Natural Disaster Emergency Preparedness

Emergency, like natural calamities such as flood, typhoon or hurricane, and earthquakes are a dangerous situation, requiring an immediate and fast response to avoid unwanted results ̶ injuries or death. Being able to make sure that you are safe before, during, and after any disaster is needed to counteract or respond effectively. What is needed is preparedness. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the U.S., it means a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating and taking corrective actions in an effort to ensure effective coordination during incident response. Emergency Preparedness can save your lie or your loved ones lives.

Now, that sounds really intimidating. But we cannot just depend on all, everything, every time to the government agencies for security and emergency, or a non-profit charity organization such as Red Cross. We too must take our part, be on a mission to help ourselves during these times.

 Nothing beats Planning and Preparation

1. Discuss within the household the type of emergency and how to respond to them, that may occur where you live, work, and your children (if any) attend to school and play. Include in it the roles and responsibilities of each member and how everybody will work together as a team.
2. Take a Drill. These agencies have for sure guidelines for families on how to prepare before and during an emergency that is short on time but essential. Here is some few advice from them:
3. Get a Kit. Purchase an emergency preparedness kit.
4. Discuss on the Kit Rules. Make sure that every member in the household knows where it is placed aside in the house and that is to be used for emergency only. Also, identify the uses of each item inside the kit. You may personalize the Kit also. You can add canned foods and other personal items in the kit. Below are the following items that should be available in your kit.

At a minimum, you should have the basic supplies listed below:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day good for three days: for drinking and sanitation
• Food (non-perishable), at least a three-day supply
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask to help filter contaminated air
• Plastic sheeting
• Duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towels, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Manual can opener for food
• Local maps
• Extra Cash

Consider also the needs of all family members and add supplies to your kit. Suggested items to help meet additional needs are:

• Medical supplies (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, etc)
• Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers)
• Games (toys) and activities for children
• Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl) – for those with pets
• Extra set (back-up) of car keys and house key
• Matches or lighter
• Rain Gear
• Towels

1. Make an Evacuation Plan. Have your own map and determine two or three destinations of evacuation areas and routes to go there. In your map, it is recommended to highlight them for an easier look at the event of the emergency.
2. Be informed. Information is essential, especially on a calamity hitting your area. Right at the beginning, knowing what natural disasters may or can affect your location and what to do helps to you keep heads up of the possible scenarios during the disaster. It is already recommended to stay updated on the weather forecast news if a typhoon or hurricane may hit your area. Follow the advice of local authorities if they are telling you to evacuate.
3. If away from home, ensure you know the hotline numbers, if possible write it down and have each member in the household has their own copies. Ensure that you have the contact numbers of the people close to you, like family.  They must know how to reach you and you know how to reach them.

 Keep it current and keep it with you. Information may include:

• Emergency hotlines, like 911
• Local Government Emergency and Safety Unit (hotlines and trunk lines)
• Local RED CROSS hotline
• Family phone numbers
• An out-of-town contact (a close relative, friend) – Name and phone or mobile numbers
• Common family emergency meeting place or evacuation area

4. Learning Hands-Only CPR. This skill is absolutely necessary. You can save a life from a cardiac arrest. Furthermore, also consider learning skills on First Aid.
5. Get connected. Keeping your data and devices available will keep you connected to the social media world, and post status updates (needed) on the current happening in your area or situation during the emergency. On the verge of no electricity, keep at reach your power banks, loaded enough to get you throughout the day/s so that when batteries of your smartphones are empty, it is there ready to back you up.

For the First Aid Kit

It is equally important to know how to treat minor injuries and how it can make a difference in an emergency. Below are the following items should be available in your kit:

• Two pairs of Latex or other sterile gloves
• Sterile dressings to stop bleeding
• Cleansing agent/soap and antibiotic towels
• Antibiotic ointment
• Burn ointment
• Adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes
• Eye wash solution to flush the eyes or as general decontaminate
• Thermometer
• Prescription medications you take every day such as insulin, heart medicine, and asthma inhalers.
• Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring equipment and supplies

Non-prescription drugs:

• Aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Antacid
• Laxative

Other first aid supplies for Emergency Preparedness:

• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Tube of petroleum jelly or another lubricant
• Oil Liniments

Having and knowing all these guidelines on emergency preparedness, it is an important reminder that we need to be ready to respond to natural or even man-made disasters ̶ always. Because disaster can strike at any time of the day, so it’s important to have a planned response whenever we are at work, on vacation or on the road.