isn’t having to use a survival kit, it’s needing one, and not having one available. Then, you and your families lives are suddenly in jeopardy.

No matter the current state of the world, It’s not unreasonable to be prepare for war. It’s not unreasonable to prepare for extreme weather hitting. It’s not even unreasonable to assume a natural disaster could occur at any time  soon. Because nobody knows. In fact, survival kits aren’t pessimistic, they’re optimistic. Being prepared allows you to relax and face the future knowing that you have a contingency plan in place.

Ask yourself this, I were forced to evacuate my home, or if I were left stranded without food, water, gas and electricity, could I really cope?

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Disaster Kits Earthquake Preparedness Personal Preparedness Personal Stories Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips

Living in Earthquake Country – Why We All Need to be Better Prepared

By Keith Erwood

January 3, 2013

Six and a half years ago I moved to California from New York City. Since that time I have experienced several earthquakes. Let me just say for a New Yorker they were interesting to say the least, and certainly got my attention. These “small” 4.0 – 4.4 earthquakes to Californians are just minor little rumblings that make for interesting conversations and really nothing more. Sometimes, they even provide for a good laugh when seeing a newly transplanted East Coaster such as myself experiencing it for the first time. Such an event happened with me and my wife who is a CA native.

During my lifetime in NYC I experienced two (that I am aware of) small earthquakes of about 2.0 – barely felt by most. As a new Californian it was interesting to me, as it was for many on the West Coast to see the reactions to the recent East Cost Earthquake. One that caused little damage, but contributed to workforce disruptions in many areas as people fled into the streets.

Now as I sit here today I am pondering a number of things about earthquakes and preparedness. The first is that I live in so called “Earthquake Country” here in the Bay Area, or is that the entire State of CA? Then again, it could be that “Earthquake Country” is the entire West Coast. The truth is we all live in Earthquake Country. Let me explain.

There is not a single State in the U.S. that has never had or experienced an earthquake. Nor is there a State that can never have an earthquake again. True, some areas are less impacted by these earthquakes. Take my former home State of New York for example. Though NYC has had very few earthquakes, NYS has several every day. These earthquakes tend to occur in areas that are either unpopulated or have very small populations.

Then we have the New Madrid fault that is perhaps the one fault that can impact the largest portion of the U.S. if a significant earthquake were to occur in the region. In fact if a significant earthquake were to occur in this region the impact could be more widespread and damaging than a major earthquake in a place like the San Francisco Bay Area. Why?  Because cities such as St. Louis, Memphis, Nashville that are in the region do not have the same building standards to withstand such an impact.

Another surprising thing I learned is that not everyone who lives out here in CA is really prepared for when the “Big One” hits. Actually in reality, very few are truly prepared and myths about CA and earthquakes impact disaster preparedness even here. Let me provide an example for you how one of these myths can cause improper preparedness.

Myth: We live in Sunny California, where it never rains and is always warm and sunny. Well, this could not be further from the truth. Sure – it’s plenty warm and sunny in the summer months, especially where I live but it does get cold. Just last night it was in the low temperature was in the high 20’s and the high’s have lately been in the low 50’s or high 40’s. Now, this is not exactly in the teens, or 20 below zero like it can get in some areas of the country but it is below freezing and feels cold. If you were without a coat, jacket, blanket or other warm gear or heat source in your preparedness or earthquake kit you could be in trouble during the colder months.

In fact during the summer months when it gets very hot during the day the, it is not uncommon for the temperature to drop about 30 degrees at night. A change in temperatures such as this can actually cause a person to suffer from hypothermia even during the summer. Another part of this myth is that it doesn’t rain. In fact I even had someone tell me once, sure we have earthquakes, but at least when it does happen it will be dry since we hardly get rain.

To this I say not so fast. In fact as I write this, we are in the rainy season where it is not uncommon for it to rain for long periods of time. In fact last year, I think it rained everyday for a month straight. Add in the cold, wind, and an earthquake and the impact could be much more severe as people are exposed to the elements. If this happened certainly more people would succumb to the weather exposure than the actual earthquake.

In closing I ask that you reevaluate how you prepare for likely calamities in your home community – add more or additional supplies to keep you warm and dry. Consider the impact of a worse case disaster in terrible weather. And I want to remind you that we all live in earthquake country, not just those of us living on the West Coast in Sunny CA.

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Fire Preparedness/Safety Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips

Fire Safety and using a Fire Extinguisher

As a volunteer firefighter, fire safety is very important to me. I also think that while all preparedness is important…it is much more likely that you will face one or more fires in your life than an earthquake, tornado, terror attack or some of the other major disasters we often read about on preparedness sites. One of my sayings is “Preparing for Life’s..What If’s”. A fire is something anyone of us can face regardless of where we live or work. Below are some tips in regards to both general fire safety and well as how to use a fire extinguisher.

General Fire Safety in the Home:

  • Purchase and know how to use fire extinguishers. At a minimum have one on each floor of your home and one specifically designed for kitchen fires
  • Make and practice an evacuation plan with your family. Make sure everyone knows what to do and where to go. Make sure you all know at least 2 routes out of the home in case your primary route is blocked. Also practice evacuating blindfolded or with little light as if there is bad smoke, you probably won’t be able to see that well
  • Pick an outside meeting place away from the house where you will all meet
  • If there is a fire in your home, even if you decide to try to put it out yourself…call the fire department first. Fires grow quickly and you want to get help on the way in case you can’t put it out or become trapped
  • Make sure you have smoke/carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your home and near or inside every bedroom. Test them at least twice per year
  • Don’t overload outlets and keep flameable items like drapes away from outlets in case they spark
  • Consider purchase fire escape ladders for bedrooms in case the fire is on the first floor and the stairs are blocked
  • Other items you can consider are fire blankets and smoke hoods
  • Clean out your dryer vent line as well as your chimney every year or so

How to use an Extinguisher:

  • Remember…before you attempt to use a fire extinguisher…call the fire department first
  • If you feel it is safe enough to use the extinguisher to try to put out the fire, remember the acronym P.A.S.S. which stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep.
  • Pull – pull the pin the top of the extinguisher
  • Aim – aim the nozzle at the base of the fire
  • Squeeze – squeeze the handle to release the extinguishing agent
  • Sweep – sweep from side to side and the base of the fire
  • While using a fire extinguisher make sure you have an exit behind you in case the fire grows out of control
  • Make sure every family member practices using the extinguisher at least once. The first time you want to pull one out is NOT during a house fire.
  • Visit your local fire department. They can show you how to use and might let you practice in a controlled environment

These tips are by no means complete. There are other factors to consider. As always..if you have a tip, thought or idea please share it.

 

Until next time….be safe.

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Food and Water General Preparedness Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips

Keeping Food Safe During a Power Outage

If you know there is going to be a blackout and you are going to lose power or if it just happens suddenly there are some things you can do to try to keep the food in your refrigerator and freezer from spoiling. Below is a quick lists of tips. If you know of any others, please share them.

*Keep refrigerator and freezer door closed to maintain temperature. The cold should last about 4 hours if unopened

*A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours if the door remains closed.

*Use dry ice if you can get it to keep temperature as cold as possible for as long as possible

*Fill plastic bottles or baggies with water and place in freezer ahead of power outage. These will freeze and will help keep freezer colder for longer. You can also move some to the refrigerator to keep it cold. Not only does this make ice….but it also fills empty space. As the ice melts you can just use the water

*If it is the winter, consider packing the food in coolers or garbage bags and burying in the snow. Secure and bury deep enough to keep animals away

*When power restores, if any food smells bad..don’t take chances and throw away

 

Please add your tips to this post. You should also consider stocking up on some long term food storage items in case the power is out for an extended period of time.

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General Preparedness Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips

Conventions, Seminars, Meetings and Preparedness

Major disasters or minor emergencies.  When they hit you, it doesn’t matter for the moment which is which.  If you’re caught up in protecting you and those around you, your responsibilities, actions, and follow-up will be the same whether the whole community is involved, or it’s just you.

Let’s look at a key point in the above statement; “When they hit.”  For most of us, the better part of our day and week is spent at work.  The details surrounding protection in the workplace takes up volumes.  For our focus today though, let’s look at one aspect of business life: the meeting.

What do you do if an emergency strikes in the middle of a business meeting?

The answer is as simple as “1, 2, 3.”

You have 1 main responsibility.

You have 2 types of immediate reactions.

And you have at least 3 sources of assets and solutions.

Your Main Responsibility:

Your one and only responsibility is the safety and well being of people in your building, at your meeting, or attending your event.  This goes for the one-time guest as much as for the full time employee.  Though we say this is your “one” responsibility, it’s a huge one and it should be the cornerstone of all the contingency planning and emergency preparedness efforts you put in place before any meeting or event is ever put on the calendar.

Your Two Immediate Reactions:

Emergencies are divided into two types:  The evacuation emergencies, like fire, and the shelter-in-place emergencies such as a tornado.  So in your planning, account for both, and run each through the phases of planning, table-top-exercises, and functional drills.  When you do this, go above and beyond fire and weather.  Think about things like earthquake which is both a temporary shelter and then a building evacuation.  Then there’s an “active shooter” scenario when contains elements of both as well.  And what about hazardous materials?  Or a bomb threat?

Work with local emergency management and law enforcement when you create plans and have drills.  They need to know you and your facility and they can add pointers you never would have thought of.

Your Three Sources of Solutions and Assets

In all emergency planning, your number one goal should be confidence.  You should have confidence in the fact you’ve tried your best to cover every scenario, you should have confidence in the ability of your staff to react to the level of their training, and you should have confidence in the fact that your solutions and assets will always outnumber your threats if you know where to look.

1. Local emergency responders:  As we stated, they need to be involved in planning so they’re ahead of the curve if the emergency call comes in.  Also, make sure you have redundant communication options.  In addition to calling 911, you should have an alarm system tied in directly to the 911 center

2. Your staff:  The most overlooked aspect of site security and Business Continuity is the individual employee.  Your employees should be trained in emergency reaction.  Not just your security staff, but all employees.  Never underestimate this asset.  Employees who are trained in preparedness are much more likely to react properly in a work emergency and are also more likely to report for duty in times of crisis and turn your Business Continuity Plan into a functional reality rather than an exercise on paper.

3. Today’s technology:  One crucial component to emergency reaction is communication.  Emergency Management needs to know if an emergency has occurred and those under you care in your building need to be accounted for and their actions properly directed.  Though the list of technological assets is long indeed, consider just a few options:

A. A building-wide alarm system combined with a Public Address system and a camera monitor system that can be accessed off-site or online by emergency management or building security.

B. Mass texting or voice messaging through employee cell phones.  This can alert employees in the building that an urgent situation has developed or can be used to call off a second shift until a crisis is over.

C. Software-based guest check-in systems can account for visitors attending your event or meeting.  This can be used as an after-the-fact roll call, or you can request their cell phone number on arrival and add it to your mass notification system.

For the purpose of a short presentation we say that meeting and event safety is “as easy as 1, 2, 3.”  But if you add up the detail that needs to be considered in each of the steps, we might as well be saying “1,000 – 2,000 – 3,000.”  In other words, we were able to convey a few of the major points in this short presentation, but we urge you to not stop there.  The safety of your employees and your guests is in your hands.  Please put as much effort into this area as you can, and if you need help, let us know.

Blog Post by Paul Purcell (author of Disaster Prep 101 and adviser to www.1800prepare.com)

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General Preparedness Personal Preparedness Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips

Do you need to be a “Doomsday Prepper” to be prepared?

In recent years we have seen an explosion of TV shows about preparedness hit the airways. Survivorman with Les Stroud, Man vs. Wild with Bear Grylls, Dual Survival with Cody Lundin and Dave Canterbury, Man Woman Wild with Mykel Hawke and his wife Ruth England that teach us how to be prepared for situations that mainly happen “in the wild”. There are also shows that feature people who “extremely prepared” like Doomsday Preppers.

The question is do we really need these skills and is this what it means to be “prepared”.

Many of these reality shows teach us skills to survive being stuck in the jungles or Borneo or in the wilds of Alaska, to survive a broken down Jeep off a remote mountain trail in the desert or after a shipwreck on a deserted island. While these shows are very interesting and teach some amazing survival skills, is this what the masses need to make them safer and better prepared for what I like to call…’Life’s, what if’s”. A very small percentage of the population will encounter the situations on these shows. But what about the below?

*A car accident

*A vehicle breakdown at night on a dark road

*A fire in the home or office

*A carbon monoxide emergency

*A blackout

*A medical emergency such as a bad cut, heart attack, choking victim

*A sports injury or injury will taking a simple hike

*Severe weather

*A chemical release/spill

*A robbery or assault

The above incidents are  something just about every person can face on a daily basis. In fact, most of us will have to deal with more than one of these situations multiple times a year. This doesn’t mean we need to panic, run out and spend thousands of dollars or sign up to take dozens of courses to try to become survivalists. We don’t need to learn to live off the land, build remote bunkers, stockpile years of food and supplies or otherwise plan to live off the grid. I am not saying these aren’t important things for some people and the skills learned could be valuable. But I would recommend some of the below as a better place to start.

*Learn how to use a fire extinguisher

*Practice rapidly exiting your home with your family

*Make some basic family plans for different types of emergencies

*Make back-up copies of important documents and store them in another place

*Have a safe room that everyone knows to go to in severe weather

*Learn some basic first aid and CPR

*Buy at least some basic supplies like a good first aid kit, some flashlights, fire extinguishers for your home and carbon monoxide detectors

*In your car have a flashlight, a first aid kit and at least one road flare

None of the above items are particularly difficult to do or expensive. They don’t take up a lot of time and if you do them it doesn’t mean you are “paranoid”…but it will go a long way in making you better prepared for everyday potential emergencies and will  help keep you calm in the face of potential disaster. Once you get some of these simple things done you can then learn how to field dress a deer and use its hide to make a sail for your driftwood raft.

Until next time…be safe.

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Disaster Kits General Preparedness Personal Preparedness Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips Survival Kits

15 Minutes to Evacuate

Imagine a typical evening at home.  You’re sitting in the living room, watching television.  Your spouse is in the kitchen cooking dinner.  Your daughter is in her room, surfing the internet.  Your son is down the block at a friend’s house.  The dog is in the backyard.  Everything is as peaceful as it can be.

BAM! BAM! There’s a knock on the door.  When you answer it you find a police officer on the other side.  He tells you there has been a terrible train accident a few miles to the south.  A dangerous chemical has spilled and you must evacuate in the next fifteen minutes.  Take only what you need for the next three days.

By now, your mind is racing.  Part of you is still trying to process what you just heard, and another is telling you to move fast.  You’ve never had to deal with a situation like this before. What do you take with you?  How do you explain what’s going on to your family?  How do you contact your son at his friend’s house?  Do you take the dog, or leave him behind?  What about the family pictures?  Will you ever be allowed to come back?

This is a horrifying scenario, and the very reason every family should have an evacuation plan.  The plan should include pre-staged bags, filled with supplies. Each person in the house should have a bag that includes at least one change of clothes, and basic supplies, like hygiene products, bottled water, and ration bars.  These will complement a larger, family emergency kit.  Also include a kit for your pet if you have one. And don’t forget to keep your important documents handy. An ounce of preparation now will save you a gallon of panic later.

By Jason M. Watts (Contributing Writer to 1800prepare.com)

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Disaster Kits General Preparedness Hurricane Preparedness Personal Preparedness Personal Stories Preparedness Planning Survival Kits

Hurricane Sandy – Using my own Supplies

Things are just starting to return to normal here after a couple pretty hectic weeks. The destruction cause by Hurricane Sandy affected many communities. As a volunteer fire fighter in Westchester County…we were inundated with calls starting about midday Monday, through Tuesday and even into Wednesday. In other posts I will share some stories of the relief efforts we have organized for the hardest hit areas of New York. We continue to gather donations/supplies to bring in to these communities. Here I wanted to talk about some of my own preparedness items that either came in handy for myself or that I used to assist others.

1. Premium Car Survival Kit – Emergency Car KitA few days after we settled down from Hurricane Sandy we were hit with a Nor’easter. While we did have some advance notice, I don’t think people realized how bad the snow would be and how bad the roads would be. Driving home from work on Wednesday was terrible. A normal 25 minute drive took 3 hours. Highways were shut down, there were multiple accidents and cars by the dozen were scattered all over the road (and off the road). Winding through the back roads I found myself stopping every 5 minutes or so to help clear an accident or get a car moving again. I always keep multiple kits in my car which came in very handy. From this car kit I had to use the tow rope, reflective triangle, jumper cables, safety vest, work gloves, multi-function shovel, flashlight and tire puncture sealer. I have had this kit in my car for some time and only used one or two items in the past. I was actually amazed that in one trip home…so many of the items came in handy. Now I have to replenish some of the supplies but I couldn’t imagine driving a vehicle without this or a similar kit in the back.

 

 

 

2. Blackout Kit – As you can imagine I have plenty of preparedness supplies in my house. I have been building my list of items for many years so I am pretty set for most emergencies. When Blackout KitHurricane Sandy hit our town lost power. It affected probably 80+% of the community and some people still don’t have their power back almost 2 weeks later. One of the kits we pulled out when we lost power was this one. My family all moved into our living room where we used the fireplace to keep warm. Fro this kit we used the Dynamo Lantern to give us light to play a board game, the squeeze lights for our kids to walk around the house, the two 30 hour emergency candles to give us more light in the room we were in and also the light sticks. I gave one to each of my children. They thought it was fun to carry them around which helped take their minds of the storm and it helped me to keep track of them. These were all very simple items that I could have bought separately but ti was nice that they were all in one place, unused and were there for this situation. To often with regular items we buy they are strewn all over the house and non-operational when we need them.

 

 

 

 

Please stay tuned for more posts on my experience with this storm, testing my own level of preparedness and how we are helping with the relief efforts.

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General Preparedness Hurricane Preparedness Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips Recovery

Post Hurricane Sandy Tips – Part 3

1. More on heat and staying warm.  I mentioned sealing off areas if your house was habitable (structurally sound, dry, no gas leaks or other immediate dangers, etc.).  Today’s tip is to make a smaller area within a room that’s easier to keep warm.  If you have a camping tent, set it up in a room.  Or, like kids love to do, take your dry furniture cushions and other items from around the house and build a “fort!”  Smaller areas are easier to control temperature wise, but remember: no heating with open flame or charcoal, and make sure any small enclosure is NOT air tight.  Don’t want to suffocate.

 

2. Security.  Yesterday I mentioned safety in numbers and also of making sure you’re getting a good contractor.  In the meantime, you still need to coordinate with neighbors and send up an alert when suspicious people come into the neighborhood.  Among this list is people in some sort of uniform who claim to be utility company employees, private sector security, or some other official-looking person who wants access to the inside of your house or access to personal information.  Don’t allow anything until that person provides proper identification or provides other indicators that they really are who they say they are.  Regardless of ID, it’s best if you have a few friends with you if you decided to give any access or information to such a person.  In an emergency the buddy system rules!  Safety in numbers.

 

3. More on signaling.  In the first list I mentioned some rudimentary signaling.  Another tip to add to that list is your car’s alarm.  Again, your car doesn’t have to be drivable to still be useful.  If the battery still works in your car, the panic button on your car alarm can be used as your personal panic button if you need help from friends and neighbors.  Discuss this with those around you so they’ll know to do the same and also to come running if they hear yours.   Also cover other noises or light signaling that will help neighbor alert neighbor.  Anyone have any walkie-talkies?  (Ask the kids) You can even use a baby monitor for one-way communication. How about air horns – the type you see at sporting events.  Sports whistles?  How about a heavy metal spoon banging against a pot?  Again, if you want to learn about all the potential noise makers around the house, ask the kids.  Communication is only limited by the imagination.

 

4. Continue your vigilance of displace animals.  Though reptiles top this list after a water disaster, rats will probably be your most common issue.  Also keep an eye out for pets separated from their owners and help round them up for protection.  As for the rats, if they get to be a problem, find the teenage boys in the area.  One or more of them are sure to have a BB gun or really good slingshot and would love to be “hero of the day” that protects the area from vermin.  However, remind them not to walk around with their BB gun if Police are in the area.  Don’t want to be mistaken for a looter.

 

5. Mold protection.  During the day if the temperature is good and winds blowing, open doors and windows to allow damaged homes to dry.  The dryer the better since that will stall the spread of mold.  FEMA has a decent mold info brochure at: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/rebuild/recover/fema_mold_brochure_english.pdf

 

6. Mutual supply.  Barter will be king for a while.  Don’t ask anyone (just yet) to give up physical possession of the actual item, but try putting together a group list of assets that folks would be willing to give away or swap along with a list of some of their needs.  Think items like toilet paper, aluminum foil, feminine hygiene products, etc. (Food and water is hopefully more available and a little more readily shared and won’t need to be bartered.) Then do some swapping once some sources and needs are matched up and folks agree to the swaps.  You might want to set up a bulletin board for posting swaps, but wait to do this until you’re sure that looting or security in general will not be issues.

These tip brought to you by Paul Purcell (author of Disaster Prep 101 and Adviser to 1800prepare.com)

Paul Purcell

InfoQuest

www.disasterprep101.com

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General Preparedness Hurricane Preparedness Personal Preparedness Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips Recovery

Post Hurricane Sandy Tips – Part 2

Today’s list covers a little on helping others and then helping others to help you.

 

1. Sharing power.  If you have a generator, power inverter hooked up to a vehicle, or other power source, offer to share by allowing neighbors to recharge laptops, cellphones, and other communication devices.

 

2. Help people find you.  Navigation after a destructive event is difficult.  Street signs are down, mailboxes with house numbers are gone, etc.  Do what you can to label streets and houses so that utility workers will know where they are, emergency responders can navigate, and eventually for insurances claims adjusters to find the correct property.

 

3.  Collect valuables.  This is more common after tornadoes, but just as necessary after a hurricane.  Debris from damaged or destroyed houses will be strewn for miles.  Help others gather their lost possessions by salvaging and saving anything that appears to have either actual or sentimental value.  Since the garbage and debris will FAR outweigh these valuables, use trash cans to salvage the good stuff and leave the debris for cleanup crews.  However, be sure to mark these bins as containing valuables.  Later on, after things begin to normalize a bit you can host a neighborhood “Found Your Stuff” gathering and see who you can return items to.

 

4. In metro areas across the northeast, we’ll see folks without some power and other utilities for a while, but with the repair infrastructure in the region, we’re sure to see repairs coming much sooner than we did after Katrina.  Encourage others to alert neighbors when utilities are back.  The reason for this is that one side of the street might get power while the other side is still without.  This gives the option of sharing when possible and safe.

 

5. If responders have not canvassed your area yet, help them by labeling houses as to their extent of damage (if any), whether the occupants are accounted for or missing, if any utilities are working, pets are missing or injured, etc.  You don’t have to use the official “X” symbol if you don’t know it.  Simple dated notes on the door will work.  Also, if cell phone services are back, leave the owner’s contact info on the door if emergency workers need to contact the owner or residents.

 

6. Light debris cleanup.  As a follow-up to number two above, do what you can to move light debris off the roadways.  Avoid coming near any downed power lines though.  Clearer roads mean faster assistance and repair.

 

7. Help with communication.  Get a list of “okay” or “not okay” messaging from neighbors and edit and collect the information along with the intended recipients.  If anyone in your group is a Ham radio operator, if you run across a Ham radio operator, if the Red Cross or other volunteer group can get word to the outside, or if communication services start to return to your area, you’ll have a set list of messaging that you can get out quickly to help your neighbors alert their friends and loved ones as to their safety.

 

8. When the rebuilding starts, encourage folks to be careful about the contractor they choose.  Scammers will be coming out of the woodwork.  FEMA’s info page is:  http://www.fema.gov/news-release/be-smart-about-hiring-building-contractor

 

9. When you’re able to get word back to Huffington, remind readers that those in unaffected areas across the country will be approached by fake charities and scammers that will use the current disaster as a way to cheat well-meaning Americans out of their money.  Here’s a short how-to piece of giving safely after a disaster:  http://www.disasterprep101.com/documents/DisasterDonations.pdf

 

10. Now back to “survival” info.  Food.  Encourage neighbors to have “block cookout.”  Though it seems rather inappropriate for the situation, here are the advantages:  First, a lot of people might not have all the items for full meals, but put all the families together and you might find you have all the ingredients you need.  Second, a group function like this helps with morale.  Third, there’s safety in numbers which is important until life gets back to normal.

These tips  brought to you by Paul Purcell (author of Disaster Prep 101 and Adviser to 1800prepare.com)

Paul Purcell

www.disasterprep101.com