Our local fire district and the Town of Los Altos Hills have been very proactive about training residents to help out during local disasters.
During the training a lot of information is covered in a short amount
of time. To help people wrap their heads around some basic and
practical principles, as well as to give them easily actionable guidance
I've created this very short playbook designed to fit on one piece of letter sized paper. Print it out and put it on the
refrigerator to discuss with family. Before it happens - Be prepared!
- Plan how your family will
communicate and be reunited
- Pick an out of town contact person with a cell phone; make
sure your family knows this number by heart and learn how to text with
your phone (it's much more likely to work during a disaster than making a
voice call)
- Pick a rally point - usually your home. Your family
should meet here, or if they can't then at least tell the out of town
contact where they are.
- Have a message pad and pencil outside
your rally point, in a discrete, fireproof, and rugged location, and that is known by everyone in your family. If you need to
leave your rally point before the others arrive, then write down what
you are doing on the message pad and let them know when you expect to be
back.
- Learn
how to turn off the gas to your house and perform first aid.
- Put
together kits: either 24 hour, 72 hour, or 1 week+ and have them stored
outside your home in a rodent and waterproof container, and away from flammable objects.
As "it" happens, the first 10 minutes
- Avoid
(further) injury: Stop. Look around. Think. - Are you safe
right now? Get to safety in an orderly fashion.
- First Aid:
Is there anyone else in dire need of help? Can you help them without
endangering yourself? Know ahead of time where people should go for
help and direct them there.
First steps, 10 minutes after
- Tune-in
to the emergency broadcast system. Best bet is the radio in your car.
- Go home: You did pick a
rally point for your family? Go there. Most likely you will be driving
so drive slowly, and safely. Be extra careful of others as they
may be speeding to get home and not paying attention - they might even
run stop lights. Drive around problems - that SUV can get stuck easily,
so don't test it's abilities.
- Pay
attention while driving home. Ascertain how good or bad things
are, and any areas you might want to avoid in the future.
- Check
the gas. When you get home, it's likely people will be in the
street talking. Avoid that distraction and check the gas at your home.
If it's leaking turn off the gas.
- Stay in touch: Next go
to your message pad, and write down that you arrived home in safety and
the time. If you know any critical information that might affect their
safety, write it down. Only spend a few minutes doing this.
- Help others in need: Once your family
is safe, and you want to help others, contact your local CERT control
center and check in. Avoid immediately going into your neighborhood to
provide help, as there may be dangers you're not aware of, or other
areas in much greater need of your assistance - CERT control is the best
way to allocate resources.
Before nightfall
- Find
shelter: Make sure you have a place to sleep. An easy solution is to grab a blanket and sleep in your car.
- Stay hydrated: Food isn't very
important, even for the first few days, but water is. Always have a
water bottle with you and take sips frequently.
The day after
- Stay warm,
dry, and rested: If this turns into a protracted event, you don't
want to get sick.
- Eat:
If you have stocked food at home, then great. Avoid starting fires
while cooking. If you need to get food, the local supermarket may be
operating in a limited capacity - and bring cash.
- Don't be a
spectator: You'll likely get in the way, divert resources away from
saving lives, and you might even get hurt yourself.
After a week- Stay or go? If the disaster is going to
last a week or more, start thinking about whether its better to leave
the area. Listen to guidance from the emergency broadcast system, and
your local CERT command post. If you need to leave, use a car that is
in the best running condition, gets good mileage, and has the most gas.
Do not expect to buy gas on the way.
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