Preparation is the best way anyone can help insure personal safety and more importantly survivability in a disaster situation. We in the Seattle area live in a zone that is likely to produce a wide spread disaster situation if and when we are delivered a major earthquake.
While we do suffer other types of situations that could be classified as a disaster none are as wide spread amongst the population or have such a potential for creating a situation of long term self reliance as does an earthquake in the Seattle area. Seattle has seen its share of emergencies and disasters, but so far has avoided outright catastrophe.
While Weisenbach Properties has and will continue to make preparations in a broad manner that will aid the most amount of people possible the major responsibility of your personal safety and preparation for long term self reliance remains on your own shoulders.
Should we actually suffer an earthquake reaching the magnitude of predictions emergency services are not going to be there to assist individuals and communities for at least (3) three days. 911 calls will not be dispatched at these times. The city defines a Disaster as being: When a situation overwhelms the available resources. The city just does not have the resources that would be needed to handle a situation of this type. In all probability the time frame would be measured in weeks.
The city has been working on Emergency Planning for some time now. SDART (Seattle Disaster Aid & Response Teams) is the City of Seattle’s all-hazard personal and neighborhood preparedness program. Its primary goal is to help people prepare to be self-sufficient for the three days following a serious disaster, when 911 emergency responders – police, fire, and medical personnel – may not be available.
Anna our Property Manager has attended the SDART course and is now certified in Disaster Light Search and Rescue as part of this localized program. You too can sign up for the programs offered by the city and become part of a block-oriented team that can aid others in the event of a disaster.
- 1.
Water - store a minimum of three gallons of water per person (one gallon
per person per day, for three days). Use clean, food-grade plastic containers,
such as two-liter soda pop bottles.
- 2.
Food - store at least a 3-day supply of food for people and pets. Choose
foods that are nutritious, require minimum preparation, and are items
you normally eat.
Alert: Using Food When the Power Goes Off
· First, use perishable foods, including those in the refrigerator.
· Second, use frozen foods from the freezer. To minimize the number of times you open the fridge and freezer doors, post a list of contents on the outside of the door.
· If you have frozen water containers in the freezer, move them into the fridge to help keep the temperature cool.
· Third, use canned and dried foods.
Alert: Cooking Without Electricity
· Never use cooking equipment designed for outdoor use indoors – this could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
- 3.
Critical First Aid Supplies - include a 3-day supply of prescription
medicines and an extra pair of eyeglasses and contact lenses with your
regular first aid supplies.
- 4.
Essential Tools & Supplies:
· AM battery-operated radio and extra batteries
· ABC fire extinguisher
· Manual can opener
· Baby supplies, and supplies for any who have special needs
Alert: Staying Warm Without Electricity
· Plan to have all household members sleep in the same room. Close off rooms that aren’t being used to conserve heat.
- 5.Use
sleeping bags and blankets, even during daylight hours, for extra warmth.
Alert: Lighting Without Electricity
· Use light sticks. These provide light from 30 minutes to 12 hours, and can be purchased at camping supply and hardware stores. Store these in the freezer to extend their shelf life.
· 6. Use flashlights. Store extra batteries in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life.
In the event
of an Earthquake the most important thing you can do to increase your
ability to lessen personal injury or death is to fight against all of
your natural instincts. Instinctively our first tendency is to take
flight in an effort to remove ourselves from danger. This is a natural
reaction and comes from many years of man taking flight away from danger.
In reality the majority of injuries and deaths happen to people who
are attempting to get away from the perceived danger. The safest and
best way to avoid these dangers is to immediately drop to the ground
and cover and hold. If there is a table, chair or any item you can get
under do so and hold onto the object tightly. This will help protect
from injury and increases your chance of survival should items or ceilings
fall into the room where you are. The old theory was to get to a doorway
and stand in it until the earthquake passed but in reality there is
absolutely no time for you to do this and actually places you in severe
danger. Once the danger has passed remove yourself from the danger and
be on the alert for anyone injured or in need of help
Once you exit the building DO NOT Return
into the building for any reason until instructed to do so. Look for
an area that is clear of any falling danger and wait there for further
instructions. Your assistance may be needed to aid others or to aid
in looking for anyone who is unaccounted for.
This is the time when everyone needs to group together to make efforts
and life easier for everyone until things begin to return to normalcy.
Both
your kitchen and your bathroom can pose many problems during an Earthquake.
Household products contain a variety of chemical components and many are
incompatible with one another. Some products can contain ammonia while others contain things such as chlorine. If ammonia and chlorine mix this can cause poisonous gases and some cleaning products contain other chemicals that can create a combination that is both explosive and a fire hazard.
Pay attention to how you store these items to help prevent an accidental mixing of the products should the containers break during a disaster.
The
things we have in our homes often have emotional value to us - and monetary
value as well. If we don't protect them, they could be harmed or destroyed
during a major disaster. And, even worse, if we don't secure them, they
could also injure the people (and pets) we love. For example, during the
ground shaking of an earthquake, televisions have been known to hurdle across
the room. And breaking glass from fallen mirrors and pictures frequently
leaves people vulnerable to the most common injury typically seen after
an earthquake, cut hands and feet.It would be prudent to make preparations for such an event in advance. Items that are above head level in any room should be secured in some manner to keep them from moving about. Something as simple as using Velcro under a television set or stereo can actually keep those items from falling off. Items such as knickknacks can be secured to furniture by placing florist clay under the items, which will keep them from falling off the furniture.
Items such as bookcases should be secured to the walls in some manner and care should be taken to place your heaviest items close to the floor with lighter items towards the top.
Yours and others safety and survival is directly related to the degree of pro-active measures you take as an insurance and assurance policy.
We can only be as safe as we make our homes and it is up to each of us to make personal inspection of our own homes and make evaluations of how safe your own space is and then to make the proper adjustments.