Delineates a Hypothetical Disaster Plan in Response

¶ … delineates a hypothetical disaster plan in response to a major earthquake and tsunami in New York City. The disaster plan includes pre-disaster / pre-event preparations, actions taken during the disaster, resources available during the disaster, and post-disaster / post-event strategies. The scope of the disaster plan includes establishment of a new residence and survival plan for disasters with long-term effects. Additionally, the disaster plan contains two separate components: One disaster plan is intended for use if conditions indicate the safest strategy is to shelter in place. The second disaster plan is intended for us if conditions dictate moving to another, safer location.

"This awful catastrophe is not the end, but the beginning. History does not end so. It is the way its chapters open." (St. Augustine)

Introduction

Any effective disaster plan begins with preparations at home, during periods of calm. The most basic disaster plan includes preparing a kit of emergency supplies and daily living supplies to be taken along wherever an individual needs to go just before, during, and after the disaster strikes (FEMA, 2011). Preparation of this emergency kit assumes that the individual will have some warning that a disaster is impending or will recognize an immediate threat to safety and life. A more complete disaster plan will include more than one emergency bag (FEMA, 2011). At a minimum, there should be a disaster bag for the car and the disaster kit, which will ostensibly be larger than the disaster bag for the car, which will be kept in the home.

Emergency supplies kit. The purpose of an emergency supplies kit is to enable me to stay in my home and survive for a minimum of three days on the supplies I have put aside for that purpose. The survival kit that I will assemble will be placed in a special container that will be appropriately marked and stored in the same easily accessible place at all times. The emergency kit will be sufficiently secured to prevent accidental liberation of the supplies or mistaken use of the supplies. In addition, I will post a schedule indicating when supplies should be renewed and will set email alerts on my computer calendar to remind me to carry out this important part of maintaining my emergency supplies. A second strategy is to update the consumables in the emergency kit twice yearly at day-light savings time when I ordinarily change my clocks and the batteries in my smoke-alarms. The items I will store in my emergency supplies kit (OEM, 2011) include the following:

(1) One gallon of drinking water per person per day. For obvious reasons, this part of the emergency supplies kit cannot be stored in a single container along with the food and other supplies -- they are simply too bulky. To ensure that my water supply is portable, I will purchase several heavy-duty, construction-grade net bags in which to store the bottles of water. In this manner, the bottles of water will collected in the bags, each one of which will be sufficiently light for a member to carry should it be necessary to travel quickly and move to another area. The emergency kit will also include iodine tablets and bleach for water purification (plus several eye-droppers for adding bleach to water). In addition, a water-purification pump such as those used by back-packers will be included in the kit, along with water bladder for storing the purified water.

(2) Non-perishable, ready-to-eat canned foods and a manual can opener. Given that children are included in the disaster plan, it is imperative that some foods be of the pre-packaged kind, familiar to the children, and sufficiently good-tasting to ensure that the children will intake sufficient nourishment while undergoing the stress caused by the disaster. It is important not to under-estimate the amount of food that people under stress, and engaging in unaccustomed levels of physical activity, can consume.

(3) A first-aid kit that is commensurate with my skill levels of emergency care and that covers the sorts of injuries that could reasonably be anticipated in the disasters that threaten the area where I live. In addition to over-the-counter items, I will communicate with my physician in order to obtain medications available only by prescription, and of the same nature as the medications that I carry when I travel to developing countries. I will request anti-diarrhea medication, antibiotics in tablet form (such as broad-spectrum tetracycline), and any other items my physician considers prudent. With my EMT background, I don't anticipate any difficulties getting these prescriptions -- my physician has always been thoughtful and responsive in this regard. Further, any medications needed to maintain the health of myself and my family members will be included in the first aid kit. These medications require vigilant storage and renewal considerations.

(4) Radios for tracking the progress of threats and to hear warnings about travel and the like. I will keep two types of radios in the kit: A wind-up radio that does not require batteries and a battery-operated AM/FM radio with better air-wave reach. Flashlights of various sizes and types -- both those that use batteries and those that are solar-powered or wind-up powered. Extra batteries of all necessary sizes will be carefully stored and renewed as needed.

(5) A whistle and a blow-horn will be included. The whistle has limited reach but can be useful in an emergency, particularly if an individual is injured and does not have the stamina or strength to use their voice. Also, a whistle can be used long after an individual's voice gives out. The blow-horn can be very effective if it is needed to communicate with rescuers or with people who require direction during a disaster. Further, a blow-horn can make it easier for people to hear and be located if they are trapped below rubble or have driven off a ravine or similar scenarios.

(6) Personal hygiene items, such as soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, deodorants, contact lens supplies, glasses and glasses cleaning supplies and storage cases, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, waterless shampoo, and body spray will be added to the kit.

(7) Cell phones with solar chargers and car charges will be stored in the kit. These cell phones must be put on a weekly re-charging schedule, so they might be stored in a pouch that is kept in the emergency kit storage box, but is on top of other items so as not to discourage keeping the phones charged.

(8) Laminated emergency health information cards on each member of the family will be kept on a hefty key ring inside the first aid kit.

Pet supplies will be kept in a string bag making it easy to keep with the family at all times. Included in the pet supply kit will be food, a strong leash, a tie-out leash, water bowl, food bowl, chew toys and items, bag of training treats, plastic bags for cleaning up feces, a familiar and light-weight mat or sheepskin with aromas of home. Food and water for the pet will stored and managed in the same way as the bulky gallons of water for the family members -- a construction-grade string bag will collect the water and another bag will hold the food, which will also be stored inside of a hefty garbage bag which is sealed to reduce odors and prevent attracting other animals, as well as keeping the pet food dry and contained. The pets must be up-to-date on vaccinations and licensing, and records of this should be retained on the ring of laminated health cards.