Be Prepared

CEBU, Philippines — It is no longer exclusively a Boy Scouts motto. In this day and age of frequent natural calamities, everyone else might as well espouse it. “Be Prepared.”

Of course, there are agencies formed or mandated to respond to any emergency situation – Risk Reduction and Management Council, Office of Civil Defense, Red Cross, Department of Health etc. But individuals shall be prepared, as well. Indeed, disaster preparedness is everybody’s concern.

Katherine Boehrer, writing at the website www.huffingtonpost.com,shares a simplified list of tips for preparing for an emergency:

1. Know what may come. Part of preparation is to know exactly what kind of disasters you might face and knowing what to do in each situation. We need to worry about typhoons, earthquakes, and disease outbreaks. There is no such thing as living in a disaster-free zone. Learn about the most possible disasters that can strike in your area and how you can prepare for those.

2. Learn your area’s evacuation routes and shelter locations.The time to figure these things out isn’t while a storm is bearing down on your home, or after a tsunami warning has been issued. Evacuations are actually pretty common, so it will serve you well to know the details ahead of time. Such information may be had from your local disaster management council.

You should also know the escape routes from your own home, including the more obscure ones, like out that ground-level window in your bathroom. If you have kids, draw them a map and post it near their door. You should also plan where your family will regroup if you must evacuate your house. Pick one location right outside your home, and one outside the neighborhood, in case you must leave the area. Decide ahead of time where you would go in case of an evacuation, whether it’s a friend’s or relative’s house or an evacuation shelter.

3. Know how you’ll reconnect with people who matter.If cellphone networks aren’t working, you don’t just need to worry about how your Facebook updates. Consider how you will contact your family or other loved ones. How will you let others know you are alright? Figuring this out ahead of time can make everything so much easier in a difficult situation.

The Red Cross recommends using an out-of-area emergency contact to have family members check in with, since it may be easier to make long distance calls. Everyone should also have a list of emergency contacts and local emergency numbers.

4. Sign up for emergency alerts and communication with emergency officials. You can get these on your cellphone, if you haven’t disabled them already. Yes, the blaring noise overtaking the silent mode on your phone can be annoying, but this is probably the best way to learn about emergencies if you are constantly attached to your phone. The emergency alert system also broadcasts over the radio and television, and the weather bureau is always quick to issue advisories before and during a weather situation.

5. Learn what to do if you’re caught away from home.Obviously you may not be at home when disaster strikes. In the case of an unexpected emergency, you should be prepared to react from different locations, including your workplace or car. Most of this is pretty basic matter – again, know your evacuation routes, communication plan and how you’ll receive emergency notification. Have a plan for reconnecting with kids who may be at school, daycare or after-school activities. Talk to school officials to see how they will communicate with families in an emergency, if they have a shelter in place and where they will go if they are forced to evacuate.

6. Have an emergency kit and know how to use it. You need to have some basic necessities covered, including food, water, basic first aid supplies and other emergency equipment that you might already have (like flashlights and duct tape). The key is to have these things assembled and ready to use. Make sure everything is in working order. Some kits are available for purchase pre-packed, but remember, if you don’t know how to use what you have, it could be useless.

7. Keep in mind people who may need special preparation. Kids, infants, people with disabilities and the elderly may all need special considerations while planning for an emergency. If you or a family member need medication or special equipment, make sure you have a plan to bring it with you. Talk to your neighbors about how you can help one another in a disaster, and check on each other in case of an emergency.

8. Prepare for your pets, too.The goal of emergency preparedness is to keep the whole family safe – and that includes pet animals. If you need to evacuate, you should never leave your pet behind. Try to evacuate to a friend or family member’s house, as pets may not be allowed inside evacuation shelters. Keep a pet emergency kit on hand with food and other important items. It will help to have tags on pets, so they can be identified and returned to you, if ever.

9. Learn useful emergency skills.Make sure you know little things that can make a huge difference, like how to use a fire extinguisher or perform basic first aid. Get trained in CPR or the even simpler hands-only CPR, which could help save someone’s life in an emergency. You can also learn how to shut off utilities in your house in case of a disaster that may damage gas, water or electrical lines.

10. Find out how to help during a disaster.Want to help out even more? Learn how you can be a community leader during a disaster or teach others how to be prepared. Volunteer positions with local emergency response agencies or nonprofit organizations are available in a huge range of capacities.