Emergency preparedness: from every day to total disaster
- 1. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS Information and Guidance
- 2. WHY PREPARE? • Reduce fear and anxiety • Increase odds of survival for you and your family • Ability to assist coworkers, neighbors and community • Learn valuable survival skills applicable to a variety of situations
- 3. PRIORITIZING PREPAREDNESS BASED ON NUMBERS Zombie Apocalypse?!?!?! Very unlikely, let’s start with the leading causes of death and injury in the United States*. Then we can take a look at practical planning, supplies, equipment, knowledge and prevention (*as most data is broken into age-groups, physical demographics etc. We will generalize data to fit most demographics)
- 4. BY THE NUMBERS - DEATHS Cause of Death Number of Deaths Per Year Death Rate (per 100,000 people) Diseases of the Heart 596,339 191.4 Malignant neoplasms (cancers) 575,313 184.6 Chronic Lower Respiratory diseases 143,382 46 Cerebrovascular diseases 128,931 41.4 Accidents (unintentional injuries) 122,777 39.4 Alzheimer’s disease 84,691 27.2 Diabetes mellitus 73,282 23.5 Influenza and pneumonia 53,667 17.2 Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis 45,731 14.7 Intentional self-harm (suicide) 38,285 12.3 Source: CDC National Vital Statistics Reports
- 5. BY THE NUMBERS - INJURIES • This varies widely between age groups and other demographics In very subjective order, the top 5 injuries in the US (resulting in a hospital visit) Unintentional: Fall Unintentional: Overexertion Unintentional: being struck by / against Unintentional: motor vehicle occupant (accident) Unintentional: cut / pierce Source: CDC National Vital Statistics Reports
- 6. THE NUMBERS - ANALYSIS AND TAKE AWAY • Emergency preparedness means being prepared for ALL types of emergencies; especially the most common causes of death and injury • Accidents are common, preparedness is just as important as prevention • YOU might be the one injured or incapacitated, it is important to train your family, friends and co-workers to be prepared for emergencies
- 7. TIME TO GEAR UP – THE ESSENTIALS
- 8. EVERYDAY ITEMS YOU SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR HOME • Fire extinguisher in your kitchen AND bedroom • Smoke detectors in every major room / hallway • Carbon monoxide detectors near your kitchen and heating system • Easily accessible first aid kit with chewable Aspirin • Gas masks (1 for every person) in bedrooms • Fire ladders for any rooms above the 1st floor of your building / house • Easily accessible list of phone numbers (poison control etc.) • Flashlights with batteries in every bedroom • Location specific essentials (life jackets, warm gear etc.)
- 9. NOW WE’VE COVERED THE EVERYDAY BASICS… BUT WHAT IF A REAL EMERGENCY HAPPENS?
- 10. MAJOR EMERGENCY ESSENTIALS • Planning and preparation • Equipment and supplies • Training and practice
- 11. BUGGING IN OR BUGGING OUT? • Bugging In: staying in your home, office etc. to “wait out” a disaster. This basic plan constitutes a focus on supplies, power and security • Bugging Out: evacuating your home , office etc. to seek alternate shelter or emergency accommodations like tornado shelters, high ground or a friend’s house. This basic plan constitutes a focus on equipment, mobility and light supplies • Why not both? Depending on the emergency situation, it could be more advantageous to bug in, or alternately to bug out (bug out bag in your car & house, bug in kit in your house)
- 12. PLANNING AND PREPARATION • Familiarize yourself with possible emergency scenarios and how they would impact you and your surroundings (earthquake, tsunami, flood, tornado etc.) • Talk to emergency responders and city planning officials to find out about area logistics (“old” dam, flood areas, tornado shelters, evacuation plans etc.) • Create a community of survivors; as large as your whole neighborhood or as small as you and your dog; there is always emergency survival strength in numbers • Go over emergency options with your family / community; identify escape routes, alternate shelter, emergency / medical services, meeting places & communication • Finalize emergency plans with contingencies based off of everything above (training and practice come after you gear up)
- 13. DEFINING EQUIPMENT • Equipment: specific tools / gear used for emergency preparedness and survival situations
- 14. DEFINING SUPPLIES • Supplies: consumable / disposable materials such as food and firewood used in emergency preparedness and survival situations
- 15. EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES • Equipment: • Power source(s) (generator, standing bike generator, alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, geo-thermal etc.) • Light sources (flashlights, lamps, glow sticks, mirrors etc.) • Communication equipment (hand-wind radio, shortwave / long wave radio, signal flares, satellite phone etc.) • Warm / waterproof clothing (ponchos, down, heavy boots, gloves, goggles etc.) • Weaponry / security (dogs, non-lethal weapons, “analogue” security systems, booby-traps etc.) • Supplies: • Water, Water Water! (potable water, water filtration systems, water sanitizing systems, water collection technology, well or water pumps etc.) • Food (MRE’s, canned food, dried food, protein bars etc.) • Prescription pills, Basic pharmaceutical pills & Vitamins (essential prescribed medications, blood coagulants / anti-coagulants, pain killers, iodine tablets, antibiotics, antihistamines, anti- inflammatories, essential vitamins etc.) • Basic living amenities (toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, sanitizing wipes, cleaning supplies, soap, toothpaste, isopropyl alcohol, trash bags etc.) • Consumable heat / power (batteries, firewood, fuel, white gas etc.) • Vice (cigarettes, spirits, etc.)
- 16. TRAINING AND PRACTICE • Train yourself, family and survival community in basic first aid, non-electronic communication, basic survival skills and general preparedness • Organize “practice runs” with your family and survival community by going over your different proposed scenarios and action plans • Test yourself, your family and your survival community by carrying your bug out bag for a long distance, sleeping in a shelter overnight and utilizing your survival equipment in the field • Identify meet up spots, special communication and run through contingency plans with your family and survival community
- 17. KEY TAKEAWAYS IN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS • Balance in prep: not too much, not too little • Keep it simple: plan for adaptive thinking and forecasting contingencies • Strength in numbers: the more prepared / trained people in your survival community, the better your chances are for survival • Customize your planning, training, equipment and supplies: Don’t just buy a pre-made emergency kit; purchase your own specific materials based on your plans and environment. Learn the skills instead of just buying a book • You are on your own! Do not rely on emergency responders or services to help you in times of disasters or massive emergencies • Desperate times = desperate measures: people are at their worst when they are hungry and desperate, be prepared to defend yourself, family and resources
- 18. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS RESOURCES • Equipment and Supplies: • Cheaper Than Dirt! • The Key To Survival • Go-Preppers.com • Quake Kare • Ready Store • Information and Resources • Pinterest? • SF72.org (for San Francisco) • Ready NYC (for New York) • Ready.gov • CDC Emergency Preparedness • Red Cross Emergency Preparedness