Here are some steps to Plan and prepare for any Disaster
By Eureka Valley Promotion Association (EVPA) Treasurer Joe Caruso.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with information on how to
prepare for a disaster. Now what should you do to prepare for a
disaster?
San Francisco is exposed to a wide variety of hazards, both natural and
man-made. Earthquakes, fires, severe storms, power outages, and acts of
terrorism are just some of the potential emergencies we may encounter.
Imagine that you have no electricity, no gas, no water and no telephone
service. Imagine that all the businesses are closed and you are without
any kind of emergency services. What will you do until help
arrives?
First and foremost, it is important to understand that in a major
disaster, it might be several days before vital services are restored.
That is why you must Make a Plan, Build a Kit, and Get Involved.
As EVPA members, we are very good at making plans to help others, we
are good at building coalitions to help better our city and the lives
of people living in it, and we are great at getting involved. But
what have you done for yourself lately? Are you Prepared?
MAKE A PLAN
Here is the priority: Safety, Water, Food, Heat and Sanitation.
Make a Plan for PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS
No matter how well your community has planned their response to a
disaster, in the event of a large-scale incident, first response
resources may quickly become overwhelmed. To ensure the safety and
well-being of you, your friends and your family, you should prepare now
to take care of your own basic needs for at least the first 72 hours
following a major disaster.
Making a Plan for Personal Preparedness: Training is key:
Make sure that each person knows and practices ways of protecting
her/himself from falling objects, smoke, fire, caustic fumes, etc.
Make sure that each person knows and practices how to shut off utilities.
Make sure that each person knows and practices evacuation procedures for leaving the home during an emergency.
Make sure that each person knows how to use a home fire extinguisher.
Build a Kit:
Basic Supplies: Determine
what you absolutely need every day to live and plan how you will get
what you need. Store 5 gallons of water, if you can. If you buy
it at the store, what would you do if either the store wasn’t
open, if its shelves were empty, or if you couldn’t get to the
store?
Important: If you don’t have a manual can opener, buy one.
Avoid foods that need a lot of water or more than a few minutes of cooking.
FOOD: You can eat canned tuna;
eat canned vegetables as a salad, with salad dressing or vinegar and
oil. Ham or chicken with a vegetable salad or mixed with mayonnaise
packets.
Water: Store 1 gallon of water
per person for each day you are preparing for. You can buy collapsible
water containers wherever camping supplies are sold. Another option is
to wash out soda bottles and fill them with water. The water in these
containers should be replaced every six months.
If you store your own water, treat it by adding 4 drops of unscented
chlorine bleach to each gallon of water. Don’t use milk bottles.
Build Personal Go Bags:
Assembling emergency kits is one of the basic preparedness measures you
should take. Go Bags are kits designed for the event of an evacuation.
Be sure your bag is easy to carry (if you have to evacuate on foot) and
that it has an I.D. tag. You should keep one at home, work and in your
vehicle. They should include the following supplies:
3-Day supply of any prescription medications you take regularly.
Personal hygiene supplies (including toilet paper).
Whistle (to alert rescuers to your location).
List of emergency point-of-contact phone numbers.
Emergency lighting (flashlight and batteries or light sticks).
Portable radio & batteries (or hand crank style)
Change of clothing, sturdy shoes and a hat.
If you are preparing go bags for children, include a favorite toy, cards or book and medical consent forms.
Get involved, know your community resources, and become one yourself.
You can also get information on how Pet Owners can help their pets during an emergency at www.72hours.org
You can find more information about tips for Building a Kit, Making a Plan, and Getting Involved by going to www.72hours.org
Thank you to all EVPA members because without you so much great work would go undone. Be well.