Disaster Preparedness - Emergency Planning

Disaster Preparedness Requires a Written Plan.

Hurricane Katrina, almost immediately followed by hurricane Rita, should have taught us all a good lesson or two about the value of being prepared for an emergency. Many in harms way who chose to ignore the warnings of an impending disaster did indeed pay a heavy price for their inability or unwillingness to evacuate the danger zones.

In the event of a disaster it is not wise to think that someone else, especially "Big Brother", will bail you out, at least in a timely manner. Should you be involved in a true disaster situation you may well have to be your own first responders.

While government's prime responsibility is to protect its' citizens from harm of any kind, man made or natural disasters, as an individual it is your primary responsibility as best you can to insure the safety of your own family. The government, even when it manages disaster situations well, may or may not be there when you need help the most.

Unless you are prepared for an emergency well in advance, there is little hope that you will be able to do much to properly cope with your situation immediately after disaster strikes. Even taking a few simple steps to prepare you and your family for an emergency may well be the difference between life and death. While that may seem to be a dramatic statement I expect that those directly in the path of Katrina and Rita would readily agree.

One of the most important aspects of emergency planning is to have a written emergency plan and check list in place for you and your family to follow prior to and in the event of an emergency. This plan will serve you well regardless of the cause of the emergency. The plan and check list should include the following items:

1. A predetermined place to go should family members and/or those in your care become separated. Establishing an assembly point in advance can save a lot of grief in the face of disaster. Stockpiling emergency food and water supplies at such a point can be a real lifesaver. If you are heading for a public shelter if at all possible you should know before arriving what facilities will be available.

2. ID bracelets or ID cards for all family members. This is especially important for small children.

3. A telephone number outside of your immediate area that is known by all family members. This number may be a willing relatives number or even a 24 hour a day answering service. It is a good idea to include the number on your ID bracelets.

4. Enough food and water stored in a safe place at or near your home, to last for at least a week. MRE's and bottled water, plus water purification kits, are the best bet. Additional emergency supplies should be stockplied at your assembly area.

5. An emergency supply of extra clothing, blankets, soap, toothpaste, and the like should be packed away and ready to go. In the event of an evacuation your emergency supplies should be compact enough to quickly load into whatever transportation is available.

6. If you or any family member require prescription medicines be sure to keep at least a few extra weeks supply on hand.

7. A complete first aid kit is an obvious but often missing item that should not ever be overlooked in any household.

8. Most importantly keep some reserve cash on hand. Don't expect ATM machines to work in a severe emergency situation. Your checks will probably not be accepted either. Cash is best.

9. Don't forget that if evacuation is required gasoline may well be in short supply. Be sure to keep a full tank of gas in your vehicle if there is the slightest possibilty that you may have to evacuate. Keeping a five gallon can or two of extra gasoline on hand is also prudent. Be sure to store it properly outside of your house. A free standing tool shed or storage building is best. If you live in an apartment I would not advise storing gasoline on the premises.

10. You should own a hand cranked radio. Being able to hear the latest news, weather reports, and instructions from the authorities will be invaluable in any emergency situation.

I'm sure that you can think of other items to add to this list. No doubt that it is expensive and difficult to cover all of the bases when the nature and full extent of an emergency may be unknown in advance. However, if you live in a flood plain, earthquake zone, or area subject to hurricanes it only makes sense to prepare for the most likely emergency event that may occur in your area.

Should disaster strike even a modest amount of advance planning can pay huge dividends. In the dangerous world we live in today everyone should set aside a little time and put together a well thought out written emergency plan.

Author Gerald David Greene's notes: I have lived in Thailand for the past two years. I was a few hundred miles away in Pattaya when the Tsunami devastated Pluket. While I was well removed from the path of destruction the very graphic images of the disaster shown on Thai TV channels left a lasting impression.

Less than a year later back to back hurricanes Katrina and Rita carved out their own paths of destruction along the US Gulf Coast. Weather experts at the National Hurricane Center believe that we are in a long term phase of a period of increased storm activity.

In addition, with the possibility of increased terrorist attacks it seems that it is more important than ever to be prepared for disaster. With this in mind I recently started an Internet project that will focus on increasing the odds of surviving a disaster.

The first cut of this new project may be seen at Emergency Survival Supply