PLANNING IN ADVANCE

PLANNING IN ADVANCE
 
Prepare an emergency plan and conduct an emergency drill with your family.

Prepare an emergency evacuation plan for your home. Each room should have at least 2 ways to escape in case one is blocked. Establish a place where your family can reunite after an emergency.

If you live in an apartment, know the locations of emergency exits, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers.

Make sure children, house guests and childcare providers know your safety procedures. By planning and practicing what to do, you can condition yourself and your family to react correctly when an emergency occurs.

Establish an alternative way to contact others that may not be home, such as an out-of-the-area telephone contact. During some emergencies such as an earthquake, completing local telephone calls may be difficult, it may be easier to telephone someone out of the area.
 
Prepare and maintain your emergency preparedness kit with enough supplies on hand to be self-sufficient for at least 3 days, and preferably up to one week. See last week's post for details.
 
Know when and how to turn off electricity, water and gas at the main switch and valves. Evaluate your house for safety; including ensuring your home can withstand a serious earthquake or other emergency.
 
Always store flammable material safely away from ignition sources like water heaters, furnaces and stoves. Be sure smoke alarms are installed throughout your home. If the smoke alarm runs on batteries, or has battery back-up power, replace batteries at least once per year. If the low battery warning beeps, replace the battery immediately. All smoke alarms in your house should be tested every month using the alarm test button.
 
Keep fire extinguishers in your home, and know how to use them before they are needed. You should keep a fire extinguisher in high-risk areas such as the kitchen and workshop.

Emergency Preparedness Kit

Prepare and maintain an emergency kit with enough supplies to be self-sufficient for at least three days and preferably up to one week. Here is a list of the most basic items you should have on hand:

The kit should include:

• Flashlights with extra batteries
• Battery-powered radio with extra batteries
• One-week supply of water
• One-week supply of non-perishable food and a manual can opener
• Alternative cooking source
• A first aid kit and handbook
• A-B-C multipurpose fire extinguisher
• Extra medication for those who need prescription drugs
• Adjustable pipe or crescent wrench to turn off the gas and water supply
• Chlorine bleach and instructions for purifying water
• Blankets, warm clothes, sturdy shoes and heavy gloves
• Candles and matches. If you must use candles, keep candles away from small children and do not leave candles unattended. 
• toilet paper
• pet food and supplies
• copies of important information such as ID, bank account numbers, etc.

My goal is creating this blog is maximizing awareness and encouraging participation in disaster preparedness activities to affect change at the household, neighborhood and community level.
We are fortunate to have emergency managers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMT/paramedics, and other emergency responders whose job is keeping us safe, but we all need to take personal responsibility for be prepared. In doing so; we contribute to the safety and security of our neighbors as well.
On this blog I will post information about community planning meetings, provide preparedness information and share volunteer opportunities.
Anyone who wishes to is invited to participate in developing community emergency plans, help with conducting localized outreach and education for the public, offer trainings and participation in exercises, encouraging volunteerism, and in the event of a disaster, forming an integral part of the response.

I will post information here regularly. If you want to add to the blog with information or articles of your own please send them to me at nm@montara.com