What you are trying to prepare for is to be able to take care of yourself and your loved ones during the first hours and days when government and volunteer services may not be able to respond as fully or quickly as anyone would like.
First Response Preparation:
When an emergency first happens, such as an earthquake, you first need to be prepared to respond to the situation in order to move yourself and others to safety. The following should be prepared:- Flashlight- keep by each bed, Check batteries periodically
- Shoes and Heavy work gloves- Hard soled shoes, place gloves inside the shoes. Keep by your bed to protect you from broken glass or other foreign objects.
- 12" Crescent wrench of gas valve wrench- best to have attached to gas valve with long wire
- Water and Electricity- learn where and how to shut these off.
Family Disaster Plans
Be sure all members of the family, even children, know and understand your disaster plan. Drills are especially important so that family members know what the fire alarm sounds like, know what to do without panicking and have confidence in how to be safe. After a major disaster, it is unlikely that emergency response services will be able to immediately respond to everyone's needs, so it's important to be prepared to take care of yourself and your family. Plan to be on your own for at least the first 72-hours (3 days). The following steps will help you prepare for any emergency:
- Meet with your family and discuss why you need to prepare for disaster. Explain the dangers of fire, severe weather, and earthquakes to children. Plan to share responsibilities and work together as a team. Keep it simple enough so people can remember the important details. A disaster is an extremely stressful situation that can create confusion. The best emergency plans are those with very few details.
- Discuss the types of disasters that are most likely to happen. Explain what to do in each case. Everyone should know what to do in case all family members are not together. Discussing disasters ahead of time will help reduce fear and anxiety and will help everyone know how to respond. Find the safe spots in your home for each type of disaster.
- Plan home escape routes. Determine the best escape routes from your home in preparation for a fire or other emergency that would require you to leave the house quickly. Find two ways out of each room.
- Discuss with your children what they are to do if they are home alone during a disaster- fire, earthquake, flood safety, and when to call 911
- Find the safe places in your home for each type of disaster. Different disasters often require different types of safe places. While basements are appropriate for tornadoes, they could be deadly in a major chemical emergency.
- Pick two places to meet: Right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency, like a fire. Outside of your neighborhood in case you can't return home or are asked to leave your neighborhood. Everyone must know the address and phone number of the meeting locations.
- Develop an emergency communication plan. In case family members are separated from one another during floods or other disasters, have a plan for getting back together. Separation is a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school. Establish a local message drop, become familiar with your ward and neighborhood emergency plans, establish ICE contact on cell phones- this is the number of the person to be contacted in an emergency. Emergency personnel check cell phone for this. Some newer phones have a menu for putting this information in the phone. When adding the number, put "In case of emergency (ICE), then the contact information. Also have a quick grab list- this is a list of specific items you want to remember to take if you need to leave quickly. The list should be kept in an accessible place so that you can pull it out quickly, gather the items listed (be sure to know ahead of time where the items are located), and be organized and on your way. The list might include things like purse, keys, diaper bag, go bag, cell phone, blankets, personal items cd (discussed below), etc. You decide what you want on the list.
- Ask an out-of-town relative or friend to be your family contact. Your contact should live outside your area. After a disaster, it is often easier to make a long distance call than a local call. Family members should call the contact and tell him or her where they are. Everyone must know the contact's name, address and phone number.
- Discuss what to do if authorities ask you to evacuate. Make arrangements for a place to stay with a friend or relatives who live out of town and/or learn about shelter locations.
- Be familiar with escape routes. Depending on the type of disaster, it may be necessary to evacuate your home. Plan several escape routes in case certain roads are blocked or closed. Remember to follow the advice of local officials during evacuation situations. They will direct you to the safest route; some roads may be blocked or put you in further danger.
- Plan how to take care of your pets. According to many local health department regulations, pets (other than service animals) are not permitted to be in places where food is served. Plan where you would take your pets if you had to go to a public shelter where they are not permitted.
- Post by phones emergency telephone numbers (fire, police, ambulance, poison control). You may not have time in an emergency to look up critical numbers.
- Teach all responsible family members how and when to turn off the water, gas and electricity at the main switches or valves. Keep necessary tools near gas and water shut-off valves. Turn off utilities only if you suspect a leak or damaged lines, or if you are instructed to do so by authorities. If you turn the gas off, you will need a professional to turn it back on. Paint shut-off valves with white or fluorescent paint to increase visibility. Attach a shut-off valve wrench or other special tool in a conspicuous place close to the gas and water shut-off valves.
- Check if you have adequate insurance coverage. Ask your insurance agent to review your current policies to ensure that they will cover your home and belongings adequately. Homeowner's insurance does not cover flood losses. If you are a renter, your landlord's insurance does not protect your personal property; it only protects the building. Renters' insurance pays if a renter's property is damaged or stolen.
- Install smoke alarms on each level of your home, especially near bedrooms. Smoke alarms cut nearly in half your chances of dying in a home fire. Smoke alarms sense abnormal amounts of smoke or invisible combustion gases in the air. They can detect both smoldering and flaming fires. Many areas are now requiring hard-wired smoke alarms in new homes.
- Get training from the fire department on how to use your fire extinguisher (A-B-C type), and show family members where extinguishers are kept. Different extinguishers operate in different ways. Unless responsible family members know how to use your particular model, they may not be able to use it effectively. There is no time to read directions during an emergency. Only adults should handle and use extinguishers.
- Conduct a home hazard hunt. During a disaster, ordinary objects in your home can cause injury or damage. Anything that can move, fall, break or cause a fire is a home hazard. For example, during an earthquake or a tornado, a hot water heater or a bookshelf could turn over or pictures hanging over a couch could fall and hurt someone. Look for electrical, chemical and fire hazards. Contact your local fire department to learn about home fire hazards. Inspect your home at least once a year and fix potential hazards.
- Stock emergency supplies and assemble a disaster supplies kit (72 hour kit). Keep enough supplies in your home to meet your needs for at least 3 days. Assemble a disaster supplies kit with items you may need in case of an evacuation. Store these supplies in sturdy, clearly labeled, easy-to-carry containers, such as a backpack or duffel bags.
- Keep a smaller disaster supplies kit in the trunk of your car. If you become stranded or are not able to return home, having these items will help you to be more comfortable.
- Keep a portable, battery-operated radio or television and extra batteries. Maintaining a communications link with the outside is a step that can mean the difference between life and death. Make sure that all family members know where the portable, battery-operated radio or television is located, and always keep a supply of extra batteries. Consider using a NOAA weather radio with a tone-alert feature. NOAA weather radio is the best means to receive warnings from the national weather service. The national weather service continuously broadcasts updated weather warnings and forecasts that can be received by NOAA weather radios. The national weather service recommends purchasing a NOAA weather radio that has both a battery backup and a specific area message encoder (SAME) feature, which automatically alerts you when a watch or warning is issued for your county, giving you immediate information about a life-threatening situation. The average range is 40 miles, depending on topography. The NOAA radio signal is a line-of-sight signal, which does not bore through hills or mountains.
- Take a red cross first aid and CPR class. Have your family learn basic safety measures, such as CPR and first aid. These are critical skills, and learning can be a fun activity for older children.
- Make 2 photocopies of vital documents and keep the originals in a safe deposit box. Keep one copy in a safe place in the house, and give the second copy to an out-of-town friend or relative. Vital documents such as birth and marriage certificates, tax records, credit card numbers, financial records and wills and trusts can be lost during disasters.
- Make a complete inventory of your home, garage, and surrounding property. The inventory can be either written or videotaped. Include information such as serial numbers, make and model numbers, physical descriptions, and price of purchases (receipts, if possible). This list could help you prove the value of what you owned if your possessions are damaged or destroyed and can help you to claim deductions on taxes. Be sure to include expensive items such as sofas, chairs, tables, beds, chests, wall units, and any other furniture too heavy to move. Do this for all items in your home, on all levels. Then store a copy of the record somewhere away from home, such as in a safe deposit box.
Practice and maintain your plan
Practicing your plan will help you instinctively make the appropriate response during an actual emergency. You will need to review your plan periodically, and you may need to change some parts.
- Quiz your kids every six months so they remember what to do, meeting places, phone numbers, and safety rules.
- Conduct fire and emergency evacuation drills at least twice a year. Actually drive evacuation routes so each driver will know the way. Select alternate routes in case the main evacuation route is blocked during an actual disaster. Mark your evacuation route on a map; keep the map in your disaster supplies kit. Remember to follow the advice of local officials during evacuation situations. They will direct you to the safest route, away from roads that may be blocked or put you in further danger.
- Replace stored food and water every six months. Replacing your food and water supplies will help ensure freshness. Pick a time that is the same yearly so your remember (General Conference weekend is great!)
