Thursday, August 12, 2021

 

AUGUST GOALEarthquake Preparedness & Emergency Communication Plan

 

The best time to prepare for any disaster is before it happens!

www.ready.gov/earthquakes

Stay alert for emergency communication:

  • Emergency Alert System broadcasts (battery-operated radio, TV, social media or from cell phone text alerts)
  • Emergency Response Software
  • Unified Emergency Communications
  • Network-Centric Emergency Communication
  • Unified Emergency Communication System
  • NOAA weather radio alerts
  • Network-Centric Emergency Notification
  • Disaster Communication System

 The best time to prepare for any disaster is before it happens!

 

Create a Disaster Emergency Plan—Your family may not be together if a disaster (floods, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, winter storms, excessive heat, drought, wildfires, earthquakes, pandemics, power outages) strikes. Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect, if separated. (Be sure to include at least one out-of-state contact.) Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find.

Step 1: Create a Family Disaster Plan by discussing the questions below with your family:

 

  1. How will I receive emergency alerts, broadcasts, and warnings?
  2. What are the safe places in my home or elsewhere to shelter?
  3. What is my evacuation route?
  4. What is my family/household Emergency Communication Plan?
  5. Do I need to update my Emergency Preparedness Kit?
  6. What is our post-hazard meeting place? (A safe distance from your home, outside your neighborhood in case you can’t return home. Learn where area evacuation shelters are located.)

Step 2: Consider specific needs in your household

 

As you prepare tailor your plans and supplies to your specific daily living needs and responsibilities. Discuss your needs and responsibilities and how people in the network can assist each other with communication, care of children, business, pets or specific needs like operating medical equipment. Create your own personal network for specific areas where you need assistance. Keep in mind some these factors when developing your plan:

 

  • Dietary needs
  • Responsibilities for assisting others
  • Different ages of members within your household
  • Disabilities or access and functional needs including devices and equipment
  • Medical needs including prescriptions and equipment
  • Households with school-aged children or seniors
  • Cultural and religious considerations
  • Locations frequented
  • Languages spoken
  • Pets or service animals

Step 3: Create a Family Emergency Communication Plan

 

An 8-page PDF file is available @ www.ready.gov (FEMA—U.S. Department of Homeland Security)

Step 4: Practice your plan with your family/household   http:www.ShakeOut.org/dropcoverholdon

                            

Stay Safe After an Earthquake. There can be serious hazards such as damage to a building, leaking gas and water lines, or downed power lines.

»      Wash your hands with soap and water after holding on to commonly touched surfaces or objects. If you are unable to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

»      Expect aftershocks to follow the main shock of an earthquake. Be ready to Drop, Cover, and

Hold On, if you feel an aftershock.

»      If you are in a damaged building, go outside and quickly move away from the building. Do not 

enter damaged buildings.

»      Maintain a distance of at least 6-feet between yourself and those who are not part of your household (this will help slow the spread of COVID-19 or any other challenge at the time).

»      If you are trapped, send a text or bang on a pipe or wall. Cover your mouth with your shirt for protection and instead of shouting, use a whistle. If possible, avoid directly touching your mouth.

»      If you are in an area that may experience tsunamis, go inland or to higher ground immediately after the shaking stops. Note that there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted through water; however, you should avoid contact with floodwaters as they can contain chemicals, sewage, and debris.

»      Check yourself to see if you are hurt and help others, if you have trainingLearn how to be the help until help arrives.

»      If you are sick or injured and need medical attention, contact your healthcare provider for instructions. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1. If you can, put on a mask and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth before help arrives.

Once you are safe, pay attention to local news reports for emergency information and instructions via battery-operated radio, TV, social media or from cell phone text alerts. 

Register on the American Red Cross "Save and Well" website so people will know you are okay.

 

§  Use text messages to communicate, which may be more reliable than phone calls.

§  Be careful when cleaning up. Wear protective clothing, including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, work gloves and sturdy thick-soled shoes. Do not try to remove heavy debris by yourself. Wear a mask and maintain a physical distance of at least 6-feet while working with someone else. Use an appropriate mask, if cleaning mold or other debris. People with asthma and other lung conditions and/or immune suppression should not enter buildings with indoor water leaks or mold growth that can be seen or smelled. Children should not take part in disaster cleanup work.

§  Engage virtually with your community through video and phone calls. Know that it’s normal to feel anxious or stressed. Take care of your body and talk to someone, if you are feeling upset. Many people may already feel fear and anxiety about the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). The threat of an earthquake can add additional stress. Follow CDC guidance for managing stress during a traumatic event.

 

An Emergency Communication Plan—is a plan that determines how, when, and with what your family will communicate during all phases of an unexpected occurrence that requires immediate action (i.e., an earthquake). The plan should document instructions for staying in place or evacuating.

What should be included in a family Emergency Communication Plan?

Include an out-of-town emergency contact name and number, a meeting place and any other important information. Be sure every family member has emergency phone numbers and a cell phone. Teach children how and when to call 911 for help.

How do you write an Emergency Communication Plan?

Practice texting and calling. Have each person practice sending a text message or calling your out-of-town contact and sending a group text to your mobile phone group list. Discuss what information you should send by text.

 Why is it important to conduct an earthquake drill at home?

Of all earthquake preparedness measures, earthquake drills are the most important. Their purpose is to help individuals learn how to REACT immediately and appropriately. A building evacuation (following an earthquake) is imperative due to potential danger of fires or explosions.

 What floor is the safest during an earthquake?

If the building is going to collapse then there is no safe floor to be on, although in major earthquakes, it is usually safer upstairs than being on ground level. The uppermost floor does increase your chances of survival. If the building were to stay standing after the earthquake, then evacuation will be easier from the first floor than from any other floor. It can be dangerous trying to run hastily downstairs. First of all, calm down and look around before you do anything.

 If you are indoors when an earthquake hits:

  • Drop down and take cover under a desk or table.
  • Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to exit.
  • Stay away from bookcases and other furniture that can fall on you.
  • Stay away from windows and light fixtures.
  • If you are in bed—hold on and stay there.

Is it safe to hide under a bed during an earthquake?

Don't hide under the bed. If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. The bed will hold up some of the debris, creating a safe void around the perimeter. Never get under it, and teach your children never to crawl under the bed in an earthquake.

 Is it better to be inside or outside during an earthquake?

Experts have long warned the public against leaving a building and heading outdoors during a quake. The safest place to be as the earth moves is inside, protected from potentially crushing debris, drooping power lines, falling trees or building extremities that could crumble. 

What is the strongest part of a house?

The strongest room in the house is usually the smallest room, on ground level, without external windows and the safest place to shelter during severe storms. 

Is it safe to be on the top floor during an earthquake?

In an earthquake, if you are on an upper story of a building, do not try to leave the building during the earthquake. After the earthquake, I would put on shoes, grab my purse/bag, and leave the building until it has been inspected for damage. ... Walking/running during an earthquake is dangerous. The floor/ground is moving!

 

What do you do in an apartment during an earthquake?

§  Stay inside and “DROP, COVER and HOLD ON”

§  Refer to previous explanations of — ‘Drop, Cover, and Hold On’

 

What are 3 things you should NOT DO during an earthquake?

1)      DO NOT turn on the gas again, if you turned it off. (Gas company will turn it on.) Remember that broken gas lines and fire don’t mix.

2)      DO NOT use matches, lighters, or any flame, camp stoves or barbecues, electrical equipment, appliances until you are sure there are no gas leaks.

3)      DO NOT use your telephone, except for a medical or fire emergency.

 

Will my house collapse in an earthquake?

Fortunately, most of us live in wood-frame houses. In an earthquake, your wood-frame house might survive, but your chimney, made of brick (not reinforced with rebar) might collapse.

 

What to avoid after an earthquake?

-Do not waste food or water as supplies may be interrupted.

-Do not light matches or turn on light switches until you are sure there are no gas leaks or flammable liquids spilled.

-Use a flashlight to check utilities and do not shut them off unless damaged. Leaking gas will smell.

 

Why is it bad to go outside during an earthquake?

Don't run outside. Trying to run in an earthquake is dangerous, as the ground is moving and you can easily fall or be injured by debris or glass. Running outside is especially dangerous, as glass, bricks, or other building components may be falling. Again, you are much safer to stay inside and get under a desk or table.

 

Is it safe to go under a doorway during an earthquake?

In modern houses, doorways are no stronger than any other part of the house, and the doorway does not protect you from the most likely source of injury—falling or flying objects. You also may not be able to brace yourself in the door during strong shaking. You are safer under a desk or table.

 

How could you and your neighbors work together during a disaster?

§  Know your neighbors (their names and number of individuals in each home)

§  Make a neighborhood map with their name(s), address, and contact information

§  Create a neighborhood communication plan.

§  Know your neighbors’ special needs, such as elderly or disabled persons.

§  Make plans for the care of children, if parents cannot get home.

§  Learn response plans for children’s schools or child care facilities.

 

Where do I shelter-in-place?

  • Take immediate shelter wherever you are – home, work, school or in between – rather than entering into a hazardous situation.
  • Used for situations such as severe storms, winter weather, biological emergencies.
  • Time will vary; few hours to several days.

 

Do small earthquakes mean a big one is coming?

Every time a small earthquake happens, doesn't mean there is going to be a larger one. 

 

Can you hear an earthquake coming?

The low rumbling noise at the beginning is P waves and the S waves' arrival is the big bang you hear.

 

Can you feel an earthquake while flying?

When people "hear" an earthquake, they typically don't hear the seismic waves at all. Rather, they discern the sound produced when seismic waves move through solid matter—such as the rumbling of a building and its contents. You wouldn't hear the earthquake from the aircraft, and you certainly wouldn't feel it.

 

Does the ground always shake in an earthquake?

The seismic waves shake the earth as they move through it, and when the waves reach the earth's surface, they shake the ground and anything on it, like our houses and us!

 

Is a 10.0 earthquake possible?

No, earthquakes of magnitude 10 or larger cannot happen. The magnitude of an earthquake is related to the length of the fault on which it occurs. The largest earthquake ever recorded was a magnitude 9.5 on May 22, 1960 in Chile on a fault that is almost 1,000 miles long…a “mega-quake” in its own right.

 

What state has never had an earthquake?

According to the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Information Center, every state in the U.S. has experienced an earthquake of one kind or another. It lists Florida and North Dakota as the two states with the fewest earthquakes.

 

Is it safe to take a shower after an earthquake?

Bathing or showering after a water-related emergency should only be done with clean, safe water. Sometimes water that is not safe to drink can be used for bathing, but be careful not to swallow any water or get it in your eyes.

 

A Motorist’s Guide to Earthquake Safety

 

Earthquakes can occur in every region of the country, at any time of the year and usually without warning. That could mean that you’re driving your car when an earthquake strikes.

 

If you’re on the road when an earthquake occurs, follow these Safety Tips so you can cope:  

 

Driving During an Earthquake

• If an earthquake occurs while you’re driving, slow down, look for an open area to stop and pull over as soon as it is safe to do so.

• Avoid parking near or under bridges, overpasses, signs, building overhangs, power lines, trees, or any other hazard that might fall onto your car.

• Turn off the engine, set the parking brake and stay seat-belted in your car until the earthquake is over.

• If a power line falls on your vehicle, stay inside and wait until an emergency worker removes the wire. Only leave your vehicle if staying inside poses an immediate threat to the welfare of you or your passengers.

 

Communication

• Turn on your radio and listen for official instructions, updates, warnings and advice. Most stations will switch to emergency broadcasting, apprising you of local conditions.

• Although your first instinct may be to contact friends and relatives, limit your telephone usage unless you must report severe injuries or are in immediate danger. Wireless service may quickly become compromised due to high call volume and downed cell towers. You can help keep phone lines open for emergency use by limiting all non-essential communication.

 

The Immediate Aftermath

• Once the shaking stops, get out of your vehicle and assess any damage to your car and the immediate vicinity.

• Check yourself and your passengers for injuries.

• Do not drive your car, unless there is an emergency or until travel has been cleared by the authorities. Remember, it may be safer to stay where you are, particularly if there is chaos on the roads.

 

Driving After an Earthquake

Be extremely cautious when driving after an earthquake. After large earthquakes, expect tremors and aftershocks. Aftershocks can easily dislodge concrete from damaged buildings and other structures.

• Avoid roadways, ramps and bridges that might have been damaged, even if there isn’t any visible damage.

• Watch for cracks and breaks in the pavement and never drive over a downed power line.

• Expect traffic light outages and road obstructions.

• Stay alert for panicked or distracted drivers around you .

• If you are driving in a mountainous or rocky area, be wary of the potential for landslides onto the road.

• Do not go sightseeing through damaged areas. You will only interfere with the relief effort. Keep streets clear for emergency vehicles. You can help ensure your safety and the safety of your passengers by learning to prepare for an earthquake and following a few simple safety tips. Also, if you live in an area prone to earthquakes, consider keeping a Personal Emergency Kit in your car.

 

Visit: Allstate Be Aware and Prepare for more information.

 

Rapid Disaster Assessment Kit (RDAK)—A RDAK will allow individuals to quickly canvas all households in neighborhoods and surrounding areas for damage, blockage dangers, etc. and assess any possible medical needs.

 

Neighborhood Rapid Disaster Assessment Kit

                                                                                            www.utah.gov

www.ready.gov

Instructions:

1. As people come to the designated assembly place to receive assignments, pair them up as teams, with at least two persons per team.

2. An appointed scribe should record the names of those comprising a team on the Location / Team form, and the time the team went out to do their assessment for that location.

3. Give the team the packet(s) containing the map with their assigned location highlighted in yellow, and the assessment sheets for each residence at that location.

4. Give the team a supply of colored ribbons that can be tied to doorknobs or mailboxes, etc. to use to designate the assessment status of each residence (matching the ribbon color to the color of the box checked on the form).

5. Upon arrival at their assigned neighborhood location, team members should attempt to talk to the residents living at each home and do the following:

a)      Confirm the names of those living at the residence.

b)      Check the Life-Safety / Property Damage / Utilities issues.

c)      Check the appropriate BOX: (Need Help / No Response / OK).

d)      Make any additional comments.

e)      Sign and date the Assessment form.

f)       Tie a plastic ribbon so it can be seen from the street, indicating the assessment status:

                                                        i.            Red - Need Help

                                                       ii.            Yellow – No Response (The residence will need to be checked again.)

                                                     iii.            Green – OK (No major damage or injuries.)

6. After completing the individual assessment form for all residences in the location, team members will report back to the assembly place and give the completed packet(s) back to the scribe.

7. The scribe will record the time the team reported back in and note the assessed status of each residence on the Location/Team form.

8. CERT teams and Emergency Responders can be given the addresses where “Need Help” is indicated.

[The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks.]

Resource: FEMA website

 

No comments:

Post a Comment

GMRS & amateur radio frequencies

  More information about radio frequencies here: https://noji.com/hamradio/frequencies.php