Emergency disaster planning: assembling household preparedness kits

Emergency Disaster Planning

In Case of an Emergency

Ponder, Plan and Practice

General Emergency "Kit" Guidelines

Past Lessons

Current Considerations

III Moving Forward

Somewhat Prepared?

EMERGENCY DISASTER PLANNING

In Case of an Emergency

Ponder, Plan and Practice

In emergency men will do many things they would scorn to do in easy circumstances.

Darius and Alexander will drink dirty water and think it nectar when distressed with thirst.

Kings and queens, to make good their escape in times of danger, will put on the most menial disguise.

And hungry men will not be over particular as to the food they eat. (Brewer, 1898)

Preparing for an emergency or disaster before it occurs, helps diffuse panic when an emergency happens, Linda Moss contends. Emergency Disaster Planning also helps build confidence and self-reliance. Moss reported she has set aside enough food, water and firewood, as well as, other necessities for herself, her husband and two children to "shelter-in-place" for several weeks if something were to happen. (Boston, 2004) "Shelter-in-place" means to live one's house without amenities like electricity and/or running water. Potential emergencies that could force a family to put their emergency plans into place include: tornados; ice storms; hurricanes; ice storms; thunderstorm blackouts; terrorism. Mrs. Moss reported that the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks stimulated more awareness regarding the significance of being prepared for an emergency or disaster.

Her emergency preparations, albeit, work as well for an emergency or a natural disaster. (Ibid.) Barbara Childs-Pair, acting director of the D.C. Emergency Management Agency, stresses, "One of the things about emergencies is they have commonalities. You need a meeting place if you get separated from your family.... You need food and water and medications." (Ibid.) Most emergency-management agencies advise a household to be prepared with emergency kits that include at least 72 hours' worth of water, food, water, medical supplies and other necessary items. (Ibid.)

Preparing an emergency kit does not have to be overwhelming, Debra Fuller, who teacher emergency preparedness classes, encourages. Fuller tells those she teachers to.".. take a first step, like making sure you have enough water for three days." (Ibid). General Emergency "Kit" Guidelines:

Keep a gallon of water per person per day.

Nonperishables such as canned food (with manual can opener) snacks, crackers and peanut butter.

Include some "comfort food," particularly for kids.

A first-aid kit,

Prescription medication, antibacterial hand cleaner, washcloths, feminine hygiene products, scissors and tweezers (tweezers can remove glass splinters)

Basic tools;

Battery-powered radio

Plastic sheeting

Duct tape;

Flashlights;

Extra batteries;

Change of clothes;

Blankets or space blankets (thermal, light-weight emergency blankets);

Closed-toe shoes in case of excessive debris.

If there are young children, diapers and wipes should be included.

Bleach, which can help clean contaminated water

Garbage bags

If pets are owned, pet supplies such as food, water, plastic bags to deal with waste, and veterinary records. (Ibid.)

Keeping a copy of important documents with the emergency kit is also recommended. Financial records, birth certificates and homeowner's insurance are examples of papers to keep copies of - ready to grab and run with. Rotate food and prescription medication regularly to insure items remain fresh.

Another family, the Mosses, stores emergency items in duffel bags, plastic bins and other containers that are easy to grab and run with if necessary. They also store MREs (meals ready to eat), regularly used by the military, purchased from an Army-Navy surplus store. Think through specific needs and various scenarios. At work, it is a good idea to store several protein bars and a small backpack with toiletries, critical medication, some water and food. It's also a good ides to keep a small emergency disaster kit in a car," experts recommend.

At home, along with an emergency kit or kits, determine a course of action for emergency and disaster situations. Know evacuation routes. Identify a place family members can meet if they are separated. Each family member needs to have an emergency contact list that includes names and phone numbers for immediate family members and also relatives who live out-of-town. It is a good idea to have two escape routes. One plan is needed for each person to get out of each room; the other, the best way to out of the house. Experts recommend that after the plan is mapped out, it is practiced on a regular basis. (Ibid.)

The following books provide additional, helpful survival information:

The U.S. Government Guide to Surviving Terrorism," by H. Keith Melton (compiled from U.S. Marine Corps and Department of Homeland Security documents) utilizes diagrams and instructions to help prepare Americans for terrorist activity, including "conventional, chemical, biological and nuclear."

Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Family Safe in a Crisis," by Peggy Layton, provides instructions how to build and store a three-month supply of necessities for use during an emergency.

Living Safe in an Unsafe World: The Complete Guide to Family Preparedness," By Kate Kelly, offers safe travel techniques and ways to help safeguard a home

How to Be Safe in Any Emergency: The Family Take Charge Book," by Dian Dincin Buchman, guides families on ways to prepare for, as well as, prevent most emergencies.

The D.C. Emergency Management Agency, 2000 14th St. NW, eighth floor, Washington, D.C. 20009. Phone: 202/727-6161. Web site: http://dcema.dc.gov....gives out information and brochures about how families can best prepare for emergencies." This agency also presents workshops on Emergency Disaster Planning. Helpful online organizations for emergency planning include: The American Red Cross Web site (www.redcross.org);The Department of Homeland Security's Web site (www.dhs.gov);

The Humane Society of the United States' Web site (www.hsus.org/ace/352).

II: Past Lessons

Current Considerations

Emergency management stems from the cold war days. Back in time, civil defense, bomb shelters, space food, evacuation, and sheltering drills were regular considerations for many. ("Disaster Planning...,") Today, although some of the past practices are still taught and practiced, new counters to new emergency disaster challenges have to be learned. One new system known as Interoperable will enable individuals to communicate with other regions, states, and countries if necessary. After 911, Hawver (2006) reports.".. millions of people scrambled to snap up just about everything (from gas masks to parachutes) an army/navy store carried to help out in a crisis." From 911 and Hurricane Katrina, Army/Navy retailers learned to keep an abundance of hey basic emergency necessities stocked; that blankets, first aid kits, cots and food/water products during peak hurricane and storm seasons will always sell.

Harris (1995) reports that the Santa Clarita, California's Emergency Plan helped the city rebound swiftly from the aftermath of the Northridge Earthquake on January 17, 1994 which damaged $400 million of public and private property. The primary lesson, he notes, was the affirmation that being prepared for emergency situations is vital.

Although a computers and emergency power are not mandatory, they may be useful. stand-alone power supply can also to be helpful. An emergency on-site generator needs to be protected from falling debris or other potential access problems. Harris (1995) stresses that the best time to devise a plan to survive a natural disaster or emergency is before it happens. Most people, however, wait until afterwards. When Cameron (2006) compiled his list, his family had 30 items ready for an action they hope does not come. Each April, Disaster Preparedness Month, presents the perfect time to plan what items to put into an emergency. Along with a cellphone, Cellboost is another item that ought to be included in the primary emergency survival kit. "Cellboost provides power to cell phones when batteries die or are low on battery power, and recharging is not an available option.," (Enhance Disaster Preparedness..Because cell phone batteries lose their charge after a period of time," simply having an extra batter is not always enough. Cellboost allows a person to continue using his/her phone while simultaneously charging it. In addition to insuring cell phones keep working during an emergency or disaster situation, having a product "to prolong the battery life of an iPod, Nintendo Game Boy or Sony PSP can help alleviate some of the stress in these situations." (Ibid)

III. Moving Forward

Earthquake

What it is: An earthquake is shaking of the ground and movement of the earth caused by a release of energy along the geologic faults, or by volcanic activity. Earthquakes are measured on the Richter scale, which goes from 1 to 10.

When: Earthquakes occur without warning.

Where: Earthquakes tend to occur on the West Coast, but can happen anywhere.

Wild Fire

What it is: A wild fire is an unplanned, naturally occurring fire on wild land, requiring human intervention to avoid mass spreading.

When: Late summer and early fall. The flames are further fanned by the combination of drought-like conditions and high winds.

Where: Wild fires can happen anywhere you find dry conditions. The West is prime fire territory.

Flood

What it is: A flood is the rise of large amounts of water onto dry land. Next to fires, floods are the most common natural disasters.

When: Any time.

Where: Anywhere. (Bauer, 2005)

Wipfler (2003) wrote an article on 911 and later revised the work, sharing her thoughts aobut terrorism,"and the cascade of feelings it has triggered."

As America currently regularly experiences thoughts and images of death, strife and war, Wipfler questions what do parents and those who care about youth tell the child now exposed to daily images of death and strife. How can a parent best explain war to the little one?

In the following excerpt from Wipfler's thoughts following 911, she says best what needs to be heard by hearts of adults who think they must always be read to expect the unexpected.

First, we need to set aside time to talk with each other, and work through some of our feelings and reactions, at times and places separate from our children. We adults carry a heavy load of feelings about these events. We have been made to feel helpless and hopeless about both current events and historical events over and over again. We've had to cover our grief and outrage with resignation or indifference, because there is so little room in our society for the full expression of healthy protest. So often, the first task is to remember what and who we care most about. From there, we can remember the hopes we had as children that the world would be sweet, safe, and just. We need to let our thoughts about who we love and our longings for safety and justice lead to emotional release in crying, trembling, and an open show of upset. We need to do this with other adults. It will help us recover our ability to pay attention to the power we do have and to what we can do in our own families and communities to make the world right. We won't communicate well with our children unless we take time to express and unload our deep feelings. We should not expect our children to handle the bulk of that load.

It is important, however, for our children to see that we care about people, about justice in the world, and about bringing an end to people harming people. If you are upset, go ahead and cry openly, but without detailed explanation of your feelings. "I'm sad about something I heard on the news" is fine, along with "and I just need to cry for a little while to get the sadness out." What children don't need to hear is expressions of anger, hopelessness, or helplessness.

It is not helpful for very young children to know all the details of what has happened. They can't digest violent behavior, and can become terrified by exposure to the graphic images and the feelings of horror and drama that we attach to the details. To keep young children from becoming unnecessarily terrified, we can

Shield them from the media. TV reports, newspaper photographs, and radio commentary can communicate that adults do not feel safe, in charge, or trustful of others. Get your news after the children have gone to bed, or while you're commuting in your car. Don't let news of the war erode the sense of connection and caring that you work so hard to build in your family.

Offer an accurate perspective on "off-track" behavior. The casting of some people as good and some as bad is a construct that promotes misunderstanding and is used to market injustice in today's world. We need to let our children know that we all are good, and we all do things that are "off track" when we feel hurt or afraid. They need to know that some children are treated very badly growing up. But if someone steps in, stops the hurtful behavior, and stays close, a hurt person can change. We don't always know how to step in, and people are often not brave enough, or quick enough to catch people before they've grown up and are able to do more harm. That's what we're trying to learn. Our older children need to know that some groups are targeted for mistreatment, but if a whole group of people organizes and works for justice, with respect as a guiding principle, they can create justice without promoting violence, even when the situation doesn't look hopeful.

We need to disavow the attitude that some people are evil and deserve to die. This attitude is one that we as a race must replace so that we can live peacefully with each other, and mend the injustices that breed hopelessness and violence. We have much work to do to develop effective but nonviolent ways of preventing people from doing harm. We'll need minds dedicated to the more subtle but more accurate perception that an originally good person lies beneath a load of hurt that has created harmful behavior.

Keep concentrating on our present lives, the tasks and routines of every day, and the goodness of being together and enjoying one another.

When explanation is needed, explain the events in general terms, and in terms that your child can understand. For example, you could say that lots of adults feel upset, that some people have decided to stop a man who was hurting people by going and hurting him and his friends. You can explain that you have feelings, too, and that you will be talking to other grownups to take care of your upsets about it.

Children need regular reassurances from parents and other adults who care about hem. They need to know that despite emergencies and disaster, they will be cared for. In a sense, so do adults. All ages need to know that even if as Brewer's quote states at the beginning of this paper and an emergency occurs where people do thing they would scorn to do in easy circumstances, where there is life there is hope and when there is love, there is hope for/in life. No matter where the emergency, that's the best plan.