Category: Preparedness Planning

Categories
General Preparedness Preparedness Planning

Moving from Awareness to Preparedness

In talking to people across the country it seems as if everyone is “aware” of the benefits of preparing for everything from simple emergencies to major disasters. The problem is actually taking the necessary steps to move from awareness to preparedness. Too often people procrastinate taking the steps they know they should take.

In today’s busy times there are so many distractions that get in the way of what we all know we should do. It’s not that people don’t want to be safer or better prepared…it’s just prioritizing to get it done. After an emergency or disaster people will often say….”I was planning on get the supplies I need but I forgot” or “I knew this would happen and just never got around to doing what I needed to do.”

So….how can we change this. I think the first thing to do is realize that you don’t have to get it all done in one day. Take a small step. Look at one aspect of your personal safety and preparedness and do something about it. Maybe it is checking your smoke detectors. Maybe it’s making sure you have flares or a flashlight in your car. Maybe it’s checking that you have some fire extinguishers in your house. Or maybe it’s just taking a few moments to think about some recent events that may have affected your neighborhood. Each of these small steps will eventually add up and before you know it you will have taken a big step.

There are plenty of resources available that you can use. Visit the web and look up your local emergency management site, stop by your local fire house and ask questions or pick up a brochure and ask your employer what the companies plans are.

The general message out there is Get a Kit, Make a Plan, be Informed. What that means simply is……

1. Check what emergency supplies you have on hand or may need. Either make your own or buy a pre-made survival kit.

2. Think about what could happen and what you would/could do if it did. Discuss this with your family so everyone knows what to expect.

3. Know what could happen in your area and where you can get updated information during an emergency.

Nobody can predict for sure if and when something will happen to them. However…we do know that things do happen and the more you prepare for them…the better off you will be. Take the steps now. Time is one of the greatest assets we all have. Also…encourage your friends and family to do the same. I can assure you….you will feel better if you do.

Until next time…be safe…be prepared.

Paul

Categories
General Preparedness Preparedness Planning

Is there a preparedness disincentive?

I just heard a very interesting story on the news about the role of government in preparedness planning and response and wanted to share and get some feedback.

The story cited a study that was done that tracked government spending both in preparedness and in response after a disaster and how it affected the particular political party in the eyes of voters. The results should that when elected officials spent money on preparedness ahead of potential disasters it gave their party no lift in the polls or in votes during an election. However…if there was a disaster and elected officials spent money on response and clean-up….it was viewed very favorably by voters.

So… Besides the obvious….do elected officials really have the right incentive to spend money to help us get better prepared?

The study went on further to show that the costs were almost 15 times higher in terms of response and clean up when compared to the cost of preparedness before the event.

I am in no way stating that this study is accurate but I think it provides a great topic for discussion.

Categories
General Preparedness Hurricane Preparedness Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips

Hurricane Earl – Last Minute Tips

As just about everyone on the East coast knows….Hurricane Earl is here. With all the coverage on the news I hope people have taken some time to prepare themselves for what the storm may bring. Time is one of the greatest weapons we have when it comes to getter better prepared. It is when we procrastinate that the situation becomes worse and we are forced to scramble to get ourselves ready. Having supplies and/or a preparedness kit on hand, having a plan of what you will do and staying informed by watching the news and listening to local authorities will go a long way in keeping you safe.

Below is a list of just some last minute things you may want to consider as the storm approaches.

*Make sure you have enough food and water on hand to cover you for at least 3 days. If you go to the supermarket…try to buy items that don’t require refrigeration as we may lose power.

*Have batteries on hand for flashlights, radios and any other items you many need.

*Top of your gas tanks in your vehicles in case you are told to evacuate

*Bring in any outdoor items like tables and chairs or grills. If you can’t bring them in..secure them as best you can.

*Charge any cells phones, computers, etc. to full capacity now while you have power

*Turn your refrigerator and freezer down to lowest setting. If you lose power it will help keep the items inside fresh for a longer period.

*If you have empty space in your refrigerator or freezer…fill plastic bottles with water and place inside. These will help keep your food safe longer if power is lost.

*Have a talk now with younger family members about what to expect. Tell them there may be lots of wind and rain and noise. If you discuss it now…it will hopefully be less scary if it happens

This list is not complete…it is just some quick ideas you may want to consider.

For the long term….remember these simple things:

1. Get a Kit (or make ones yourself)

2. Make a Plan (and discuss it with your family)

3. Be Informed (pay attention to what is happening and be ready to act)

Be well and stay safe.

Categories
Fundraisers General Preparedness Preparedness Planning

Survival Kits are a Great Item for a Fundraiser

If you are with a religious group, school group, C.E.R.T. Team, volunteer fire dept., ambulance corp. or any other group looking for a great fundraiser idea you should consider selling survival kits, blackout kits and other emergency preparedness items in your community.

Emergencies and disasters can happen anywhere. They can affect every person in every neighborhood. For many years the government has preached the message: Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Ready. This is a way to take that message directly to the members of your community while raising money for your group or cause.

Here are just a few reasons why these items make for a great fundraiser:

*Everyone is a potential buyer of the kits. They are needed in every home, office and car

*By selling/promoting these items you will be making the members of your community better prepared

*You will be helping to raise the level of preparedness in your community

*The more people who are better prepared with the right survival gear and information…the easier it will be on our rescue personnel.

*You can raise great money for your cause

*They are very simple to promote and sell

Your group can promote/sell this preparedness kits through a variety of ways: door to door, flyers in your community, email marketing to people you know, organizing a preparedness event in your town.

Most items I purchase from a group doing a fundraiser I don’t really need. I buy the items to support the cause. These items can be bought to help support the cause and be very important to the people who buy them.

1-800-PREPARE.com can help you if you or your organization is interested in this type fundraiser.

Categories
General Preparedness Preparedness Planning

Preparedness Drills

One important step to better preparedness that is often overlooked is basic drills. If you have lived in a certain community for any length of time there is a good chance that you will know many of the types of emergency situations that could arise. This could include: earthquakes, floods, wild fires, tornadoes, blackouts, hurricanes and for just about everyone house fires.

Taking some time to come up with a plan, discuss it with your family and practice it a few times will go a long way to keeping you safe. The time to figure out what to do isn’t right before or during the emergency.

When putting together your plan some things to consider would be:

*What situation might you face

*What would the impact be

*Will you need to flee or shelter in place

*What type of emergency kits of supplies would you need

*Who will need to react. If small children….how will they be handled

*How long might you need to be prepared for

*If you need to shelter in place…what room or rooms will you use

*What if any utilities will you need to turn off

These are just some ideas. Once you have thought about these things you should take some time to discuss it with everyone in your family. Everyone should know what to do and where to go if a situation arises. Having a drill every 3 to 6 months just to keep it fresh in everyone’s mind is important. Here you can answers questions, refresh any supplies and/or change things as needed.

By discussing these things and practicing you will help reduce the chance the panic and hopefully make yourself and your loved ones a little safer.

Categories
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

Categories
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.

Categories
Charities/Groups we support General Preparedness Personal Stories Preparedness Planning Uncategorized

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

Categories
Flood Preparedness Preparedness Planning

Flood Preparedness

We wish we had a crystal ball and could have posted this article weeks ago before the rains came.  But, if we knew when emergencies were to hit, they’d be called “annoyances” because we’d be ready.

Though we can’t predict every subtle nuance of every disaster, we do know 2 absolute facts:  One, if you were in a flooded area, you’ll want to be ready in case there’s a repeat.  Two, you’ll be telling friends in other areas how important it is to be prepared, and you’ll want some suggestions to pass along.

Let’s look at 4 areas:

Situational Awareness

  1. You need to know if you’re in a flood zone.  You can get flood maps now from http://www.floodsmart.gov.
  2. Get an NOAA approved Weather Alert Radio.  Not only can they keep you up to speed on the weather, the Emergency Alert System uses weather alert radios to broadcast other emergency info.
  3. Though you might not live in a flood plain or near a waterway, individual neighborhoods can flood when storm drains are blocked.
  4. Get a “basement flood monitor.”  They’re little gizmos that sit on the floor and alarm when water is present on the floor.  You can get them at most any hardware store.  This will tell you if water is creeping into the house, or if your water heater has ruptured, etc.

Know What to Protect

  1. People and pets come before property, but as a flood develops, you’ll want to protect certain possessions, assuming you have time (time is the number one asset in any emergency).  So, look around now and determine what’s worth protecting.  Next, figure out how you might accomplish the task.  Do you load things in your evacuation vehicle?  Do you move things upstairs?  One suggestion is to put expensive furniture on top of the cheap stuff.  Put your ingenuity to work here.
  2. Inventory your property.  Take photos of everything you own and save receipts.  Regardless of what kind of insurance you have, you’ll need to prove loss.
  3. Vehicles are important, and today, most families have more than one.  You can save time if you park one vehicle on higher ground when flooding is predicted.  People in regular flood areas call this “docking.”

Prepare to Evacuate

  1. We’re assuming that if you’ve already made the decision to stay, it’s because you, your neighbors, and local emergency management have already taken steps to start sandbagging certain areas and have already started protective procedures.
  2. Just because water might be only a trickle now, don’t assume a flood will develop with uniform slowness.  The term “flash flood” was coined for a reason.  Make sure you have a way to get out of your home and out of the area.
  3. In a flood you’d naturally head for higher ground, which could be just a few houses away.  One of the things you could do in advance (if flooding is predicted) is to tie a rope “railing” from your exit door to a neighbor’s tree so you can have something to hang on to if water levels rise faster than you thought.   As a helpful hint, knots are useful in any number of scenarios.  Go to www.youtube.com and learn how to tie the following knots:  bowline, taught line hitch, and Siberian hitch.
  4. When leaving your house, turn off the power at your breaker box, but ONLY if you’re standing on a dry floor to do it.  You want the power off so rising water will not short out your wiring and burn your house down.
  5. If water is already over the roadway, don’t drive.  Find a high and dry spot where you are and try to stay put.  Six inches or rushing water can push a car off the roadway.

Financial Protection

  1. It’s good to have flood insurance if you live in an area with even a slight potential for flooding.  However, do 2 things.  One, have an inspector verify your property now to make sure the policy is valid even if you’ve been making steady payments.  Two, be sure to document all your belongings now, and your losses when incurred.  When cleaning up damaged property try not to throw anything away until an insurance adjuster has inspected.  At the very least, photo and/or video all the items you have to discard, and save every repair receipt to verify loss.
  2. Flood damage also means you’ll have to deal with service companies.  Make a list now of the companies you may need in the wake of a flood and keep their contact information with your emergency documents.  If none are available, be sure to check out any new companies before authorizing them to work on your property.  Consumer reports has a good “honest contractor” checklist at:  http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/resources/images/PDFs/HowtoHireaContractorChecklist.pdf
  3. For emergency grant information, visit www.fema.gov.

Special note:  Send us an email at disasterprep101@aol.com and we’ll send you a copy of the 23-page report “Your Flooded Home” which details the steps you need to take when cleaning and repairing a flooded house.

About the author:  Paul Purcell is a security analyst and preparedness consultant with over 20 years risk management experience.  He is also the author of “Disaster Prep 101,” and a partner / adviser to 1-800-Prepare.

Categories
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.