19 Kit Calendar

Getting That Kit Together

Whenever the topic of Disaster Preparedness comes up, one of the comments I hear most often is, “I don’t know where to start!”  I always try to soothe their fears by telling them they don’t have to build their kit all at once, nor does it have to torpedo their budget in the process.  I subscribe to the “Just Do Something!” school of thought.   Even though you may be at a loss as to how to get started, just buying new batteries for your flashlight, maybe a few candles and some Spam (for the shelf, of course) is a move in the right direction.

Someone recently handed me a booklet produced by Coos County Emergency Management.  This little book is chock full of great ideas.  There is a rundown of all the various kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made that could conceivably affect our lives here on the south coast. Included are sections on planning, document storage, evacuation and helping children cope, among others.

All of the information in the booklet is good stuff, and very relevant to our area.  The best part of the publication is the section titled “Your Disaster Supplies Calendar”.  This chapter takes you on a 24 week journey that will assist you in creating a family disaster supplies kit.  The step-by-step guide gives you a list of practical things to purchase each week.  Not only a shopping list, but a weekly to-do list as well.  If you follow this guide, by the end of the six-month period you will be well-stocked and ready to face any disaster that may come your way.  

Many of the items on this list are things you probably already have on hand, but it never hurts to have an extra pair of good work gloves in your kit.  At least you know where they are.  Both of them.  

Now for the really best part.  This booklet is free and it is available online to print off on your home printer.  Just go online to http://www.co.coos.or.us/ccem/emindex.html, or Google “Coos County Emergency Management”  look for “Are You Ready Booklet” on the left side of the page.    I’m sure you’ll find it a valuable resource as you move toward being prepared.  As always send your questions or comments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.

18 Medical Kit

Getting Your Medical Kit Together

First aid kits are cool!  Like gadgets, I can’t pass up a good one.  Every time I see a display of first aid kits I have to stop and look them over.  I don’t always buy, mind you, but I do check out the contents to see if this one is any more comprehensive than the one I just looked at.  Fact is I have one in every vehicle I own, including a special “Outdoorsman kit” in the tool compartment of my ATV!  I once ran across a real sale at an Eddie Bauer store and bought a very nice travel kit that was marked 75% off!  The fact is most first aid kits all contain the same things.  A few Band-Aids, gauze bandages, some tape and maybe some pain killers or antacid tablets.

The problem I see is that if I happen upon an accident that truly requires some serious medical attention, a few Band-Aids and some little gauze patches aren’t going to do  a whole lot of good.  I don’t suggest you carry a full-blown trauma kit with you every where you go, but what I do suggest is that you at least take a good look at what you have in your trunk and possibly upgrade it a notch or two.  Bigger, better bandages, maybe a triangle bandage or something you can use to fashion a splint.  Better yet, get some training on how and when to use a splint or triangle bandage.  
A generation ago my wife and I went through E.M.T. training (at least that’s what they called it back then) and we volunteered on the local ambulance crew.  Some of what we learned back then is now out of date.  Is it five chest compressions and three mouth-to-mouth breaths or is it fifteen compressions and five breaths?  Fact is, neither are correct according to today’s paramedics.  The Red Cross website (www.redcross.org) now advocates a hands-only technique that does not use the mouth-to-mouth method at all.  (Whew what a relief, I’ve tried mouth-to-mouth and it is no fun!)  Go to a class and as you update your skills, you will update your confidence level as well.  I should add that full CPR training is available upon request, but learning the hands-only method can be done on-line by watching a video at the Red Cross website.
The kit you have in your car should look different from the kit you have at home.  Your  home kit should have more of a long-term feel to it.  Extra over-the-counter medications like antibiotic ointment, hydrogen peroxide, some alcohol (no, not that kind) and some diarrhea medication.  Once you get started it will grow and you’ll need to get a bigger box to hold it all.  (Experience talking here.)  As you already know, I am an advocate of building your own kits.  You’ll save money, plus you will have quality components and not a lot of stuff you’ll never use.  As always, your questions and comments are welcome at  disasterprep.dave@gmail.com

17 After The Shaking

After the Shaking

I personally have only experienced one minor earthquake.  What I remember is that my recliner was moving from side to side for no reason.  About that time my wife commented that “we’re having an earthquake!”  I walked in to the dining room and we both watched the chandelier over the table sway back and forth.  What I marveled at was that everything I had ever considered solid, stable and unshakable, wasn’t. I hadn’t realized it until then, but my whole paradigm of conscious living was based on the earth being solid.  It was pretty unsettling to discover otherwise.  All you transplanted Californians are old hands at this, but we Oregonians don’t exactly have our sea legs just yet.

I was recently reminded of a very good tip.  Keep a fair-sized trash bag under your bed that contains a flashlight, a warm shirt, pants and a good heavy pair of shoes.  Secure the bag’s draw-strings to the leg of your bed so that you always know where it is.  Push the bag under your bed and forget about it, until you need it.  Folks underestimate the amount of breakage that can occur during a quake. Running through your house in the dark barefooted is not what you want to do with broken glass all over the place.

Last time we learned what to do during a quake.  This time we’re going to take a look at what to do after the earth stops moving.  Wait until the movement stops.  If you’re inside a building, get out when it’s safe to do so.  Spending the day at the beach?  Get to high ground, and quickly.  In fact, make up your mind right now to act quickly!  Depending on the location and severity of the earthquake, you may only have ten minutes to get out of the tsunami zone.  

Once you’ve determined that you’re ok, then look for others that need your help.  You have just become a first responder.  The police, fire and emergency medical personnel are going to busy elsewhere, so you’re it!  How about your neighbors that may need help?  Are there seniors with mobility needs?  How about families with infants or special needs children.  I covered this in an earlier column about mapping your neighborhood.  If you have done all that, then you already know who will need assistance.

Along the way check the homes that have natural gas or propane. Inspect the control valves just in case there are any leaks. This is exactly why all the literature tells you not to light matches or candles following an earthquake and why they tell you to keep a wrench handy.

One more thought;  An old saying about keeping your head while all around you others are losing theirs, is wisdom worth having.  You can train yourself not to panic, your survival depends on it.  The survival of others may well depend on your ability to keep your head about you.  Determining now what action to take when the occasion arises will save time and quite possibly the lives of your neighbors when the time comes. As always you may contact me for comments or questions at disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.

16 During An Earthquake

During An Earthquake

A recent 6.0 earthquake off our coast is being viewed as either practice for the “Big One” or a stress reliever for our ever-moving tectonic plates.  We have previously explored what to do in preparation for an earthquake.  In this installment we’re going to learn what to do during a seismic event.  As I’ve mentioned earlier, most Oregonians are unfamiliar  with earthquakes and as a result, we don’t know how to behave during a seismic event.

Indoors.  The approved technique here is DROP, COVER and HOLD ON.  My instinct always told me that if I were inside a building, I should GET OUT!  Wrong.  More people are killed by falling building debris than being crushed by pancaked buildings.  So DROP to the floor so you don’t get knocked down by the violent shaking.  Get under something solid like a strong table or desk, that’s the COVER part.  If there’s nothing to get under, cover your head and face and HOLD ON until the shaking stops.  

Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls and anything that fall. If you’re in bed, stay there.  Protect yourself with your pillow unless you are under a heavy light fixture or fan that could fall.  In that case move out of harm’s way.  And don’t go jump in the bathtub, that’s the wrong disaster.  That’s for tornadoes.    Doorways are a good refuge if you know they are a good solid, load-bearing doorway, and if they are close by.  Don’t go running around trying to find a protective doorway.  More injuries occur when people are looking for a sheltered spot than if they had just dropped to the floor to ride out the event.

Outdoors.  If you’re outdoors, stay there.  Move away from trees, power lines and anything that could potentially fall on you.  Ground movement is seldom the cause of fatalities, rather falling debris from collapsing buildings, shattered, flying glass and other falling objects are the biggest killers.

In a moving vehicle.   Stop as soon as possible.  Stay in the vehicle.  Avoid overpasses, stopping under or beside buildings, bridges, utility wires and trees.  

Don’t take time trying to decide what to do when it happens.  Make up your mind right now what you’re going to do, and when the shaking starts, do it!  The anatomy of an earthquake is such that  you must act quickly to stay safe.  Shed your normalcy bias and be ready to respond when you feel lthe first shake.  Doing so will provide leadership to those around you, minimize your own chance of injury and quite possibly save the life of someone else.  As always, if you have questions or comments you may contact me at disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.

15 Normalcy Bias

Normalcy Bias

        I recently came across a term that relates directly to disaster preparedness.  Normalcy bias.  Before I go any farther, I want to offer a disclaimer.  I am not a psychologist, although I have been known to try (as an amateur) to get inside someone’s head from time to time. I’m totally unqualified to comment on, analyze or otherwise complain about anyone’s behavior.  However, that never stopped any of us.
Normalcy bias is defined by Wikipedia as the state of mind people enter when faced with a disaster.  It causes people to underestimate both the possibility of a disaster occurring and its possible effects. This often results in situations where people fail to adequately prepare for a disaster, and on a larger scale, the failure of governments to include the populace in its disaster preparations. The assumption that is made in the case of the normalcy bias is that since a disaster never has occurred, then it never will.
Normalcy bias refers to our natural reactions when facing a crisis that since something has never happened to me before, then it never will. It is human nature. Having a strong normalcy bias will prevent someone from preparing or planning for a disaster.  Think ostrich-like behavior.
Like a teenager with a fresh drivers license.  He has never had an accident, so therefore it won’t happen to him.  The normalcy bias often results in unnecessary deaths in disaster situations. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans a few years ago, the government, at all levels, waited far too long to respond.  Even as it became clear that the levee system was not going to work, tens of thousands of people stayed in their homes, directly in the line of the oncoming waves of water. People had never seen things get this bad before... so they simply didn't believe it could happen. As a result, nearly 2,000 residents died.The lack of preparation for disasters often leads to inadequate shelter, supplies, and evacuation plans. Even when all these things are in place, individuals with a normalcy bias often refuse to leave their homes. Studies show that more than 70% of people check with others before deciding to evacuate.
As Barton Biggs reports in his book, Wealth, War, and Wisdom: "By the end of 1935, 100,000 Jews had left Germany, but 450,000 still remained. Wealthy Jewish families kept thinking and hoping that the worst was over.” This is one of the most tragic examples of the devastating effects of the "normalcy bias" the world has ever seen.
Perhaps the very first survival skill that someone could have is eliminating their normalcy bias. The realization that your comfort zone can change, and change rapidly, is the first step towards being adaptable. It is impossible to think about or plan for disaster if your mind cannot accept that it could actually happen.
As always, you may direct your comments and questions to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.

14 Fear Factor

The Fear Factor

        I always wear my seat belt.  I wear a helmet when I ride a motorcycle.  Most of us have learned that these things are in our best interest, just in case something goes wrong.  I do these things because in the event of an accident I am protected.  I do not wear them out of fear, but out of wisdom.  An ancient Hebrew proverb says, “A wise man foresees trouble and plans for it.  A fool goes on blindly and suffers the consequences.”
        If you make preparations out of fear, then you’re going to a lot of effort for the wrong reasons.  Several months back we held a Disaster Preparedness class at our church.  About 25 people attended.  At the class we discussed being prepared, having a kit, making a plan and being informed.  Among the topics discussed was the probability of an earthquake off the coast followed by a tsunami and the impact such an event would have on our region.          One of the attendees was a young mom who went home, grabbed her kids and pitched a tent out in a field near her house for fear of an earthquake leveling her home in the night.  That’s not exactly what we had in mind when we scheduled the class.
        The point is, get your kit together but not out of fear.  Make your plans and preparations out of wisdom so that when things do go wrong you will be better off than others.  You will be in a position to extend help to your neighbors rather than being a victim.
        I recently read an article in The World newspaper headlined, “Deputies rescue two motorists stuck in snow.”  It seems that this couple (Mensa candidates, I’m sure) was on a Forest Service road near Bend when they became stuck.  After trying to get unstuck, the guy takes off on foot for help.  Eventually the woman gets worried and dials 911.  He gets very cold after walking about three miles, turns around and goes back to the vehicle.  The story has a happy ending as searchers find them in their vehicle that same evening.  Now get this, a Deputy Sheriff reports that the man was wearing tennis shoes, jeans and a T-shirt.  Huh?
        Ok let’s analyze this.  Number one, if they have cell service why didn’t they just call for help to begin with?  And secondly, a T-shirt?!  Are you kidding me?  Don’t you think that if you are going to be out in the hills playing in the snow you might at least have a sweatshirt or jacket?   After all you could get stuck and have to walk out.  Not many of the canyons and gullies in our area have cell phone coverage.  At least he did have the presence of mind to get back to the vehicle, but overall I’d give him a “D” minus in survival sense.
        As always, if you have any comments or questions you may email me at disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.

13 Documenting Your Evacuation

Documenting your Evacuation

In the last installment, we discussed evacuating in the event things go very wrong and your home is no longer a safe place.  Just recently several families had to evacuate out of Mapleton and the Mohawk area in Eugene because of flood conditions.  In our own county, residents of Allegany were both isolated and evacuated.  Remember we are all only a major weather event away from being an evacuee.  
Several people locally were stranded in their homes by high water for up to four days or more, (including one of my employees).  Many were without power, thus underscoring what I’ve been saying all along, “Get A Kit, Make a Plan, and Be Informed.”  When you stay informed, you know when the creek is rising, when the wind is going to blow and how to prepare.  For those of us who have been around a while, we know which roads are going to flood and how to navigate around the problem areas.  Ranchers know when to get their livestock to high ground and schools know when to send the kids home.  Early pioneers learned their lessons the hard way.  The first settlers built their new town in the flat below what is now Myrtle Point.  After being flooded out three years in a row they decided to abandon the flood plain and build on the point of land above the river.  There must have been a stand of Myrtle trees nearby, because the new city eventually came to be called Myrtle Point.

Back to evacuation.  As I hinted in the last installment, “Prior planning prevents people yelling at each other.”   Ok well maybe that’s only partly true, but prior planning does diminish the energetic conversations when the evacuation is in progress.  One of the areas that is sometimes overlooked is that of document preservation.  The documents that people most resent losing are understandably their photographs. Second are vital records such as marriage certificates, birth certificates and other documents that are difficult to replace especially if government services are somehow restricted.  Lastly bills, insurance records, and bank statements.  If you need a list, send me an email (see e-dress at the end of this column) and I’ll forward a comprehensive list to you.  Free of charge.

There are two primary ways to preserve all of this.  First gather all your photos and other documents you want to save, go to somebody with access to a Xerox copier and have everything copied.  At this point you may want to visit a notary public and have certain documents notarized. Then bundle up your high-quality copies and put them in a safe place.  One suggestion is to mail them (via the United States Postal Service, of course) to a relative or trusted friend that lives out of the area.  

The second method is somewhat more hi-tech and requires a computer,scanner and flash drive. Scan your documents and save them on your flash drive, or use one of the online “cloud” technologies available for free.  If all this hi-tech stuff raises your anxiety level, then refer to the above paragraph.

I suggest you have fun with your preparations.  Make it a family affair.  In the event you ever need to use your preps your chances of survival are greatly increased.  As always, if you have questions or comments you may email me at disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.