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1. Communication
2. Avoid Falling Objects
3. Rally point
4. Children
5. Elderly and disabled
6. Water, Food, Supplies
7. Documents
8. Training and Neighborhood Resources
You can survive an earthquake by following your family emergency preparedness
plan. Schedule a family meeting, including children and home health-care
providers to develop the plan. Include these areas of concern in your
plan:
1. COMMUNICATION
Choose an “Out-of-Town” contact. Ask an out-of-town friend
or relative to be your contact. After an earthquake, it is often easier
to make a long distance call than a local call from a disaster area.
Following the earthquake, or other disaster, family members should call
this person and tell them their location.
2. AVOID FALLING OBJECTS
Indoors: Drop, Cover, and Hold ON! During earthquakes, drop to the
floor; take cover under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to it firmly.
Be prepared to move with it until the shaking stops. The area near the
exterior walls of a building is dangerous. Windows, facades and architectural
details are often the first parts of the building to collapse. Stay
inside the building if you are inside and stay outside if you are outside
of the building.
In bed: Hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow.
You are less likely to be injured staying where you are. Broken glass
on the floor has caused injury to those who have rolled to the floor
or tried to get to doorways. Keep a sturdy pair of shoes and a flashlight
near your bed.
In a high-rise: Drop, Cover, and Hold! Avoid windows and other hazards.
Do not use elevators. Sprinkler systems or fire alarms may activate.
Outdoors: Move to a clear area if you can safely do so; avoid power
lines, trees, signs, buildings, vehicles, and other hazards.
Driving: Pull over to the side of the road, stop, and set the parking
brake. Avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, signs and other hazards.
Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking is over. If a power line falls
on the car, stay inside until a trained person removes the wire.
In a stadium or theater: Stay at your seat and protect your head and
neck with your arms. Don’t try to leave until the shaking is over.
Then walk out slowly watching for anything that could fall in the aftershocks.
Near the beach: Drop, cover, and hold on until the shaking stops. Immediately
evacuate to high ground as a tsunami might have been generated by the
earthquake. Move inland 2 miles or to land that is at least 100 feet
above sea level immediately. Don’t wait for officials to issue
a warning. Walk quickly, rather than drive to avoid traffic, debris
and other hazards.
Below a dam: Dams can fail during a major earthquake. Catastrophic
failure is unlikely, but if you live downstream from a dam be prepared
to evacuate with little or no notice.
3. RALLY POINT
Decide where to meet. Identify two rally points or meeting places. Choose
one immediately outside of your home and one outside of your neighborhood
in case you cannot return home.
Rally Point
4. CHILDREN
Disasters and emergencies are stressful for both children and adults;
however, preparation will reduce the stress level for all family members.
Involve children in developing your disaster plan.
Children
5. ELDERLY, DISABLED AND SPECIAL NEEDS FAMILY MEMBERS
Keep support items in a designated place, so they can be found quickly.
In advance, provide the power company with a list of all power-dependent
life support equipment required by family members. Develop a contingency
plan that includes an alternate power source for equipment or relocating
the person.
6. WATER, FOOD, AND SUPPLIES
You may not receive help from rescuers for 3 to 7 days. Emergency response
agencies and hospitals could be overwhelmed and unable to provide you
with immediate assistance. Everyone should have personal disaster supplies
kits, including one gallon of water per day for each adult, non-perishable
food, first aid items, prescription medications, etc. Keep one kit in
your home, another in your car, and a third kit at work or school.
Water, Food, General Supplies, First Aid Kits
7. DOCUMENTS
Keep copies of essential documents, such as identification, insurance
policies and financial records, driver’s license, citizenship
papers, birth certificates, animal licenses, marriage certificates,
etc., in a secure, waterproof container along with your disaster supplies
kits. Maintain current photographs of family members. Include household
inventory (a list of photos of belongs, including essential medical
equipment used by elderly or disabled family members).
Documents
8. TRAINING and RESOURCES
Your local chapter of the American Red Cross and the American Heart
Association offers classes in first aid and Automated External Defibrillators.
Community Emergency Response Training provides training in the areas
of basic search and rescue, emergency medical care, simple fire fighting
techniques,
Before an earthquake, identify neighbors with medical, electrical,
survival skills, can operate citizen band radios, leadership qualities,
etc.
Identify the neighborhood athletes who have the endurance to be a runner
or bicycle messenger if telephones are down.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
American Red Cross
Children and Disasters
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_602_,00.html
Disaster Preparedness for Children (English and Spanish) http://www.redcross.org/pubs/dspubs/childmtlsprt.pdf
Preparedness: A Task for Everyday Life
http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_239_,00.html
California Governor’s Office of Emergency
Duck, Cover & Hold
http://www.oes.ca.gov/Operational/OESHome.nsf/PDF/EQ%2014%20tips/$file/dch_drill.pdf
Emergency Supplies
http://www.oes.ca.gov/Operational/OESHome.nsf/PDF/EQ%2014%20tips/$file/checklist.pdf
How to Secure Your Furniture
http://www.oes.ca.gov/Operational/OESHome.nsf/PDF/EQ%2014%20tips/$file/furniture.pdf
How to Strap Down Your Water Heater
http://www.oes.ca.gov/Operational/OESHome.nsf/PDF/EQ%2014%20tips/$file/water_heater.pdf
Organizing Your Neighborhood
http://www.oes.ca.gov/Operational/OESHome.nsf/PDF/Organizing%20Your%20Neighborhood/$file/neighborhood.pdf
Tips for Pet Owners
http://www.oes.ca.gov/Operational/OESHome.nsf/PDF/EQ%2014%20tips/$file/pet_owners.pdf
Earthquake Country Alliance/Southern California Earthquake Center
www.earthquakecountry.info/roots
Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management
Be Safe at Work
http://lacoa.org/PDF/ESP_Aug05.pdf
Make a Plan
http://lacoa.org/PDF/04-02%20Make%20a%20Plan.pdf
FEMA
How do I Prepare for an Earthquake
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake/index.shtm
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