The Family Emergency Plan Cont. from a couple weeks ago.

Utah is exposed to a variety of natural disasters such as floods, wild-land fires, severe weather, and earthquakes. The state also deals with hazardous materials. Before disaster strikes, make sure that your family, business, school, and community have emergency plans. Preparing the people of Utah for whatever disasters may arise is one of the main goals of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Homeland Security and Be Ready Utah.

You are encouraged to take four major steps toward preparedness: Make a Plan, Get a Kit, Be Informed, and Get Involved. Because disasters can happen at any time; at home, at work, at school, or elsewhere, your family emergency plan needs to describe how and where your family will reunite should members be separated. It should also include what you will do if water, natural gas, electricity, or telephone services are not available.

For more information that will help you to prepare for any emergency or disaster, visit www.bereadyutah.gov.

TIPS FOR PET OWNERS

When preparing your home for
an earthquake, don’t forget to
include your pets on the list.
They will depend on you even
more after an earthquake to
take care of them and their
needs.

Before an Earthquake

Store enough food and water to last for 72
hours, preferably for one week. Prepare a
shelter or evacuation kit for your pet,
including an unbreakable dish, veterinarian
records, a restraint (leash or pet carrier) and
medication with instructions.

Keep you pet’s ID tag up-to-date.

Make sure nothing can fall on your pet.

Arrange for a neighbor to take care of
your pet if you are not able to get home after
earthquake.

During and After an Earthquake

Do not try to hold on to your pet during
the shaking. Animals will instinctively
protect themselves and hide where they’re
safe. If you get in their way, even the nicest
pets can turn on you.

Be patient with your pets after a quake.
They get stressed just like people and need
time to readjust. They may disappear for
some time, but they generally show up again
when things have calmed down.

If you have outdoor pets, you should keep
them indoors until the aftershocks have
subsided and they have calmed down.

If you must evacuate your home, leave
your pet secured in a safe place. Pets will
not be allowed at shelters. Be sure to leave
plenty of clean water and food. If possible,
visit pet daily until you can return home.

This information is from the Utah Seismic Safety Commission and is found on our website HERE.

ORGANIZING YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, after an earthquake.

After an earthquake or other
disaster, emergency response
agencies could be overburdened
and might not be able to get to
your neighborhood immediately.
You and your neighbors or
coworkers may need to take the
initial emergency response
actions and take care of others for
at least 72 hours. Past
earthquakes have thrust many
untrained people into positions of
providing first aid and rescuing
people. You need to be prepared!
If a response team has not been
organized in your neighborhood
or workplace, form one now.
Joining and forming a community
response team can greatly
improve your chances of surviving
an earthquake and can
improve the self-sufficiency of
neighborhood.

Training

Learn simple firefighting techniques.

Learn basic search-and-rescue skills.

Learn to assess yourself, your family and
coworkers for injuries.

Learn to assess your home and workplace
for hazards or damage.

Learn to assess your community for
hazards, needs and available resources.

Contact your local police and fire
departments, city/county Office of
Emergency Services, American Red Cross
chapter or community college to arrange for
speakers and training workshops. Response
teams should arrange to participate in
annual earthquake exercises sponsored by
local government and businesses.

Inventory Your Neighbors’ Skills

As a part of the community response team
planning process, teams should conduct an
inventory of the skills and resources
available at home, work and community.
You should have this information on hand.

Before an earthquake for efficient,
effective responses. Identify people who:

Have medical, electrical, child-care,
leadership, firefighting, and survival skills.

Own chain saws, citizen band radios, four
wheel drive vehicles, motorcycles and water
purifiers.

Are willing and able to be a
runner/bicycler to deliver messages if
telephone lines are down.


Every home or office has people with
special needs. Your neighborhood
response team should work with these
individuals in advance to determine what
extra assistance or supplies they may
require after an earthquake or other
emergency.
Some of the people who may
require special assistance included:

Physically Challenged

Deaf or hearing impaired

Blind

Limited mobility—wheelchair-bound

Persons who require special oxygen
supply

Persons with significant medical
conditions

Other

Children who spend time alone

Non-English speaking

Store Supplies

In addition to the water, food and other
supplies that everyone needs to stock,
members of the community response
team should store tools. Items such as the
following should be stored in a central
and easily accessible location.

Gloves and goggles

Adjustable wenches

Hard hats and vest

Flashlights with extra batteries

Axes and crowbars

Ropes

This information is from the Utah Seismic Safety Commission and is found on our website HERE.

HOW TO SECURE YOUR FURNITURE.

You must secure the contents of
your home or office to reduce
hazards. You should secure
anything heavy enough to hurt
you if it falls on you. Here are
steps you should take to secure
your possessions.

Secure Tabletop Objects

TVs, stereos, computers, lamps and
chinaware can be secured with buckles and
safety straps attached to the tabletop (which
allows for easy movement of the units when
needed) or with hook and loop fasteners
glued to both the table and the unit.

Glass and pottery objects can be secured
with nondrying putty or microcrystalline
wax.

Secure Items in Your Kitchen

Use child-proof latches, hook and eye
latches or positive catch latches, designed
for boats, to secure your cabinet doors.

Make sure your gas appliances have
flexible connectors to reduce the risk of fire.

Secure your refrigerator to prevent
movement.

Anchor Your Furniture

Secure the tops of all top-heavy furniture
such as bookcases and file cabinets to the
wall. Be sure to anchor to the stud, not just
to the plasterboard. Flexible fasteners such
as nylon straps allow tall objects to sway
without falling over, reducing the strain on
the studs.

Protect Yourself from Broken Glass

Replace your windows with ones made
from safety glass or cover them with a
strong shatter-resistant film. Be sure you use
safety film and not just a solar filter.

Secure Overhead Objects

Ceiling lights and fans should be
additionally supported with a cable bolted to
the ceiling joist. The cable should have
enough slack to allow it to sway.

Framed pictures, especially glass-covered,
should be hung from closed hooks so that
they can't bounce off. Only soft art such as
tapestries should be placed over beds and
sofas.

This information is from the Utah Seismic Safety Commission and is found on our website HERE.

PREPARING YOUR FAMILY FOR AN EARTHQUAKE

When preparing for an earthquake,
plan on having enough supplies to get
you and your family through at least
the first 72 hours. After a major
earthquake, there's a good chance that
traditional emergency response teams
will be too busy to take care of you and
your family. You need to prepare your
home and neighborhood.

The Plan

Stock up on at least a three-day supply of
food, water, clothes, medical supplies and other
necessary equipment for everyone in your
family. Make sure everyone knows where to
find them.

Decide where and when to reunite your family
should you be apart when an earthquake
happens.

Choose a person outside the immediate area to
contact if family members are separated. Long
distance phone service will probably be restored
sooner than local service. Do not use the phone
immediately after the earthquake.

Know the policies of the school or daycare
center your children attend. Make plans to have
someone pick them up if you are unable to get
them.

If you have a family member that does not
speak English, prepare an emergency card
written in English indicating that persons
identification, address and any special needs
such as medication or allergies. Tell that person
to keep the card with him/her at all times.

Conduct Earthquake: Duck, Cover & Hold
drills every six months with your family.
Know the safest place in each room because it
will be difficult to move from one room to
another during an earthquake.

Locate the shutoff valves for water, gas and
electricity. Learn how to shut off the valves
before a quake. If you have any questions, call
your utility company.

Make copies of vital records and keep them in
a safe deposit box in another city or state. Make
sure originals are stored safely.

Before a quake occurs, call your local Red
Cross chapter and Office of Emergency Services
to find out about their plans for emergency
shelters and temporary medical centers in case
of such a disaster.

Establish all the possible ways to exit your
house. Keep those areas clear.
Know the locations of the nearest fire and
police stations.

Take photos and/or videos of your valuables.
Make copies and keep them in another city or
state.

Include your babysitter and other household
help in your plans.

Keep an extra pair of eyeglasses and house
and car keys on hand.

Keep extra cash and change. If electricity is
out, you will not be able to use an ATM.

General Tips

Stay away from heavy furniture, appliances,
large glass panes, shelves holding objects, and
other large decorative masonry, brick or plaster
such as fireplaces.

Keep your hallway clear. It is usually one of
the safest places to be during an earthquake.
Stay away from kitchens and garages, which
tend to be the most dangerous places because of
the many items kept there.

This information is from the Utah Seismic Safety Commission and is located on our website HERE.

TIPS FOR THE ELDERLY, EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS.

Before an Earthquake

Eliminate hazards. Make it as easy as
possible to quickly get under a sturdy table
or desk for protection.

Anchor special equipment such as
telephones and life support systems. Fasten
tanks of gas, such as oxygen, to the wall.

Keep a list of medications, allergies,
special equipment, names and numbers of
doctors, pharmacists and family members.
Make sure you have this list with you at all
times.

Keep an extra pair of eyeglasses and
medication with emergency supplies.

Keep walking aids near you at all times.
Have extra walking aids in different rooms
of the house.

Put a security light in each room. These
lights plug into any outlet and light up
automatically if there is a loss of electricity.
They continue operating automatically for
four to six hours, and they can be turned off
by hand in an emergency.

Make sure you have a whistle to signal for
help.

Keep extra batteries for hearing aids with
your emergency supplies. Remember to
replace them annually.

Keep extra emergency supplies at your
bedside.

Find two people you trust who will check
on you after an earthquake. Tell them your
special needs. Show them how to operate
any equipment you use. Show them where
your emergency supplies are kept. Give
them a spare key.
During and After an Earthquake

If you are in bed or sitting down, do not
getup.

If you are standing, duck and cover or sit
down. You could be thrown to the floor if
you are standing.

Prepare to be self-sufficient for at least
three days.

Turn on your portable radio for
instructions and news reports. For your own
safety, cooperate fully with public safety
officials and instructions.

Prepare for aftershocks.

If you evacuate, leave a message at your
home telling family members and others
where you can be found.

This information is from the Utah Seismic Safety Commission and is found on our website HERE.

TIPS FOR PREPARING CHILDREN FOR AN EARTHQUAKE.

Children need to be prepared for an
earthquake as much as adults, if not
more.


Infants and Toddlers

For infants and toddlers, special emphasis
should be placed on making their
environment as safe as possible.

Cribs should be placed away from
windows and tall, unsecured bookcases and
shelves that could slide or topple.

A minimum of a 72-hour supply of extra
water, formula, bottles, food, juices,
clothing, disposable diapers, baby wipes and
prescribed medications should be stored
where it is most likely to be accessible after
an earthquake. Also keep an extra diaper bag
with these items in your car.

Store strollers, wagons, blankets and cribs
with appropriate wheels to evacuate infants,
if necessary.

Install bumper pads in cribs or bassinettes
to protect babies during the shaking.

Install latches on all cupboards (not just
those young children can reach) so that
nothing can fall on your baby during a
quake.

Preschool and School-age Children

By age three or so, children can understand
what an earthquake is and how to get ready
for one. Take the time to explain what causes
earthquakes in terms they'll understand.
Include your children in family discussions
and planning for earthquake safety. Conduct
drills and review safety procedures every six
months.

Show children the safest places to be in
each room when an earthquake hits. Also
show them all possible exits from each
room.

Use sturdy tables to teach children to
Duck, Cover & Hold.

Teach children what to do wherever they
are during an earthquake (at school, in a tall
building, outdoors).

Make sure the child's emergency cards at
school are up-to-date.

Although children should not turn off any
utility valves, it's important that they know
what gas smells like. Advise children to tell
an adult if they smell gas after an
earthquake.


This information is from the Utah Seismic Safety Commission, and found on our website HERE.

EARTHQUAKE: Duck, Cover and Hold

No matter where you are, know how to protect yourself
and your family during an earthquake. Practice taking
cover as if there were an earthquake and team the
safest places in your home and work. Practice getting
out of your home and check to see if the planned exits
are clear and if they can become blocked in an
earthquake. Practice turning off your electricity and
water. Know how to turn off the gas, but do not practice
this step. In the event of an earthquake, once you turn
off your gas, only your utility company should turn it
back on for safety reasons.

TIPS:

When in a HIGH-RISE BUILDING, move against
an interior wall if you are not near a desk or table.
Protect your head and neck with your arms. Do not use
the elevators.

When OUTDOORS, move to a clear area away
from trees, signs, buildings, or downed electrical wires
and poles.

When on a SIDEWALK NEAR BUILDINGS, duck
into a doorway to protect yourself from falling bricks,
glass, plaster and other debris.

When DRIVING, pull over to the side of the road
and stop. Avoid overpasses and power lines. Stay
inside your vehicle until the shaking stops.

When in a CROWDED STORE OR OTHER
PUBLIC PLACE, move away from display shelves
containing objects that could fall. Do not rush for the
exit.

When in a STADIUM OR THEATER, stay in your
seat, get below the level of the back of the seat and
cover your head and neck with your arms.

This information is from the Utah Seismic Safety Commission, and is found on our website HERE.

Being prepared is important.

Take the time to prepare your family this week for an Earthquake.

April 4th - 10th is Earthquake Preparedness Week

Governor Herbert Declares April 4th-10th Earthquake Preparedness Week

Next week is Earthquake Preparedness Week! Are you and your family prepared?

Each day we'll post information on how to prepare for "the big one". Want to get some information now? Check out Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country to get an idea of the dangers here in Utah and what you need to prepare for now!


The Be Ready Utah Team