Emergency Preparedness Planning
Emergency preparedness is a buzz phrase in many different circles of influence. From the Department of Homeland Security to your neighbors, many people are concerned about the lack of preparation that most people have. Not being prepared for a local or national emergency can mean the difference between you and your family making it through a situation alive, healthy and fed, or not. That's part of the reason it's important you take emergency preparedness seriously; so you can better care for yourself and your family in case of any emergency. What are some of the issues that can impact you which you need to be aware of?
responsibility for their own safety and comfort. Stock at least three days of food and water in your larder, stock medications and vitamins, have important documents in safe places and copies readily available, have escape routes planned, and emergency meeting places established. Help the government help you and start your emergency preparedness plan today.
Terrorist Attacks.
On September 10, 2001, we could never have imagined that terrorists could strike so forcefully against our nation. And before that we'd had the 1993 World Trade Center garage bombing in NYC and the 1995 Mura Bulding bombing in Oklahoma City. The former was done by foreign terrorists, the latter by US terrorists.
What a difference a day made in the lives of people in the United States and all over the world. We learned that we were very vulnerable to terrorism on that day. Many people lost their lives and others lost their homes and workplaces in less than a day. Were we prepared for such an event? Most people would say, "No".
Weather Events.
Fast forward to August 29, 2005 and you will see another event that shaped the world of emergency preparedness Even with advanced warning, warnings most people chose to ignore and not prepare for, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. She caused havoc in the southern part of the United States with heavy loss of life, homes, and entire towns. Previous hurricanes hadn't done enough to increase our awareness of emergency preparedness, and I wonder if we've yet learned our lesson. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without water, electricity, and food, which left them reeling from the effects of the storm and the aftermath. Many of these cities and towns are still rebuilding after this horrible storm.
In addition to hurricanes we experience, and sometimes suffer from, tornados, floods, and snow storms. Any number of weather events can put a crimp in our plans, or worse yet cause big problems.
Natural Disasters
Forest fires, rock and snow slides, and non-weather-related floods can impact you too. I've seen towns isolated for days (and longer) because access was cut off by rock or snow slides. Forest fires can sweep through urban and rural areas forcing residents to flee for their lives. Have the fires in California, Idaho, Washington or Colorado, just to name a few of the effected states taught you about being prepared for the unusual and the unexpected? Or for that matter, for the expected. When the Lawn Lake Dam in Rocky Mountain National Park broke campers in the Park and the town of Estes Park were flooded. Who was prepared for that?
Health Problems.
Most people assume that they are safe from epidemics, and that pandemics don't even happen any more. After all, isn't modern medicine wiping disease from the earth? Epidemics and pandemics caused high mortality rates when medical care wasn't as advanced as it is today, right? Wrong.
Many healthcare providers are worried about a pandemic occurring in our society today. Diseases as familiar as influenza, and as foreign to SARS and bird flu, and as "new" as to antibiotic resistant microorganisms (MRSA) can be a huge problem. Any disease that is contagious and can cause serious illness can become an epidemic or pandemic. This worry has led hospitals and healthcare providers all over the world to amp up their emergency preparedness.
Emergency preparedness includes being prepared with food and water for an emergency, but it also means talking about what to do in case of an emergency. Do you have an escape route from your house or neighborhood? Are your valuables easy to grab when you have to evacuate your home? Do you have the proper emergency numbers at hand?
This is very important for families and work sites both, because this may be the only way people can stay safe, and find each other. Whether it is talking about what your children should do in case of an emergency or setting up a meeting place (read my article on the Red Cross Safe and Well website) for your family members, you need to discuss the scenarios, so everyone can stay as safe as possible.
Make your emergency preparedness plans, so that you can better take care of yourself and those that you love. Start small if you want, but start acting today.
