A blog post on emergency preparedness every single week?

Six years ago when I started writing the Advisories for Emergency Plan Guide, my daughter assured me that I’d have no problem coming up with an article every week.

“After all, Mom, you’ve always been indiscriminately curious.”

I’m not sure that was a compliment. But it IS the truth, so every week I am inspired to learn more and write about some aspect of preparedness. Sometimes they are pretty unconventional – like volcano insurance, or museum putty, or the difference between threat and risk.

But there’s one topic I don’t write about: guns.

You will have noticed that Joe and I pretty much stay away from writing about guns.

We take this editorial posture for several reasons:

• Our focus at Emergency Plan Guide is mostly on people working together to improve their chances in a disaster. When people use a gun in a civilian setting, it’s not usually an indication of “togetherness.”
• Most of our recommendations are for things that ordinary people can see the value of and can be put to use with minimal training. Guns take a whole lot of practice and STILL may not turn out to be effective. On the contrary . . .
• Our readers come from around the country and increasingly from around the world. (Recent subscribers have come from The Philippines and Spain.) Rules and regulations regarding firearms vary tremendously; I don’t want to get any reader into trouble because I misled him or her or overlooked something critical.

All that said, I know that . . .

Many of our readers ARE interested in guns — just like I am!

Somewhere along the line I’ve written about my teenage days hunting quail and pheasant with my Dad. (I carried a double barrel 20 gauge – and was quick off the mark!)

I could certainly write about my eye-opening experience at the gun range in Las Vegas a couple of years ago – the first time I had fired a handgun.

And I could include info from other prepper blogs I subscribe to, and the endless stream of offers I get for free Glocks, free laser sights, free ankle holsters, plastic guns you can make yourself, bulk ammo, cheap ammo, bulk cheap ammo – you name it!

What prompted me to write today’s Advisory about guns?

With all that activity and interest, sometimes it doesn’t feel right just ignoring the subject. So when I came across the resource I’m recommending today, I was delighted!

One of the survivor blogs I get and read regularly comes from Aaron at In The Rabbit Hole. His focus in on “urban survival” and he offers blogs and videos to his fans: “How to Stop Worrying And Actually Be More Prepared.”

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?!

Anyway, over the past couple of weeks he’s been running a training series made up of short videos. I started watching because they are short, and discovered a certain engaging quirkiness and a perspective I appreciate.

The third episode inspired me to action.

When I got to the third episode of the current training series, I knew I wanted you to see it too!

Whether you are a gun lover, a gun hater or scared of the whole issue, you need to see this short video, hear the story, and consider the advice. I haven’t seen anything as good for a long time.

I contacted Aaron and he kindly sent a link where you can sign up for the free series. It will be delivered one day at a time.  I suppose you can wait for the 3^rd day to get the episode on guns, but you’ll want to watch day 1 and day 2, too. Same quirkiness and same refreshing perspective!

 https://www.intherabbithole.com/7-day-course/

Let me know what you think!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

I just got episode 6 today, and am going  to go watch it now.

“It’s just part of living here,” one of Hawaii’s residents is quoted as saying over the weekend. He wasn’t planning to evacuate from his home, even though fissures were opening in his neighborhood and lava flows from the Kilauea eruption on Friday were approaching. “I’ve been through this a dozen times.”

As of today, though, he may be joining the nearly 2,000 people facing mandatory evacuation, not only because of fire and lava but because of dangerous gases.

If you have friends in Hawaii, or anywhere where volcanoes threaten eruption, you naturally have some important questions about protecting yourself. I had the questions – but wanted good answers. So, I started my research online . . .

l. is there such a thing as volcano insurance?

No. According to a CNN news report, “There’s no such a thing as volcano insurance or lava flow insurance.”

Yes. But the very next news item, coming from The Insurance Information Institute, https://www.iii.org/article/volcanic-eruption-coverage says the following: “Most home, renters and business insurance policies provide coverage for property loss caused by volcanic eruption when it is the result of a volcanic blast, airborne shock waves, ash, dust or lava flow. Fire or explosion resulting from volcanic eruption also is covered.”

Maybe. And a third news feature says, “It’s going to come down to your policy and your underwriter.”

Hm. So, onward . . .

2. So what MIGHT be covered?

State Farm insurance has a 2-page document about eruption coverage that feels authoritative. https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/residence/how-volcano-damage-is-covered-on-your-insurance  The article starts with the exact same quote that we saw above, from the Insurance Information Institute, namely . . .
“Most homeowners policies provide coverage for property loss caused by volcanic eruption when it is the result of a volcanic blast, airborne shock waves, ash, dust, or lava flow. Fire or explosion resulting from volcanic eruption also is covered.”

3. That language sounds encouraging. So what’s the problem?

First, note these two important weasel words that appear in both sources: “Most policies” and “[damage] resulting from.”
When you read “Most ” you must assume that there are some policies that do NOT cover volcanic eruption. And when you see “resulting from” you must ask, “What else could cause this damage?” That’s what brings you to the exclusions.

4. What are the exclusions?

If you’ve been subscribing to Advisories from Emergency Plan Guide for a while, you probably can provide at least some answers to this question.

Here’s more quoting: “Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover damage from earthquake, land tremors, landslide, mudflow, or other earth movement regardless of whether or not the quake is caused by or causes a volcanic eruption.”

The key word here is “earth movement.” THAT seems to fall under coverage provided by earthquake insurance. Here in California it’s a totally separate policy offered by companies through the CEA – California Earthquake Authority: https://www.earthquakeauthority.com/ (There are limits on how much coverage you can purchase for the building and for personal property, and  also on what is actually covered. For example, demolition is typically NOT covered by the policy.)

And I take the sentence quoted in red above to mean further that if earth movement causes a lake to slosh over or a stream to divert onto your property, then the resulting “flood damage” would also not be covered. The typical homeowner’s policy does NOT cover flood damage. For that, you need a separate policy for flood insurance! (More on flood insurance here.)

OK, I now know more about separate earthquake insurance and flood insurance.

5. Can I get a special endorsement to my homeowners’ policy to cover volcanic eruptions?

If you live in a low-risk area, probably yes. But consider this list of states with ACTIVE volcanoes, meaning, you may NOT be in a low risk zone:

Alaska (98 known active volcanoes!)
California (21)
Hawaii (16)
Oregon (42)
Washington (16)
Wyoming

I could find no reliable info about possible costs for volcano endorsements.

6. What about damage to my landscaping, garden sheds, ditches and berms I put up to divert the lava flow, etc?

Not covered. And you won’t be reimbursed for efforts to remove lava or ash from the land afterwards.

7. What about my car?

If you have comprehensive coverage at the time of the eruption, and your car is overtaken by lava or burned up by flying cinders, it’s probably covered. And a vehicle crash that happens during or after a volcanic eruption would likely be covered just like any other crash. If you leave the car behind, and it is damaged over time by falling ash or dust, it probably WON’T be covered.

8. I rent. What about my personal possessions I had to leave behind?

Your landlord has no responsibility for damage to your personal possessions, so take as much as you can with you if you evacuate. If you have renter’s insurance, be sure take photos of your items (before and after if possible) so you can file a claim.

9. What about my lease if I have to leave my apartment or house?

Generally, your landlord must provide a “fit and habitable” place for you to live. If you can’t return to your rental because of damage, your lease will determine if you are eligible for any refund, if you have to pay any back rent, or if and how you can break the lease with no penalty. You should read your contract NOW so you are familiar with its terms. You should take those photos of your possessions now, eruption or no eruption. And if you try to cancel any long-term lease, be sure to get legal advice.

10. What else do I need to know?

Just as with flood and earthquake insurance, you must have the coverage before the disaster hits. In some cases, there’s actually a waiting period before coverage goes into effect.

A personal comment from Virginia – I’ve rented and owned and had both kinds of insuance. I’ve lived in flood country and earthquake country and climbed to the top of a smoking volcano. I even held an insurance license at one time. None of this makes me an expert on this particular subject. What I do know for sure, though, is that insurance policies by their very nature are difficult to understand. This may be a good time to review whatever policies you have so you know just what will be covered in a disaster — and what won’t be covered. Having that knowledge will make you sleep better and you’ll probably be able to negotiate better insurance coverage, too.

The more we know, the better prepared we can be!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

 

How does your Property Management Company Stack Up When it Comes to Emergency Preparedness?

Do you live in an apartment complex, a mobilehome park, a condo complex, a retirement community, a gated community, or any kind of community with a Home Owners’ Association?

Does your community have a property manager hired by the owner or by the Association?

Or maybe you yourself are a property owner, doing your own managing?

No matter the exact ownership circumstances, it is important to

Include a property manager in your emergency preparedness planning!

Two important outcomes are possible.

1. You could uncover that you have been making unfounded assumptions about the role and capabilities of the manager to protect residents in an emergency.
2. Your investigation and follow-up discussions may allow you to improve emergency response for all your neighbors1

Emergency Plan Guide is not a professional property management company, of course, but we have owned rental property, lived under property managers and served on various boards and homeowners’ associations making decisions about most of the topics that follow.

And of course we do not know where you live as you are reading this, so we can’t know the regulations that apply in your state and city.

Still, we understand basic management responsibilities and can pose general questions that EVERY one should be able to answer!

Disaster survival questions for tenants, owners and managers.

Personal experiences give us a place to get started with questions. If you have ever lived in a property with a property manager, consider these:

1. When you moved in, did you get a list of emergency procedures for the building or for the community? For example, did you receive a map showing the buildings and/or homes (including their addresses), location of fire extinguishers or hydrants, list of local emergency contacts including who to call after-hours, information about evacuation routes, etc.?
2. Is there any specific info on disaster planning for people with disabilities? Older people with mobility challenges? How about planning for pets?
3. Has that emergency information been updated regularly?
4. Do you know where to find the most recent copy of emergency procedures?
5. Has the community ever practiced an emergency drill or evacuation?
6. Do you know the location of all the exits from the property? If they are habitually kept locked, do you know who would open them in an emergency?
7. If you are on the second floor, or higher, do you have an emergency ladder? Are you allowed to practice evacuating?

Multi-story buildings have particular emergency preparedness issues. If you haven’t lived in a multi-story building, you surely know someone who does. Be sure they are asking questions like these . . .

1. Have you been told/shown where all the stairs are? Do stairs lead up to the roof as well as down to the street? Are doors in stairwells locked?
2. Do you know where fire alarms and fire extinguishers are located in or outside the building? (We assume you have a fire extinguisher inside your own dwelling.)
3. Do you know what happens when the fire alarm goes off? For example, what does the elevator do? What happens to interior doors, if anything?
4. Do you know what happens when power goes out? Again, what happens to elevators, doors, gates?
5. Are all dwelling units on all floors protected with a sprinkler system?

The 22017 Grenfell Tower fire in London – in which 71 people died — raised the question of sprinklers. And more recently a fire in the Trump Tower in New York – in which 1 person died and 6 firefighters were injured – revealed that its upper floors (exclusive residential apartments) also did not have sprinklers. Moreover, the apartment where the one victim died did not have a working smoke alarm.

Every property manager should be able to answer these questions:

1. Who makes the decision that there is an emergency? If the manager isn’t available, who makes it?
2. How are residents alerted or notified about a weather emergency? Can they be notified if power is out?
3. After a disaster, does the management company maintain a website where updates could be obtained?
4. What procedures are in place for ongoing communications if the emergency lasts for hours or days? (For ex., a widespread health emergency requiring closure of the pool and clubhouse.)
5. How would the community fare in a longer-term emergency? What about rent payments, trash collection, security? What about management personnel?
6. Does the management company store any kind of emergency supplies? How are they rotated, inspected, etc.? Who has a key? How would supplies be distributed?

How to use these emergency preparedness questions.

• As someone concerned with emergency planning, you can use this list to be sure you haven’t made any assumptions about your community that turn out to be incorrect. In some cases you may be able to come up with alternatives to what look like problems.
• As a member of a community preparedness group, you can use this list to suggest improvements to your neighbors and to your management company.
• As a member of an HOA Board, you can use this list to help your group identify and hire the best possible management company for your property!

Again, every community is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all management standard. But property managers play an important role in emergency planning and, in particular, in responding to an emergency. Whether they are prepared or not, people will turn to them for answers.

You may be able to reassure residents and management alike by making sure common questions get answered well before a disaster happens.

Follow through with your own property manager, and share with others who live in communities with managers. This is essential info.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

Addendum: It seems that most property management contracts do NOT include requirements for protecting residents. (I conducted an informal survey online with a group of professionals and received a couple dozen responses.) Nevertheless, as more attention is paid to disaster prevention and emergency response planning, the concept of a “standard of care” needs to be considered. In this case, if most professional management companies in your area are incorporating emergency preparedness education and practices into their services – or at least adding in a budget line item for it — the few that ignore it will stand out as not being up to standard. This could have a legal impact. Certainly, it should have an impact on the company’s ability to win business.

In a major disaster, the chances are your telephones won’t work.

• Handheld home phones (“rove-a-phones”) depend on electricity for power. If you experience an outage, your house phones may not work at all.
• Old style land lines messages may go through when a home phone doesn’t work. But they have to go through a central office before getting distributed to another connection.  An earthquake or storm may cause lines to break or that local office to be damaged.
• Cell phones “broadcast” your voice or data to antennas that are connected through a network of computers and then are re-broadcast from other antennas to the recipient’s location.  Even if you have a strong battery, if the antennas are damaged or the computers inoperative, cell phones won’t work.

The problem for everyone, no matter WHAT kind of phone . . .

System overload!

With everybody on a network trying to get through at once, the circuits (which typically can only handle about 10% of the total subscribers at best) will be overloaded and calls won’t go through . . . especially local point-to-point calls within the affected area. Remember these examples where service was shut down because of overload — people calling to check on each other, to share video, etc.?

• Boston Marathon
• Superbowl
• Earthquake in SF Bay area
• Mass shooting in Las Vegas

Naturally, you might ask, “Why not add more capacity to the system?”

Building more towers and more switching stations could make it possible for more traffic to be carried in an emergency. But since emergencies by their very nature are unpredictable, it would be impossible to know WHERE to put all this extra equipment. Even if it were installed, the overcapacity would then sit idle probably 364 days a year until it were needed.

So, massive infrastructure upgrades are not likely to happen!

What are our options?

If you personally are caught in an emergency  at home, check to see if you have (1) cell service, (2) home service and/or (3) hardwired landline.

If you do have cell service, keep in mind . . .

• Calling locally may be difficult or impossible. Call outside your local area — for example, making a long-distance call to your out-of-town contact may work.
• Use email and text — they require less bandwidth than voice and may get through.
• Register and use the Red Cross Safe and Well app so family members can check there, instead of trying to reach you by phone.

Note: If you don’t have your cell phone, or it’s damaged, or the batteries have died, you will need to have memorized a few important phone numbers or be able to put your hands on a written list!

Now, if you are on the planning committee for a big event, you’ll want to find out more about temporary solutions like these:

• A wireless network —  can be installed in a matter of hours, saving event organizers time and money on the overall cost of the project.
• Mobile cell towers on wheels or light trucks, along with specialty antennas — boost network traffic capacity.
• Low altitude airborne platforms hovering over an emergency (imagine a tethered helium balloon or a drone) — easily extend a communications network over a difficult terrain or dangerous location.

As for First Responders, in 2017 AT&T won a 25-year contract from FirstNet to build and run a broadband network that will cater to first responders including police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services in all 50 states. More about this as we learn it!

Another option for keeping in touch locally — walkie-talkies.

When all phones are down, maybe for an extended period, you’ll want to consider walkie-talkies, or hand-held radios.

They are an inexpensive and practical way to communicate within a neighborhood between family members, emergency team members, etc. While their range is limited to a mile or less for most inexpensive units, that is usually sufficient for communicating within a neighborhood.  After all, since the frequencies are public, you really don’t want to be receiving other communities’ conversations in the middle of your activities.

Why are walkie-talkies able to communicate when telephones can’t? Simple. These two-way radios are self-contained, providing their own power from rechargeable or replaceable batteries. They broadcast directly, point-to-point on the Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) assigned frequencies without the need to go through any central office or computer.

Action Item:  What are the chances your neighborhood could be hit by a storm? What about your workplace? Could you could be trapped? Consider keeping a walkie-talkie in each room of the house or office so that you could communicate with rescuers on a pre-arranged radio frequency.

There’s much more here at Emergency Plan Guide on the subject of communication and the discipline of emergency response team volunteers in using the different radio frequencies. Check out the links below, and consider picking up a pair of walkie-talkies for practice. You can get basic ones starting at around $20 a pair. We use ours in emergencies, but also when we’re camping, at conventions or the fair, and certainly at big entertainment events. They are an alternative to your cellphone that you may never have really thought about.

Joe
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

If radio communications are of interest to you, you may want to review these Advisories:

• Hand-held radio communications
• Reviews of walkie-talkies

We update our reviews regularly. Sign up below to get these announcements via our Advisories.

“What do we do?”  “Where do we go?”

After the wildfires last fall, we kept hearing these two questions from a number of our California neighbors.

The questions seem simple, but people were not satisfied with what they were hearing.

So, we invited the local fire department to address the topic at a special community meeting. Nearly 100 people showed up that evening to get answers to the questions we had sent in advance.

Here are some of the questions we sent, and some of the answers we got. I recommend you consider finding out what YOUR local First Responders would say if asked.

“How will we know if we are supposed to evacuate?”

An evacuation order can come from the governor, the mayor, or the fire department. In every case, once the decision is made, the order will be announced via television, radio, various social media (Facebook and Twitter), the app iAlert, reverse 911 services – and even loudspeakers on cars or trucks.

Your job is to be aware of the POSSIBILITY of an order, and be ready to act when it comes.  That means, at the very least, having your Evacuation Kit packed and your car full of gas. Having a battery-operated emergency AM radio will keep you up to date if power goes out.

“Where are we supposed to go?”

When an order is given, it is typically accompanied by a list of shelters that will be available. The addresses of the shelters will be given, and new shelters will be added as the incident evolves. (In our community, all high schools and community centers are prepared to serve as shelters.)

You can download the FREE Red Cross Shelter App for your Smart Phone and get a list of all open shelters in your area. (Look for Emergency App at the Red Cross site.)

Shelters are set up by the Red Cross and staffed by Red Cross and other volunteers, including CERT volunteers. Note that service animals are allowed in the shelters, but pets are NOT ALLOWED. You need to make arrangements for your pet beforehand!

“When is the best time to leave?”

Our speaker from the Fire Department emphasized that you do NOT need to wait for the order. You can leave any time you want – and sooner may be better than later. He told us that when the fire department arrived in one community where the order had just been given, everyone was already gone!

Of course, you don’t need to go to a shelter. You can stay with friends or relatives, stay in a hotel, etc. (If you have a pet, you may want to put together a list of pet-friendly hotels long before you might need one.)

Note: Once an order is given, and you have left your home, you will NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN until the official all-clear is given. Police need to be able to secure the neighborhood so fire fighters and other emergency personnel can move freely and safely.

“What about traffic?”

Cities usually plan for evacuation in phases, with specific traffic patterns laid out in advance. Streets can be converted to all-one-way. Unfortunately, in widespread evacuations as we saw in Florida last year, even freeways can become parking lots as everyone heads out in the same direction. (I don’t know why those Florida freeways weren’t converted to all-one-way!)

We saw during the Northern California fires, and later during the mudslides in Santa Barbara County that evacuation orders were delayed precisely because officials feared panic and traffic jams – and those officials have come under severe criticism. This is a tricky problem.

But it’s another reason for you to evacuate early if you can.

“How long can we stay in a shelter?”

Per the Red Cross, shelters stay open “as long as there is a need.” At the same time, while the shelter provides basic food and a place to sleep, the Red Cross recommends you bring your own supplies to make your stay more comfortable. On their suggested list:

• Prescription and emergency medication · medical equipment such as a wheelchair/walker, oxygen, etc.
• Extra clothing · pillows · blankets and sleeping bags
• Hygiene supplies
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Small board games · books for entertainment
• Specialty snacks and juices for those with dietary restrictions
• Baby food and formula · diapers
• Beach chair or camp chair

You may NOT bring illegal drugs, alcoholic beverages or guns.

“What about people who can’t evacuate without help?”

Our Fire Department and the head of the Office of Emergency Management assured us that they know our community well enough to know where extra help would be needed – at hospitals, nursing homes, etc. Our speakers also agreed that having a current list of neighbors who would need extra help would be invaluable.

Unfortunately, putting together such a list is a challenge. In our senior community, our emergency response team attempts to collect information about neighbors. But some people are unwilling to provide the personal medical or financial information that would direct special assistance to them in an emergency. So, our list is always incomplete. Have you had success building a list?

“How should we prepare our homes before we leave?”

Fire. Here in California, where the danger is likely to be from fire, we are told by CalFire to take the following steps to protect our homes:

• Build using fire-resistant materials.
• Clear out underbrush and overhanging branches from around the home. (Create a “defensible space.”)
• Block vents and under-eave spaces where embers can catch and smolder.
• Remove curtains and move flammable furniture away from windows.
• Remove flammable lawn furniture and other outdoors hazards.
• Shut windows and doors and leave them unlocked.
• Leave the lights on (to direct fire fighters if it’s smoky).
• Do NOT leave water or sprinklers running (will lessen water pressure for professional fire fighters).

Flooding. In areas where flooding is the risk, suggestions include:

• Make serious changes to the way your home is built: make sure electrical panels, appliances and heating systems are elevated, not in the basement.
• Waterproof your basement.
• Raise the whole house (stilts?).
• Clean out gutters, downspouts and drains.
• Move items you want to protect to a higher floor or to a safer place altogether.
• Before you leave, turn off gas, water, and electricity if you know how and can do it without touching water or standing in it!
• Put sandbags around your property.

Hurricane a risk? Again, some basic precautions before you leave:

• Close storm shutters or board up windows with 5/8” plywood, cut to fit.
• Install addition clips or straps to fasten roof to the frame.
• Clean out rain gutters and downspouts.
• Determine how and where to secure your boat.
• Unplug radios, TVs, and small appliances (not refrigerator or freezer).
• If you live in a mobile home or a high-rise apartment, evacuate for sure. These structures are more vulnerable to both wind and flooding.

Now, consider these last three steps everyone can take.

Start To Work Now On These Longer-Term Protections

Check Your Insurance.

By now, you should know if you are in a burn corridor, a flood plain, an inundation footprint (from a dam collapse) or in a coastal area where your home could be impacted by a hurricane or tsunami. The right insurance policy could help protect you in the aftermath of one of these disasters. It’s likely that your regular homeowner’s policy will not be sufficient. Check with your insurance carrier and do preliminary research yourself, online.

You can start here with our Advisory: Flood Insurance

Get Involved In Your Community.

With so many disasters happening lately, many people are taking political action to strengthen their communities.

First, they are forcing community leaders to reconsider zoning and building codes and their enforcement. (Think about the massive landslide in Washington State where homes were build below a hill that had been identified as unstable. Think about the new homes built flat on the flood plain in Houston.) People are demanding better emergency alerts and automated communications.

Second, they are building community emergency response groups, so knowledge and assets can be shared in case of a disaster. (You saw Joe and me at the table in the picture at the top of the article. Later — the inset — I jumped in to wave the information about upcoming CERT classes in our city!)

Neighbors are the true first responders — they are already there when the disaster hits. You want the most qualified neighbors possible!

Pack Your Evacuation Kits.

This entire article assumes you have a kit ready for each member of the family in case an evacuation is called. Our Fire Department speaker mentioned just three things: Food, Water and Medicines. For a more complete list, check out our complete list of Emergency Supplies — scroll down to the Evacuation Kit section.

This turns out to be quite a list. I hope it’s useful as a review or to stimulate some remedial action on your part.

Virginia and Joe
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S. This isn’t the entire list of questions we came up with for our guest speakers. If you are thinking of approaching YOUR fire department and police department, drop me a line and request “the full list of evacuation questions” and I’ll send it to you directly. Naturally, you’ll want to customize your list. But we have found over the years that by providing speakers with questions we get a much better presentation than if we just invite them to “come give us a talk about safety!”

Escape From Danger in the Classroom

Prologue:

If you don’t find time to read this entire Advisory, please take the time to note and to WATCH one or all of the three videos at this school site. Here’s the link

https://www.sausd.us/Page/34190

Each video is on how to respond to an active shooter event in school. One of the videos is for elementary school classes, one for intermediate, one for high school. Each video is about 11 minutes long.

As a teacher, parent, and even as a student, you will find these videos valuable. They were made by the Santa Ana Unified School District (CA). They will give you a basic understanding of what you can do that may save lives.

Strong emotional reaction to a disaster

We’ve found that it’s usually pretty easy to talk or write about preparing for a natural disaster. After all, while ice storms or floods may be dangerous, they aren’t usually associated with evil or diabolic intent.

Of course, when the storm hits, people may experience fear. But preparation can help them get past that fear and start taking actions they know make sense.

When it comes to human-caused violence, or terrorism, though, like what happened on Valentine’s Day in Florida, people react differently. When we think of a person “out to get us,” we may feel fear, but we may also respond with violent anger – at the terrorist, at the terrorist’s family or tribe, at the police or military who are supposed to protect us.

Any of these emotions may help us get past the denial, the shock and numbness that also may accompany the disaster – but what then?

My own emotions have made me address this issue today.

Rather than rage helplessly, I want to share some ways to channel emotions for my own health and perhaps to help others. It comes down to being prepared with a plan.

Having a PLAN can channel emotions and save your life

This week we’ve seen a terrifying example of a terrorist action – the mass shooting of high school students and teachers in Florida. Thanks to on-the-scene video coverage we’ve seen fear – and horror.

Those early student videos also showed how emergency planning and practice saved lives at that school.

Law enforcement’s plan for an Active Shooter

Over the past few years police tactics for handling active shooters have changed. A dozen years ago, police called to a shooter event waited for reinforcements and collected all the facts of the situation before coming up with their plan.

But, since most active shooter evens are over in less than 7 minutes, waiting “to make a plan” makes no sense.

So today, the role of the police is a lot simpler. The first officers to arrive find, engage and stop the shooter as quickly as possible.

The school’s plan for an Active Shooter

In Florida, we also saw that students and teachers knew how to react. And while some students were killed before the plan could be fully activated, many were able to take the actions they had practiced, and save their lives.

I wanted to know what the situation is here in my own town.

Results of my informal quiz

Over the past few days I’ve quizzed several neighborhood children about the drills they have in their schools.

• The first graders were very vague. Yes, there were drills. With the exception of fire drills, the children were not sure what the drills were for.
• Middle school children were more definitive. Yes, they said, they had drills. Some enumerated fire drills, earthquake drills, and “lockdown drills,” but some didn’t distinguish. None of the children recognized the expression “active shooter.” They didn’t recognize the expression “Code Red.”
• High school students – who had actually been locked down three months ago in a potential crime situation at their school – were pretty knowledgeable. They knew about Florida and active shooter was certainly in their vocabulary.

“Closing up the room and keeping away from the windows” didn’t seem adequate to me, though, and that’s what took me to the internet for my research.

Results of my research – the Santa Ana Unified School District videos

I viewed a dozen videos and found the Santa Ana videos to be best.

They build on the traditional Run, Hide, Fight training that has been around since around 2012.

The videos are specific. They start by recommending that teachers do a thorough assessment of the classroom and school in order to:

• Map out multiple escape routes, including breaking out windows and ways to get out of a second story.
• Identify hiding places and ways to construct barricades.
• Suggest how everyday classroom objects can be turned into weapons if fighting is the only alternative.

Most important, the videos SHOW kids and teachers in action in a realistic setting.

And my recommendations

If you have children in school, I have some recommendations.

• WATCH the videos yourself so you can discuss with your kids. Here’s the link again: https://www.sausd.us/Page/34190
• Quiz your children about the “drills” they have at school. If they are vague, dig deeper.
• Find out from the school administration what drills are held, what training teachers receive, how often, etc.

Without getting into the politics of gun ownership, it is clear that with the MILLIONS of assault rifles in this country, not to mention handguns and other rifles, an active shooter event could happen at any time. There have been 35 mass shooting events so far this year alone! (defined as 4 or more people wounded or killed)

Your children deserve the best training you can give them.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S. Since we’re on the topic of emotions vs. logic, I have to say that if having more guns would make us safer, we would ALREADY be the safest country in the world since we have by far the most guns.

 

 

Lists work. They’re easy to figure out, satisfying to check off. Here’s one to get us all going toward some new levels of preparedness for 2018.

Review or reminder?

For a few people, this will be review. But for most of us, at least one of these items will cause a grimace or even a slap of the forehead because we know we should already have dealt with it!

There are more ideas and resources below the chart. But take a quick first look.

Which item should be first on your list?

More resources for items on the list.

1. Homeowners’ insurance may not cover water damage to the stuff in your basement. Neither may flood insurance! If you rent, what about the items stored in your “cage” in the parking garage? You will never really know what’s covered until you pull out your policy and go over it with your insurance agent. Here’s an Advisory that will give you more questions to ask about any insurance:
   Flood Damage Not Covered By Insurance
2. What was a good place to head for last year may have changed. Update your plans, particularly if you have children. Pick an assembly place nearby – like the big oak tree at the back of the lot – and another place further down the block or even across town. Can your family members FIND these places without the maps in their phones?
   Get Out Now — Family Evacuation Plan
3. Every homemaker knows this, and knows how to do it. In a survival kit, just pull and replace everything! (You may discover that more and more canned items now are self-opening. Yay!) On the kitchen shelves, load at the back, eat from the front. Basta.
4. I finally got far enough ahead on my blood pressure pills to have 10 days’ worth stored in my survival kit. But they’ve been there a while . . . And as we all know, over time pills lose their effectiveness, band aids lose their stick, bottles dry out, tubes ooze. Your first aid kit could actually do you harm if it’s not up to speed.
   First Aid Kit Failure
5. Seems as though it would be easy to run outside in a fire, doesn’t it? But people are trapped and burned every day. Practice with your family! Make sure you know two exits from every room, how to get down from the second floor. What’s your agreed-upon signal for a home invasion threat? Every individual needs to know how to respond. If all your children know is to come screaming for you, you have NOT trained them properly.
   Escape from Burning House
6. People around you could turn into rescuers – and even into friends. It can’t hurt to be open to meeting more of them. Besides, it’s just a neighborly thing to do. And if you have a neighborhood emergency response team, invite them to come and find out more.
   Build a neighborhood team
7. Memorize important phone numbers. Assume phones won’t be available in a car wreck, a storm, or an earthquake. Memorizing is healthy brain activity, too!
8. Computer companies compete to be your back-up service. But where do they PUT your files, and how to you access them if your computer has been destroyed? Have at least 3 back-up methods: onto your own computer, onto a separate physical hard drive stored off-site, and into the cloud. Test whatever procedure you have put into place. Just having a COPY of something doesn’t mean you can necessarily start right back up to work.
9. Did you know that if one roommate applies for relief from FEMA, the other roommate may not be eligible? Do you know who would have to sign off for you to get an insurance payout on your house? We all tend to let legal questions linger . . . 2018 is the year to clean legal issues up for a number of reasons, not least of all to get them off your mind.
   Legal problems surface after flood
   
10. Emergency preparedness isn’t supposed to be all long faces and determined expressions. It’s supposed to be positive!  What would be fun for you and your family? Learning to tie knots? Identify edible plants? Start a fire without matches? Operate a HAM radio? Take a course in basic self-defense? Do the CERT training? Every one of these skills will improve your knowledge, improve your confidence, and make you better prepared for any emergency!
    Tie the right knot!
    Ham radio operators play key role
    Self-defense for the rest of us

OK, I think that should do it!  Post this list somewhere handy, so you won’t overlook these items. What else should we add to the list? Just let us know in the comments!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S. While we’re still on the positive aspects of preparedness, don’t miss my most recent Top Ten list!  It’s a collection of comfy camping items that would make ANY trip so much more pleasant — and fun!  Here’s the direct link: https://emergencyplanguide.org/top-ten/

 

 

What 2018 is looking like for Emergency Plan Guide

The Emergency Plan Guide website has been up since 2011. Its main objective has stayed the same since those first days: to help people understand disaster realities and be better prepared to face them.

Three realities continue to sustain the site.

(If you’ve been with us for a while, this will be mighty familiar!)

1. Emergency Preparedness isn’t top of mind for anybody. When asked, people say they want to be ready – they just don’t think about it on any regular basis. That’s why we came up with the idea of weekly Advisories, filled with tips and reminders. Since 2011 we’ve written hundreds, covering dozens of different topics. (Right now I count 297 in the list of Archives. A number of older Advisories have been retired, and several are being reworked.) People keep subscribing, so the Advisories will keep on coming!
2. Family preparedness is one thing, workplace preparedness is another. You’ll see that we address both on a regular basis. We also address a third aspect of preparedness that very few other websites even mention – the importance of community and the value of working together as a group to prevent or make it through a disaster. Much of this planning is based on CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training.
3. Authorities do their best, but . . . Police and fire departments, local and federal government and non-profit agencies may not arrive for hours, days or even weeks after a disaster hits. We hear about new instances of delay, and we use them to keep reminding our readers that no one is coming to save them – it’s up to us.

OK, that’s three of the core beliefs that drive us. What drives YOU to work on being prepared? What threats are keeping you up at night? Keep reading, please.

Seven trends will be guiding our plans for 2018.

Some of these trends have been around for a while, but have pushed themselves to the top of the heap, demanding more attention.

1. Technology changes faster and faster. Five years ago we might have written about how to use a compass and a map; today we write about personal locator devices (GPS) that will direct rescuers right to you! Smart phones have become THE primary tool in every survival situation; in the past several months solar rechargers have supplanted batteries as the best way to keep devices functioning. At the same time, more technology also means more security risks. Watch for an upcoming series on hacking threats to your home from the internet.
2. There’s a new normal for natural disasters. In Texas, three 500-year floods occurred in the last three years! In California, three years of historic drought have been followed by the “most destructive wildfire season ever.” Some areas in the world – like Florida – are “hot spots” where sea level rise is 6 times faster than average. Add “normal” emergencies to these locations and it becomes a nightmare. Shelter in place doesn’t work well for these disasters, so watch for more info on how to prepare for evacuation.
3. Deliberate cutbacks threaten (FEMA). Proposed budgets, not yet passed, aim at cutting federal emergency funding by nearly $1 billion! Local budgets are cutting police and fire department funding. This leaves citizens on their own more than ever before. We have three books on the drawing boards to strengthen citizen response; the first one should be coming out before the end of this year.
4. Terrorist threats and hate crimes continue. ISIS may have lost its caliphate, but U.S. home-grown terrorists are alive and well. And hate crimes have risen in the U.S. for the second straight year. I guess we can’t change people’s minds about religion or ethnicity – but we can talk about how to spot a potential crime and what to do when you do. And we will keep talking about steps communities can take to increase safety. (Did you know that after the shooting at Sandy Hook, Connecticut passed new requirements and made money available to improve school safety, but barely 25% of schools are reporting that they have even held fire drills, much less hardened facilities or practiced lockdown drills!?)
5. Risk of nuclear war reemerges after 3 decades. Almost impossible to contemplate. As older Americans, we remember the drills of the 50s. Watch for more as we struggle to consider the realities of this threat.
6. Most people cannot retreat to the wilds and live off the land. The last census in 2010 showed 80% of the U.S. population living in “urban areas.” Here in California, that percentage was 95%! Today those urban percentages are only higher. What this means is rural lifestyle, which fosters self-sufficiency and encourages learning and practicing wilderness survival skills, is simply not available to most of us. Yes, we can enjoy learning more of these skills, but a plan to “bug out” to the wilderness is unrealistic. We will address more urban survival skills.
7. We all face more distractions. Driving, devices, politics, health, family — it’s hard to be clear about objectives, much less to follow through. People are also reading less and less — the average American spends only 19 minutes a day reading! These facts have led us to turn more Advisories into quick read worksheets and skimmable checklists – and almost always, a Call to Action! (Nothing like having a background in direct marketing and advertising.)

Now, when it comes to emergency preparedness, what’s on YOUR mind?

When you sign up to receive our weekly Advisories, I get the chance to see the town your message is coming from. But that’s all I know about you!

Occasionally, people write in with a comment or question, and then we are able to begin a real conversation. (I like that a lot!)

After all, I’m researching and sharing information that I trust will be useful. If it’s not – well, it’s a waste of your time and mine.

So . . .here’s that Call to Action.

Can you please take a moment and send me a quick message with some trends or some topics YOU would like to discuss? I can promise I’ll respond!  (I’ll keep your name private, of course.)

Here’s the link:  Virginia, here’s what’s on my mind . . .

Thanks for being a part of our community. The more we all know, the safer we all will be.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

 

 

Just waiting for you to make a mistake!

It’s “Spring Forward, Fall Back” time here again this weekend. Along with re-setting the clocks, this time of year now has expanded to include reminders for emergency preparedness.

Of course, you know about checking the batteries in your smoke alarm. But that’s just the start! So read on, for some simple actions that if overlooked could put you in BIG trouble.

To the extent that your safety and security depend in part on your neighbors’ preparedness, be sure you share this list with them, too!

1-Change the batteries in your smoke alarm.

You should know this statistic from the National Fire Protection Association by heart: Three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.  Nuff said?

And here’s a real life story to go with the statistic.

A couple of years ago on a Saturday, the local fire department, police department cadets, some EMTs, and the Red Cross, supported by our Neighborhood Emergency Response Team, installed 461 new smoke alarms in our neighborhood! (Funded by a grant, in case you’re wondering.)

The alarm packaging said, “10-year guarantee” so naturally we were all annoyed when people began reporting that their smoke alarms were “chirping.”

Here’s what we discovered about alarms chirping:

• Nearly all people who heard the chirping incorrectly identified where it was coming from! In nearly every case, it was from an already installed OLD alarm, and not the new one.
• The 10-year guarantee works for the mechanism. When it comes to the battery, the guarantee applies only to alarms that have sealed lithium batteries. If your smoke alarm has a replaceable battery, check it and replace it or it will surely start chirping, like ours did, in the middle of the night!
• Every battery has an indicated life. Just remember, you may buy new batteries today but you don’t know how much of that “life” has already expired while the battery was on a shelf somewhere.

Upshot? Simply replace your alarm batteries twice a year when the time changes. A few dollars invested can save your life.

2-Change the batteries in your walkie-talkies.

Same concept: when the emergency hits, if you don’t have fresh batteries, you may have lost an important tool.

Walkie-talkies take AA or AAA batteries. Over the years we have tested different brands and over the years the “winner” in the test has been different every time!

Get the right size, get the longest life available, and TEST them regularly. Every month we catch a couple of dead Walkie-Talkies during our monthly drill. (Of course, if people forget to turn the Walkie-talkies off after the drill, the chances of the batteries going bad are about 100%.) (And corroded batteries can destroy the walkie-talkie, too.)

Don’t have Walkie-talkies for your group or family? Here’s our walkie-talkie reviews to get you started on adding some.

3-Check your fire extinguishers and replace if they have lost pressure.

Fire extinguishers can last many years, but – Do you really remember when you bought yours?

A good extinguisher has a pressure gauge to help you track its functionality. Check the gauge when the time changes, if not more frequently. Not sure if the extinguisher is any good? Get a new one.

Looking to re-charge your extinguisher? We’ve looked, and haven’t found a reasonably-priced service. Maybe you can find one, but chances don’t seem to be very good.

4-Refresh your first aid kits.

We’ve written before about the drawbacks of most purchased first aid kits.

Still, you’ll want to start with a basic kit, and add your own enhancements.

At the left is a starter kit, available at Amazon, that looks even better than ones we’ve recommended before. Click on the image to get full details, but note to start with that this kit has soft sides with pockets labeled so you can see everything at a glance.  (Most of the inexpensive kits that I see are simply a zippered container with contents thrown in.)

Any first aid kit needs customization, and that’s where a regular check-up is important. At the time change, pull together all your kits (from your cars, your Go-Bags, etc.) and look in particular for . . .

• Small medicine bottles whose contents have dried up completely.
• Tubes of medicine that have been accidentally crimped or punctured and are oozing gook.
• Band aids that have torn packaging and thus have lost sterility and stick.
• Pills that have expired.
• Scissors or other tools that have mysteriously developed spots of rust.

Repeal and replace as appropriate!

5-Clean out coils and filters to prevent fire.

We’re talking refrigerator, heater, and clothes dryer. All these collect dust and lint in hard-to-see and harder-to-get-to places, and can overheat or even (in the case of the dryer) burst into flames.

Enlist help to move or open any pieces of equipment or access doors, and attack with the wand and the crevice tool of your vacuum cleaner.

When you’ve finished vacuuming, empty its dust container and replace the filter in the vacuum, too.

While we’re on vacuum cleaners, a couple more safety notes:

• Don’t leave a vacuum cleaner running while you go to another room. It can overheat and start a fire! (Just go onto YouTube to see a number of dramatic examples. . .!)
• Check the cord and plug of your vacuum to be sure they aren’t damaged or frayed. These cords get hot! (Even the cord of my quite new Navigator gets really warm, just from being in normal use.)

That’s it.

You may have discovered that your 60 minute time change job has turned into a multi-hour project!

However, once you’ve gone through the steps once, it’ll be easier next time. Also, you may be able to turn the whole thing into a family bonding exercise by delegating different jobs to different family members, and presenting it as a contest!

However you get through the 5-point list, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing your home is good to go for another six months. And you won’t be caught by an emergency just waiting to happen — as represented by the eager dinosaur in the picture!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

Ever been accused of being overly protective of your children?

Maybe it’s true. And it’s doing them a disservice, because . . .

When it comes to an emergency situation – you MAY NOT BE THERE to protect your child!

The good news?

Children are trainable! They are resilient! Give them tools to work with, and they can surprise you.

(Heck, this goes on throughout your life as a parent!)

Start where you are.

Here are some questions you can ask your kids to see just how well they would manage BY THEMSELVES in an emergency.

Of course, the first reaction for most small children would be to run crying for you. But what if you are not there? These questions are designed to help your child think past that initial reaction and move through to the next step.

How well the question-answer conversation goes will depend for the most part on your own ability to guide it in a meaningful way – i.e., with the right amount of information for each child. (It’s easy to go overboard . . .!)

But if you can help your child realize that there is a course of action he or she can take that will be smart and that will help . . . then you’ve made a huge difference in how well things will turn out.

So, some sample questions. Pick one to start with.

1. If there’s a fire in the house, what would you do first?
2. If you are at the park playing, and you feel an earthquake, what would you do?
3. If you’re home alone, and you hear our smoke alarm go off, what would you do?
4. If a policeman is knocking at the door, what would you do?
5. What if you try to call 911 and no one answers?

These are pretty tough questions. Your child probably won’t be happy even thinking about something happening when he’s alone.

Still, given a bit of encouragement, your children can probably come up with some good ideas.

The purpose of the conversation is to remind your child that emergencies DO happen, to figure out what your child knows already about dealing with them, and then identify more good ideas and turn them into action steps.

Build simple action steps with your child.

What follows are some examples of action steps that might be appropriate. You will build your own list, depending on where you live, the makeup of your household and the skill level of your child.

• Be sure you can tell a Firefighter or a Police Officer your whole name (first Name, last name) and where you live (your street address). (I’ve met 6 year old children who are unable to talk to adults.)
• Memorize your home telephone number or a parent’s cell phone number. (This applies to older children, too!)
• Know at least two ways you can get out of the house. How can you get out of the second floor of the house if you can’t go down the stairs? (Only kids who like the idea of “escaping” have really considered this!)
• If the lights go out, find a flashlight. (Where?)
• Fix a meal while you’re waiting for things to get back to normal.
• When you feel an earthquake, the first thing to do is: ____, ____ and ____. (Children in California schools know this one.) What if the earthquake happens at night when you’re in bed? (Cover your head with the pillow. Don’t jump up and run barefoot through the dark house! Flashlight? Shoes?)
• Call 911 in an emergency.  (Having a landline will allow even small children to call for help. If teens and adults all just have cell phones, a small child may have no options.)
• If there’s no answer at 911, what does that mean?
• Don’t automatically open the door because someone says so. (What else could you do?)
• When you can’t stay in the house, or can’t reach it, go to our “safe place.”
• If you have to leave in an emergency, grab your go-bag.
• In an emergency, wear shoes.
• And more . . .

Now, it’s on to the most important, third piece of this plan.

Practice the action steps.

When a disaster disrupts your child’s regular routine, a back-up plan THAT’S BEEN PRACTICED will fall into place. Without that practice, the child will likely be unable to make any good decisions.

Every one of the steps you’ve come up with in your conversations can be practiced.

Here are examples that you can use as starters.

• Go room-by-room through your house and identify 2 exits from each room. (Windows work if they’re not blocked by bushes or bars.) You may want to draw a floorplan of the house and show those exits.
• Climb to the second floor to see how to get out without going down the stairs. If you have a fire escape or an emergency escape ladder, assemble it and climb down. If you or your child can’t make it down, you can’t count on the ladder to save anyone!
• Practice reciting address and telephone numbers. The number of your out-of-state contact should be on your list of memorized numbers, too. IF YOUR PHONE IS OUT OR GONE YOU WON”T BE ABLE TO PULL UP NUMBERS FOR AUTOMATIC DIALING.
• Pick a place for flashlights or emergency lights and make it a game to find every one. Try to keep the lights in their assigned places so you could find them in the dark.
• Make sure your child can prepare a simple (uncooked) meal while she’s waiting, or get to an emergency snack. This simple job will be reassuringly normal.
• Practice making phone calls using a variety of phones.
• Build family go-bags together. Right on top: SHOES (and then a flashlight). Stash the bags in an appropriate place.
• Grab your go-bag and take a walk to your “safe place” (assembly point) outside the house or further away in the neighborhood. Have the child lead the way. Take the walk again, in the dark.
• Practice communicating using walkie talkies.

Add more skills as your child gets older.

Schools train children on some of the basics. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have emergency preparedness and first aid training, too. FEMA and CERT offer programs especially for high-school-aged children.

If you take your kids camping, that’s a perfect time to practice a whole other group of survival skills: building a fire, understanding how to build a shelter, knowing when it’s safe to drink water, “capturing” water using a plastic bag over a branch, tying knots, using tools, administering basic first aid, reading a compass, etc.

If you are looking for more info on preparing children, consider these resources:

www.fema.gov/children-and-disasters

This page lists a whole collection of resources aimed at different age levels and different audiences (for example, educators, social services, etc.). Some of the programs are co-sponsored by Ready.gov, the Red Cross, Dept. of Education, etc.

https://www.ready.gov

This easily accessible site has good descriptions of what to expect in a particular type of emergency (hurricane, tornado, etc.) and helpful suggestions for building a go-bag. (Don’t forget our Emergency Plan Guide booklet on how to build customized bags.)

The KIDS section at Ready.gov offers a series of simple comic books with accompanying tips for parents and educators.

http://www.savethechildren.org  Resources at this site include some downloadable checklists for parents and for child care professionals. The checklists might be appropriate for members of your emergency response group, too.

In summary . . .

Grab some of the resources listed here, and build disaster preparedness and response reminders and actions into your daily family routines. Add new “content” as your children get older.

Disasters will happen.

Unless you have prepared your children to take action without you being there to tell them what to do . . . they are more likely to be hurt, trapped or at the very least, traumatized.

Protecting your children from disasters isn’t as good as preparing them to get through successfully.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team