Things have been a little crazy here in the greater LA area the past couple of weeks. First we had yet another brush fire in Griffith Park, once again putting the LA zoo at risk. Then last week we had a 5.4 earthquake that was pretty much felt throughout most of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Luckily, it didn’t do much damage since it was so deep. Today, there’s not one, but two more brush fires in Griffith Park as I write this. This all makes me wonder…
How prepared are you for an emergency?
It’s no longer just Californians and those living in “Tornado Alley” that need to be prepared. According to Ready.gov, “preparedness must now account for man-made disasters as well as natural ones.” Just having an emergency kit isn’t enough. You also need to be informed and know what to do in an emergency. Always use common sense and available information to determine if there is immediate danger.
Do you have your emergency kit packed?
According to Ready.gov, it should cover the basics such as fresh water, food, clean air and warmth. For more specifics about what to have ready to go, check out the checklist at Ready.gov - and don’t forget the pets, a change of clothes, a radio and manually powered flashlights. You can purchase ready made kits, or you can head out to your local Army/Navy supply store and create a kit that matches your family’s needs.
In our case, we keep one large kit in the garage with enough food and water for a couple of days along with extra shoes and a change of clothes, and the necessary pet supplies. In the cars we keep very basic kits - two packets of water, emergency food bars (less salt than standard energy bars), a flashlight with a blinking mode, a whistle, an emergency blanket, etc. In the house, in an easy to grab backpack, we keep the basics for all of us including the pets along with glow sticks under the mattress on each side of the bed in case we can’t locate the flashlights.
Do you have an emergency communication plan?
Did you know that often times, during an emergency, it’s easier to place an out of state call than to call locally? Does your family know who they should call if an emergency should strike? Does everyone have a current phone tree or contact list with cell, work and home numbers of family and friends?
After our recent earthquake, we also learned that while both the cell and regular phones might be out of service, text messages and internet connections were still strong. So have alternate ways to communicate with your family and friends (you’d be surprised just how much during- and post-earthquake communications were flying about on on Twitter).
Do you know when it might be safer to remain and when it might be safer to evacuate your home or office?
Depending on what happened and what’s going on, you’ll need to make the decision whether it’s safer to stay where you are, or to evacuate. In either case, make both possibilities a part of your emergency plan. Designate a meeting place for your family. Know where you should meet if you need to leave your home or if your family is separated by work or school.
What should you do if you’re in a moving vehicle?
- If there is an explosion or other factor that makes it difficult to control the vehicle, pull over, stop the car and set the parking brake.
- If the emergency could impact the physical stability of the roadway, avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, signs and other hazards.
- If a power line falls on your car you are at risk of electrical shock, stay inside until a trained person removes the wire.
- Listen to the radio for information and instructions as they become available.
