personal preparedness empowering yourself for disasters

Personal PreparednessPersonal Preparedness

Empowering yourself for disasters

Why Prepare?Why Prepare?• There are 10 natural disasters that occur

in WA State.

• The Government cannot be everywhere.

• Just In Time (JIT) inventory practices.

• YOU are the best qualified person to develop your preparedness.

• Your preparedness begins and ends with YOU.

Some Disaster ExamplesSome Disaster Examples• Earthquakes

• Volcanoes

• Wind Storms

• Ice Storms

• Tsunamis

• Seiches

• Mud Slides

• Blizzards

•Tornadoes

•Flooding

•Black Outs

•Wildfires

•Man-made Hazards

•Terrorism

•Pandemic Outbreak

Disaster in the MediaDisaster in the Media

Disaster in the MediaDisaster in the Media

Disaster in the MediaDisaster in the Media

Level of PreparednessLevel of Preparedness

CommonCommon

StereotypesStereotypes

UNDUE BURDEN ON US SCARES THE NEIGHBORS

The BalanceThe Balance3 or more days3 or more days

• Water first• Shelter• Light• Heat • Critical meds/first aid• Communication• Transportation• Food• Training

Areas of PreparednessAreas of PreparednessHomeHome

– Insurance– Financial (direct-deposit, rainy-day and petty cash)– Hazard reduction– Know how to turn off your utilities– Have an evacuation plan for your home.– Non-structural mitigation– Pets– 72+ Hours kit – Food Storage– Special needs items– Vital records protection– Heat, light, power alternatives

Sample Evacuation Plan

Smoke Detector

Escape Route

Bedroom

Bath

Bedroom

Living Room

Family RoomKitchen

Dining Room

Meet Here

Water Shut-Off

Label for Quick identification

The water shut-off indicates:a counter-clockwise turn of the

valve to shut off and clockwise turn to turn on

(rightie tightie, lefty loosie)

Pull-out cartridge fuses

Electrical Shut-Off

Circuit Breaker

The electrical shut-off procedure shows both a circuit box and a fuse box and shows two steps.

Step 1 is to shut off the main circuit (or main fuse switch). Step 2 is to turn off all individual breaker (or unscrew fuses).

Gas Meter and Shut-Off Valve

Gas Meter and Shut-Off Valve

Have a wrench stored in a specific location where it will be immediately available

Areas of PreparednessAreas of Preparedness

Car/CommuteCar/Commute– 72+ hours kit– Full tank– Road side emergency kit– Cell phone– First aid kit– Maps of local area– Light

Areas of PreparednessAreas of Preparedness

WorkWork– 72+ hours kit– Special needs items– Personal Hygiene kit– Extra water– Extra food– Sleeping bag– Extra clothing– Light

Special Topics In PreparednessSpecial Topics In Preparedness

An Unfortunate Pink Flamingo Mass Casualty Incident…..

Bird-Flu ExplanationBird-Flu Explanation

Bird Flu Host

H5N1

Human Flu Host

Patient 0

New Pandemic Flu

Pandemic Flu FactsPandemic Flu FactsLarge Pandemics have occurred in:

– 1918 (Spanish Flu H1N1)– 1957 (Asian Flu H2N2 )– 1968 (Hong Kong Flu H3N2)

Pandemic outbreaks are natural

They average about every 30 years

A new outbreak means that a new virus or new mutation in an existing virus has occurred.

At the outbreak, there is no vaccine

Vaccines will take about 6 months

Pandemic PrecautionsPandemic Precautions

• Plenty of Rest• Proper diet• Wash your hands• Cover your coughs/sneezes• Stay home when sick• Other standard preparedness

steps as usual• DON’T PANICDON’T PANIC

Just like mom always said……….

Plastic and Duct TapePlastic and Duct Tape

Short-Term Sheltering in PlaceShort-Term Sheltering in Place

• Plastic and Duct Tape are used to reduce the possibility of outside contaminates entering the temporary shelter.

• Appropriate only for short-term (few hours) and only with certain substances under certain conditions.

Example DiagramExample Diagram

Personal Disaster RecoveryPersonal Disaster RecoveryRobert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act

(Stafford Act)

• Personal assistance from FEMA limited to $28,200 for Federal Fiscal Year 2007 – Not including SBA loans. – Adjusted annually based on the consumer price index for all

consumer goods.• Most disaster victims do NOTNOT get this much. • In WA, the average is $6,000• Small Business Administration (SBA) loans

– Must be qualified for– Have an interest rate applied – Limited by law to $40,000 for contents and $200,000 for

structure.

The Harsh RealitiesThe Harsh Realities

• FEMA/Government will NOTNOT pay to replace a house.• They usually will not deliver food and will not buy

generators.• Your mortgage company will still want to get paid, even if

the house is totaled.• Public shelters are not the best place to weather a

disaster.• Stores and banks work in a “Just In Time” (JIT) business

model for re-supply.• Even mild disruption of local infrastructure will close

businesses and services.• Public disaster assistance from the Red Cross and other

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) is limited

Empowerment…..Empowerment…..

Mark Inglis was the first double-amputee to summit Mt. Everest in 2006.

The Bright SideThe Bright Side

Knowledge is POWER!• NOW is the best time to plan and prepare• Insurance is one of the best ways to

ensure financial recovery.• Take advantage of FREE information and

training to get ready.• Personal Preparedness is affordable and

do-able by just about everyone.