Importance of Family Emergency Preparedness
Emergency preparedness involves the entire family and it should not be left to only one member of the family to ensure everything.
The family needs to meet and discuss how to prepare for different types of emergencies, such as fire, severe weather (wind, rain, … ) floods, earthquakes, or other common hazards in your community.
The first step is to create a Family emergency plan. This plan should contain key phone numbers, addresses, a meeting place (and time) in case you get separated, safe routes out of the house and out of the neighborhood, the safest areas at walking distance in case of different emergencies as well as emergency and information telephone numbers and websites. It should also define roles for each family member.
Roles can be:
- get the animals
- get the first aid kit and emergency box
- collect valuables
- prepare the car
- pack food
This plan will help each family member to understand the importance of being prepared and will guide everyone on what to do during an emergency situation.
Currently, we are between three fires from three directions from our valley: Santa Paula (Thomas Fire), Newbury Park (Conejo Pass Fire), Santa Clarita (Rye Fire) and a few smaller fires in our neighborhood. These fires are being pushed by wild Santa Ana winds. The local government warned us to evacuate or at least be prepared and ready if the need to move will arise.
In preparation for such emergencies our family had prepped for this with these steps:
1. Know the Risks. Listen to local news. Know how far the fire is and how quickly the fire could potentially reach the home.
2. Make a Plan. The entire family may not be together when an emergency situation occurs. There must be a concrete plan how to get in touch with every one and to get all family members to a safer place. You also need to discuss what to do in different situations.
3. Get an Emergency Kit. The emergency survival kit must have water and food that are easy to open. The quantity of which should be good for the entire family and should last for a couple of days. Clothes, blankets and first aid kit must be on your emergency kit as well. Smaller bills and change for gas, food, hotel, payphone etc in case of no electricity and you cannot use your credit card. Copies of our important documents (passports, insurance papers etc.), copy of contact information of the entire family and nearby relatives so as the emergency numbers.
Survival of the entire family during an emergency situation all starts with preparedness. That is why the plan that the parents come up with must be discussed with the kids for them to be aware on what to do and how to survive emergencies. There’s nothing sweeter than to see each family member safe after an emergency.
Attached is an extensive emergency kit list that we used to put together ours.
Pics of the emergency kit ready to go:
· Water, one gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation
· Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
· Battery-powered radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
· Flashlight and extra batteries
. Generator plus oil and gas
· First Aid kit with standard contents plus:
o aspirin
o Diarrhea medicine
o eye drops
o soap bars
o sunscreen
o thermometer
o splinting material
· Whistle to signal for help
· Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
· Dust mask or cotton t-shirt, to help filter the air. With the current fires we purchased better masks that filter small particles and can be used in case of gas in the air
· Plastic sheeting and duct tape to create shelter
· Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
· Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
· gloves
· sturdy shoes
· duck tape
· small ax
· shovel
· broom
· rope
· first aid book
· safety pins
· needle and thread
· A jacket or coat for every person
· Long pants for everyone
· A long sleeve shirt for everyone
· Sturdy shoes
· A hat and gloves
· A sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person
· Rain gear
· Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils
· Cash or traveler’s checks, $100 in small bills / change
· Paper towels + toilet paper
· Fire Extinguisher
· Tent
· Compass
· Matches in a waterproof container
· Paper, pencil
· Personal hygiene items including feminine supplies
· Disinfectant
· Household chlorine bleach
· Medicine dropper
· Copies of Important Family Documents in a waterproof, portable container such as
o insurance policies
o identification
o bank account records
I also made a list of things I would like to grab if time .. and where they are so that everyone can help to collect them. I put these all together as much as possible to make sure we can easily and quickly grab them.
· cats + cat food
· computers
· passports, birth certificates ..
· photo albums
· digital camera, video camera
· document box - safe
· back up hard disk drives
· extra water plus food from kitchen
· key tools screwdrivers, hammer, wrenches
· check books
· jewelry
For Pet
• Photocopies of medical records and a waterproof container with a two-week supply of any medicine your pet requires
• 3-7 days-worth of canned (pop-top) or dry food
• Disposable litter trays (aluminum roasting pans are perfect)
• Litter or paper toweling
• Liquid dish soap and disinfectant
• Disposable garbage bags for clean-up
• Pet feeding dishes
• Extra collar or harness as well as an extra leash
• Bottled water
• A traveling bag, crate or sturdy carrier, ideally one for each pet
• Blanket (for scooping up a fearful pet)
• Recent photos of your pets (in case you are separated and need to make "Lost" posters)
It's also very necessary to help kids to set their goals themselves and make sure they can achieve it especially if it has to do with emergency situations.
Here are 4 steps your kids can do to set and achieve goals in an emergency:
1. Definition of "goal" must be clear to your kids. They should know exactly what it was. You may share your own goals to them to let them understand the importance of achieving it especially during an emergency.
2.Big goals can be overwhelming. Break each goal into little and hopefully attainable goals. Give them specific task as their goal and to make sure they do it or achieve it during emergencies.
3. You kids should know the "what-when" of their goals during emergency. That way, they will have a systematic plan to achieve their goal for their safety and the entire family.
4. Celebrate success! Once the entire family is on a safe place after an emergency situation, it is the sweetest time to celebrate success in achieving your family goal.
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