Disasters in our area

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Personal Family Emergency Preparedness
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Are You Ready?

• A Personal Approach to Preparing for Disasters

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Preparing for a disaster is neither rocket
science nor brain surgery. It is making sure that
people at the grass-roots level know what to do.
Ted Koppel August 2006
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This Workshop is About YOU!
Where do I start?

• Beginning to prepare is tough, but essential
• Your preparations will be specific to your needs
• Theres no right way its personal

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What Will You Learn During this Workshop?

• The importance of being prepared
• Create a Family Communication Plan
• Identify supplies needed to stay safe in an
  emergency
• Stay safe at home during an emergency
• How and when to evacuate home

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Steps to Becoming Prepared
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
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Resources for You

• Redcross.org
• FEMA.gov
• Ready Minnesota
• Ready.gov

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Lets Get Started!
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A Case For Preparing
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A Case For Preparing

• Topics
• Identify potential disasters
• Perceiving the threat in order to prepare
• Benefits of becoming prepared
• Obstacles to becoming prepared

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Natural Disasters In Our Area

• Tornadoes
• Winter Storms
• Power Outage
• Floods
• Fires
• Infectious Disease

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Intentional Man-made Disasters
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Weapons of Mass DestructionCBRNE Model

• Chemical
• Biological
• Radiological
• Nuclear
• Explosive

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Likelihood and Impact
Nuclear Weapons
Natural
Bioterrorism
Improvised Radiological Device
Impact
Chemical
Explosive Incendiary
Probability/ Likelihood
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Perceive the Threat in Order to Prepare
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All Disasters Begin Locally
Community preparedness starts with the individual
Preparing reduces anxiety
Preparing is your choice
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Video
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Maintain Continuity of Operations

• Continuity
• Of
• Operations
• COOP

• A term used by emergency planners to describe
  plans made to continue activities of daily living
  throughout an emergency.

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Communication Plan
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Communicate with Loved Ones
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Communication Plan

• Topics
• Communication barriers during an emergency
• Overcome communication obstacles
• School emergency communication plan
• Review communication plan regularly

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Communication May Be Interrupted

• Land lines may be physically down
• Cell phone lines may be overwhelmed
• Power outage may impede use of cordless telephone
  or cell phone

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Overcoming Barriers
Identify a pre-arranged contact person living
out of area
Identify a pre-arranged meeting site for family
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School Emergencies

• Schools have emergency communication plans in
  place
• Know school emergency plans and phone numbers
• Identify how school will communicate quickly in a
  large scale disaster

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ACTIVITY My Communication Plan
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Communicate with Loved Ones

• Review communication plan with family
• Keep communication card
• Update plan regularly
• Plan communication drill

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Identify Supplies You Need
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Emergency Supplies

• Topics
• Identify personal, essential and specific
  supplies needed
• Collect supplies for two weeks at home
• Approaches to gathering supplies
• Obstacles to gathering supplies

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Emergency Supplies for Home

• Essentials to survive safely at home for 2 weeks
• Assumes lack of resources available
• Supplies are personal, specific and essential

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Specific Needs Family of Four

• Father - 45 years old Colon cancer with colostomy
• Mother - 37 years old takes synthroid
• Son - 8 years old on Ritalin for ADD
• Daughter 5 years old good health
• Pet dog and bird

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Specific Needs Senior Couple

• Husband - 78 years old. Takes medication for
  hypertension and diabetes with retinopathy.
• Wife - 72 years old. Excellent health. Recently
  broke foot while hiking. Cant drive.

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Specific NeedsSingle-Parent Family

• Mother - 52 years old works as an emergency room
  nurse, and is part of the county disaster
  preparedness program
• Daughter - 16 years old new driver, independent,
  often unreliable on whereabouts

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ACTIVITY A Day in My Life
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ACTIVITY Master Emergency Supply List
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Emergency Supplies for Home

• Purchase one extra philosophy
• Stockpile philosophy
• Theres more than one right way to do it!

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Rotating Supplies

• Keep it Fresh First in, first out FIFO
• Create an inventory for stockpiles with
  outdates

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Obstacles to Becoming Prepared

• Personal priorities
• Financial limitations
• Community preparedness needs

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Stay Safe at Home

• Topics
• Reasons to remain at home
• What is Shelter-in-Place?
• Safety skills to learn
• Home safety practices

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Reasons to Remain at Home

• Storm or other natural disaster
• Toxic substance release
• Infectious disease exposure home quarantine
• Caring for ill family members during an
  infectious disease outbreak

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Shelter-in-Place

• Term used by emergency planners
• Occurs following release of chemical, biological
  or infectious contaminants
• Choose a small, interior room without windows
• Instruction to shelter-in-place will come from
  emergency or public health officials
• Usually occurs over a few hours or a day

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Home Safety Practices

• What to do in a power outage
• Utility and water shut off
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detector

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Safety Skills to Learn

• How to dial 911
• Learn first aid and CPR
• Use of fire extinguisher
• Use of emergency communication technology

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Evacuation Plan
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Evacuation Plan

• Topics
• Reasons to evacuate
• Establish distant meeting sites
• Assemble important documents
• Create Go Kit and Car Kit
• Plan for pets
• School evacuation plans
• Importance of practicing evacuation plan

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Reasons to Evacuate

• Hazardous spill or release
• Fire
• Explosion
• Flood
• Other weather related risk

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Family Evacuation Plan

• Select meeting sites
• Know school evacuation plan
• Make a family drill plan
• Notify others of your plan

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Evacuation Procedure

• Take emergency Go Kit
• Lock your home
• Turn off utilities if time permits
• Make arrangements for pets
• Post a note and/or initiate emergency
  communication plan
• Go to designated family meeting site

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Documents

• Make sure these items are in a waterproof
  container in your Go Kit
• Personal identification
• Emergency contacts with phone numbers
• Cash coins
• Credit/ATM cards
• Extra set of house car keys
• Maps of the area
• Copies of important documents

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Go Kit

• Personal, specific and essential supplies for
  families for 3 days away from home
• Portable container, tub or backpack
• Ready at all times for immediate evacuation

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Go Kit Supplies for 3 Days

• Radio and Flashlight
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications
• Keys/ cash/coins
• Documents
• Contact phone numbers
• Water 1 gallon/person/day
• Food/ Can opener
• Change of clothes/shoes
• Blanket/sleeping bag
• Tools/ special needs
• Personal Hygiene
• Sanitation Supplies

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Car Kit

• A Car Kit should remain in your vehicle at all
  times for emergencies on the road.
• Keep your gas tank at least half full

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And Youve Already Begun!
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Psychological First Aid
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Psychological First Aid

• Topics
• Reactions to stress
• Resilience
• What is Psychological First Aid?
• Self-care strategies

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How Do You Handle Stress?
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Our Reaction to Stress is Physical

• Headache
• Elevated blood pressure and heart rate
• Elevated blood sugar
• GI problems
• Fatigue
• Sweating
• Pain

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Our Reaction to Stress is Emotional

• Anger
• Guilt
• Fear
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Hopelessness

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Our Reaction to Stress is Cognitive

• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory problems
• Difficulty making decisions
• Confusion

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Our Reaction to Stress is Behavioral

• Keeping excessively busy
• Diet changes
• Isolation
• Substance abuse
• Sleep problems

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Our Reaction to Stress is Spiritual

• Change in spiritual life
• Questioning spiritual beliefs

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Childrens Reactions to Stress Vary

• Dependent on developmental stage, age and
  previous life experience
• Greatest fears
• - Separation from family
• - Death or injury of loved ones
• - Being left alone
• - Disaster or stress event will recur

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Event is More Stressful or Traumatic When

• Event is unexpected
• Many people die, especially children
• Event lasts a long time
• The cause is unknown
• The event is poignant or meaningful
• Event impacts a large area

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Resilience

• Everyone who experiences a disaster is touched by
  it
• We have the ability to bounce back after a
  disaster
• Resilience can be fostered
• One goal of Psychological First Aid support
  resilience in others

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What is Psychological First Aid?

• A set of skills that provide basic psychological
  support to others in the aftermath of a traumatic
  event

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What is Psychological First Aid?

• Provides a framework to help people stay calm
  and get what they need
• Uses basic communication skills
• Is not psychotherapy

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Take Care of Yourself

• Caring for ill family members can be stressful
• Watch for signs of emotional fatigue
• Identify self care strategies

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Take a Psychological First Aid Course

• Many agencies are providing psychological First
  Aid courses
• Train-the trainer courses are also available in
  Minnesota
• Contact Minnesota Department of Health

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Home Health Care in an Emergency
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Home Health Care in an Emergency

• Topics
• Healthcare response in a disaster
• Caring for ill family members at home
• Preventing disease spread at home
• Delivering basic first aid

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Hospitals Will Be Overwhelmed

• Hospital surge capacity
• Off Site Care Facilities
• Caring for loved ones at home

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Off-site Care Facilities

• Basic medical care away from hospital
• Not much different than 1918 pandemic influenza

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Caring for Family at Home

• Patients will need to be cared for at home
• Preparation for this is essential

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Caring for Family at Home

• Reduce fever
• Signs and treatment of dehydration
• Prevent spread of infection to others

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Goal Reduce Fever

• Give fever-reducing medicine
• No aspirin before age 20
• Push fluids by mouth
• Light sponge bath
• Monitor temperature every 4 hours and record

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Signs of Dehydration

• Dehydration occurs with
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Heat prostration
• Lack of fluid intake

• Signs of dehydration include
• Low urine output
• Extreme thirst
• Dry mouth
• Listlessness
• Sunken eyes
• Lack of tears
• Loss of skin turgor

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Goal Prevent Dehydration

• Push fluids early
• A teaspoon at a time can add up
• Use an electrolyte solution for vomiting or
  diarrhea
• Record intake on illness log

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Homemade Electrolyte Solution

• Use in emergencies only premixed electrolyte
  solutions are preferable
• Flavor with juice or sugar-free drink powder
• Do not use homemade solutions when treating
  infants and small children
• Dont give up keep pushing fluid if only a
  teaspoon at a time
• Source American Red Cross

1 quart water ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. table
salt 3-4 Tbs. sugar ¼ tsp. salt substitute
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Monitor Illness

• Keep an illness log
• Record
• Temperature
• Medication time and dose
• Fluid intake
• Observations and notes

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When to Call for Help

• 105F for an adult or older child
• 103F in children 3 to 24 months
• 100.4F in infants less than 3 months

• Call healthcare professional for
• Fever greater than
• Continuing dehydration despite efforts to give
  fluids
• Shaking chills
• Worsening of chronic medical condition such as
  heart or lung disease

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When to Call for Help

• Dial 911 for
• Shortness of breath
• Confusion
• Loss of consciousness
• Stiff neck
• Seizure
• Bluish or mottled skin color

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Reduce Spread of Disease at Home

• Hand hygiene
• Respiratory etiquette

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Prevent Spread at Home

• Hand Hygiene
• Wash hands frequently
• Wash vigorously for 15-20 seconds
• Use warm water and soap
• Rinse and dry thoroughly
• Use alcohol-based hand rubs if hands arent
  visibly soiled

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Prevent Spread at Home

• Respiratory Etiquette
• Cover cough
• Use tissues and dispose in garbage can
• Keep hands away from eyes, nose and mouth
• Consider use of surgical mask by person who is
  ill and coughing

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Prevent Spread at Home
Disinfectant 1 gallon water ¼ cup bleach Mix
it up fresh every time you use it.

• Keep personal items separate
• Disinfect surfaces
• Use hot water to wash clothes and dishes
• Wear disposable gloves when cleaning up body
  fluids
• Source American Red Cross

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Learn Basic First Aid Skills
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First Aid Kit

• First Aid Manual
• Adhesive Bandages
• Sterile Dressings
• Triangular Bandage
• Roller Gauze
• Adhesive Tape

• Antiseptic
• Disposable Gloves
• Cold Pack
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• CPR Breathing Barrier
• Thermal Emergency Blanket

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Ordinary People can be Lifesavers!

• Learn CPR and the use of Automated External
  Defibrillator (AED)

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Take a Course

• American Red Cross
• American Heart Association
• Local Service Organizations
• Community Education

• Workplace
• Local Public Health Agency
• Hospitals/ Clinics
• Fire Stations
• Dial MN 211 for course referral

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People with Special Needs

• Topics
• Define Special Needs
• People with disabilities and chronic illness
• Children have special needs
• Language barriers
• Where can you find help

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What are Special Needs?

• Incident dependent Anyone may have special
  needs
• Essential Functional Needs
• Functional independence
• Communication
• Supervision
• Medical
• Transportation

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Who May Have Special Needs?

• People with disabilities
• People with chronic illness
• Infants/small children
• Senior citizens
• Pregnant women
• Recent immigrants
• People with complex challenges
• May include 50 of population

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Chronically Ill and Disabled

• People with disabilities and chronic conditions
  require a higher level of medical services which
  may be interrupted for a period of time
• Prepare for interruption by collecting an
  emergency stock of medications and medical
  supplies
• Discuss plans with physician in advance

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Children have Special Needs, too

• Make plans in advance
• Infant formula
• Diapers
• Special medication
• Fever reducers for infant
• Necessary equipment for the chronically ill child

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Language Barriers

• Fewer non-English written resources exist for
  preparedness
• Language level at times not appropriate to all
  audiences
• Alternate language materials are provided by
  American Red Cross, ECHO and others

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Where Can You Find Help?

• Agencies that support people with specific
  disabilities
• Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
• ECHO