Category: Family Survival

We hope we never have to hear you say something like this:

“Oh, darn!  I KNEW I should have fastened up that shelf / replaced those bottles of water / checked those batteries . . . !”

Truth is, disasters are gonna happen. Most aren’t entirely unexpected. And we’ve learned that if we simply prepare for a few of the biggest ones, we’ll be ready for most of the smaller ones. But if we let the small ones go . . . well, bigger and scarier emergencies are right around the corner! (Nothing worse than a spilled ice cream cone, of course!) A preparedness planning calendar can help keep us on track.

Your family’s well being comes first on your planning calendar.

About half of the Advisories we write deal with suggestions for individuals and  families.  They range from revisiting the contents of your go-bag, to keeping emergency radios maintained, to how solar works as an emergency power supply.

Last year, during the pandemic lock-down, we collected 14 of the most popular Advisory ideas for individuals.  Then we doubled the amount of info on each basic topic. Each topic became one volume of our “Emergency Preparedness Q&A Mini-Series.”

(Happy note: one of my real estate friends gave away copies of several of the mini-books to her clients as holiday gifts. She sent me this text: “I’ve gotten many many sincere thanks for such wonderful books!!!! Thank you so much! Hugs, Jaci, Seven Gables Real Estate”)

But don’t stop there. Take your preparing to the next step!

We think Emergency Plan Guide is unique in its focus on building prepared neighborhoods. As you have seen, in “real life” Joe and I help organize and train our own neighborhood emergency response group. We’ve done it for nearly 20 years!

So besides the info for individual preparedness, our Advisories cover activities aimed at attracting and engaging our immediate neighbors. You may recall some of our stories from 2020 and 2021. Even when so much community activity was shuttered, our team was able to put together an  “Emergency Whistle Give-away,” hold a first-of-its-kind virtual meeting with our City’s Emergency Manager, and very early on, reach out to isolated neighbors via simple telephone conference calls.

Neighborhood resilience depends on  —  neighbors!

No matter what the make-up of your neighborhood, every family will benefit by knowing more about readiness. But we believe preparedness extends beyond each family having emergency supplies and training.

A prepared neighborhood may be able to rescue and support those people whose homes or livelihood were damaged or destroyed! 

It was neighbors who pulled out boats to search for survivors in the floods after Hurricane Harvey. After Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana, it was neighbors who got busy and nailed blue tarps over leaking roofs when there was no sign of promised government help. When the tornados hit in Kentucky last month, it was neighbors who pulled people from the debris in the darkness.

Who would help YOU if an earthquake flattened your home? Your school? Your place of business?  It would be your neighbors!  The ones right there. The ones who know where you are likely to be. The neighbors who have gloves and crowbars and lights and are ready to jump into action as soon as they know they themselves are safe.

So as we take a look at planning for 2022, sure, let’s let the FEMA calendar guide us with some good themes. But at the same time, let’s add to our planning calendar some activities that build group awareness and resilience.

And next week, in Part 2, we’ll take a look at who you really want for your neighborhood team – and who you might NOT want.

So, a list of activities by month for 2022.

January – Time to get the year organized. Get your hands on or make your own monthly calendar, with plenty of place to write. For each month, fill in at least one appropriate topic. Then set up two columns, one to help individuals and families take action, and the other for groups. For example: In January, survey your group members to find out what they are worried about. Use that information to build in training over the course of the year to meet their concerns.

February – Winter awareness month, per FEMA. Focus on your location and your audience to identify winter threats. (For example, small children have different needs than the elderly when the power goes off . . .) Idea for group planning: what specialized winter equipment do you have available in the neighborhood that could be used to help more people? (snow plow, generator, home with fireplace, etc.) How would you deploy it?

March – Flood safety. Idea: test and emphasize your neighborhood emergency alert systems. Did forest fires ravage nearby areas? If so, watch out for mudslides and debris flow where they may never have occurred before.

April – Financial capability month. For most of us, having enough cash or savings to carry us through an emergency may simply not be possible. Idea: invite insurance professionals to speak to your neighborhood group. Be sure you come away knowing what is covered by homeowners or renters’ insurance, and what isn’t. Ask plenty of questions about wind and water damage.

May – Start of wildfire season. Big idea for this month: Become a FireWise USA Community!  Sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association and local fire departments, the program helps individuals and communities get ready for summer and potential fire danger. One of our Emergency Plan Guide groups has held multiple very successful FireWise events.

June – Start of Hurricane Season and, traditionally, start of the hottest season of the year. In 2021 we experienced deadly heat waves in the Pacific Northwest. Hundreds died quietly at home, exercising outside at school, and working in orchards and fields. Find out what temperatures to expect in your location. How can you protect the most vulnerable? Idea: set up a system to check on and support seniors in your neighborhood.

July – Fireworks safety.  Last year I studied the various fireworks ordinances in and around our town. Guess what?! Some fireworks were allowed in neighboring cities that weren’t allowed here!  So, be sure you know the rules for kids and adult enthusiasts. And have your fire extinguishers handy.

August – Back to school. Parents, know your school’s emergency procedures. Teachers, know what’s expected and if you aren’t getting comprehensive training, demand it. Traditional fire drills aren’t really enough these days. Make sure your school is ready for other emergencies including intruders, earthquake, tornado, etc. Do you need emergency tools or equipment in the classroom? Emergency food supplies? Find out.

September – This is National Preparedness Month. Idea: Plan a Preparedness Expo for your neighborhood or group. Consider guest speakers, commercial vendors, games, exhibits by police and fire. Invite school or scout groups as partners. Solicit donations so visitors go away with starter items for their own emergency kits. Be sure to arrange for publicity.

October – Cybersecurity month plus the Great American Shakeout! Idea: Sponsor an educational meeting for local businesses, with a “Cyber-Security Checklist” as take-away. Idea for group: Present dramatic video of earthquake footage (available on YouTube) and discuss earthquake myths. Send people home with an Emergency Whistle to help if they are trapped after a shaker.

November – Holiday cooking safety. Idea: Invite professionals to demonstrate how different fire extinguishers work on different types of fires. Review fire extinguisher procedures and practice with real or digital equipment. Already been there and done that?  Do it again for the benefit of new members of the group.

December – seems to be Protection Month!  Ready.gov recommends getting your flu shot. Avoiding shopping scams and hazards. Managing holiday lights and fires. (I seem to have been right on schedule when I came up with my tips for using plugs and extension cords a week ago!)

Customize your planning calendar to fit your circumstances.

The ideas listed above are just that – ideas for you and your leadership team to discuss as you develop your planning calendar. Use or discard them or better yet, come up with variations that will work for you, specifically.

As we continue to emphasize, every community is unique. That’s why we wrote four different versions of our Neighborhood Disaster Survival Guide. There’s probably one for your type of neighborhood. Each of those guides, by the way, has pages full of ideas that could help fill in a year’s calendar of preparedness activities.

Whatever your source of ideas, this is a great time to get organized for the year. There’s no reason to get caught flat-footed when emergencies hit – and so many good reasons to be ready!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. Planning for 2022, Part 2, will be coming out in a week or so. Watch for it! It will have suggestions for building a workable neighborhood team and keeping it on track.

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It’s been a pretty nice day here in sunny Southern California, but that should change starting tomorrow as we’re overtaken by another atmospheric river of moisture. Of course, we look forward to all the promised rain. And so far, there’s no suggestion that we could face a winter power outage.

But elsewhere in California, things are a bit more ominous.

• Just now I checked with the National Weather Service and I found 23 different storm and winter weather warnings for California!
• At the same time, I checked for power outages, and discovered 2,205 power outages happening right now in California!

Now I know you may not be in California. And I hope you weren’t in Texas last year, when they experienced a spectacular and devastating winter power outage disaster.

But no matter where you’re located, cold weather combined with a power outage can be deadly.

So that’s the combination we’re looking at with today’s Advisory.

Because it’s the holidays, and I know you’re busy, I have found the perfect way for you to get the info with as little effort as possible. It’s a video from Steven Eberlein of Ethos Preparedness. Only 10 minutes long. You might want to pull up a kid or two to watch with you.

I’ve been following Steven on LinkedIn for a while now. He’s a real preparedness expert with years of experience, a sense of humor (!), and he’s snuck dozens of sensible ideas and suggestions into these 10 minutes.

So grab a cup of hot chocolate and settle in!

Winter Weather Preparedness & Trapping Heat (Ready for Anything Video Library)

A good review, don’t you agree? Do yourself a favor and pull together any winter supplies you might be missing. And let me know what struck you as most important for YOUR circumstances!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S.  Now if you’re asking yourself, “What’s the forecast for our part of the country? Do we have any winter weather warnings?”

You can find out just like I did by heading to the National Weather Service site: https://www.weather.gov/ When you get there you’ll see a map somewhat like this. Type in your state. (The box highlighted in red on the image below shows where to put in your state.)

What’s ahead for YOU when it comes to winter weather? How ready are you?

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In our retirement community . . .

Everyone is 55 years of age, or older.  Some people are a LOT older than 55!  Many of our neighbors have special needs, whether they know it or not. After years of working in this environment, we have found that when we’re trying to improve the levels of emergency preparedness for seniors, we encounter some specific senior challenges.

Here are some observations and two action items that you may want to take to heart as we head into the winter months. It’s a time where we are all exposed to more potential dangers — storms, ice and snow, power outages, etc.. Happily, it may also be a time when a heart-to-heart talk with family members is possible and welcome.

Some seniors suffer from complacency.

Some of our neighbors have family close by, with children and grandchildren showing up regularly to celebrate holidays.  These families also help mom or dad make decisions and take care of routine chores.

These older folks are lucky to have this support.  But they may also get used to handing off responsibility to someone else.  In a big emergency, adult children won’t be there!  Immediate decisions will have to be made! If people fail to act, results may be disastrous.

So here’s the first question for your family conversation — or for you by yourself if you are a senior:

Question #1: Are you ready to make life-and-death decisions for yourself, by yourself? 

Here’s a simple test of how ready you are. Have you taken the time to think through and make decisions about how you want to be treated in case of a medical emergency? I’m referring to completing and/or updating the information in the “Vial of Life.” It’s a vial/bottle/baggie that holds essential medical information for First Responders who arrive when someone calls 911. Emergency preparedness for seniors requires having prepared a Vial of Life!

A second level of personal decision making is to take the next step and complete an Advance Directive and/or POLST form (Physician’s Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) — and have them ready for medical professionals. These documents go further than the Vial of Life info in that they tell emergency caregivers what level of care you want in specific medial situations. See the P.S. of this Advisory for a photo.

(The POLST form is often confused with a DNR or “Do not resuscitate” order. The DNR may be one of the options on the POLST form, but it’s only one of the options.)

Here in our community we’re remind our neighbors once a year (at least) about completing these important documents. You can get the details here about how we distributed a Vial of Life to all our neighbors a few years ago.

Action item: If you are getting together with family over the next few weeks, get a copy of the Vial of Life information and the Advance Directive for Health Care . Have them ready for discussion. If YOU don’t keep them up to date, in an emergency you may not get the medical care you deserve or want.

Other seniors operate with a sense of entitlement.

Living as we do near a fire station, and in a community where police services are excellent, we get to know our First Responders by first name!  We see them frequently, and know they are great folks.  Naturally, we expect friendly and competent service to be available all the time.

Our First Responders don’t hesitate to tell us, though, that in a big emergency we will fall off their list so fast our heads will spin! 

City government, schools, hospitals, jails, communications centers – all these will be much higher up on the list of priorities than a retirement community. So we regularly ask this question of our neighbors:

Question #2: Have you fallen into the trap of assuming immediate response if you call 911?

When an overwhelming emergency strikes, everyone will be on their own for at least a while. In our training for emergency preparedness for seniors, we encourage neighbors to plan for 10 days of “Sheltering in Place.” If you can take care of yourself, you can survive.  You may also even be able to assist others. 

And we gently try to remind neighbors: If you can’t take care of yourself, you become a problem for which there is no guaranteed solution. 

What about the staff of the community where you live?

In a senior community, unless it is a nursing home or care facility, when an emergency hits there may be NO ONE responsible for individual residents. In fact, in our senior community, the front page of the official Emergency Preparedness Plan states clearly:

” [Community] will not be responsible for the physical evacuation of residents in an emergency. Individual residents shall be responsible themselves. It is each household’s responsibility to be prepared from an emergency or disaster. {Community] will not be responsible to provide food, shelter or medical help.”

Residents can also assume that staff will quickly leave for their own homes to be sure their families are safe!

Of course, we’d like to think that our Neighborhood Emergency Response Group volunteers will be of service. but its members are all seniors in the middle of the same emergency. They will be busy protecting themselves, confirming their own safety and the condition of their homes before they can effectively mobilize to help others.

Action Item: If you live in a senior community, find out what the expectations are for response and care in a widespread emergency. This may be a tricky conversation. But you need to know what to expect. Below are a few questions to ask of your property managers or property owners.

• What do we do when 911 doesn’t respond?
• What about back-up power for medical units or equipment?
• Are there any food supplies that could be tapped for residents in a wide-spread emergency?
• What staff is required to remain on the property in an emergency?
• How will we know what’s going on?

You may find there are really NO GOOD ANSWERS! But it’s best to know that now!

The reality? Seniors are responsible for themselves just like everyone else is!

This entire website is devoted to detailing, step by step, how to prepare for and respond to many different emergencies. Some Advisories are aimed parents with children, some at teenagers, most at able-bodied adults.

This Advisory is specifically aimed at emergency preparedness for seniors (and their adult family members). It deals in large part with attitudes toward preparedness — on the part of the senior and the senior community.

If you know seniors, please share this info and stress the two action items. Neither costs any money — but failure to consider them could add unnecessary stress and potential heartbreak for your family.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

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Those of us with a built-in “readiness outlook” tend to want to help others to enjoy the same advantages. It’s not just having a working flashlight when the power goes out. The real advantage is attitude: feeling you’re aware of what’s happening and confident you can handle it!

Who better to be talking with about being confident than young people leaving home for the first time, heading off to college?

Last weekend I had that opportunity. I was invited to put together an online discussion for a local group of high-school-aged Girl Scouts. It was part of a series on getting ready for college. (They had already had sessions on test taking, finances, etc. and next up is a session on coping with negative emotions, depression, etc.)

What a pleasure it was to speak to the group!  (Most kept their video feed off, by the way.)

I invite you to share this Advisory – and if you have a group of girls (or guys, for that matter) who might like to talk about this topic, we could make it happen!

Off to College: Girl’s Guide to Safety and Security on Campus

The challenge: college will expose students to new experiences and the need to make decisions they may never had to make before. Our goal is to help students:

• avoid really dangerous mistakes
• recognize when they’re headed in the wrong direction
• use new skills to get straightened out and back on track.

Be prepared for new living conditions.

After weather, we started in on personal situations that have the potential of becoming emergencies or even disasters.

No matter whether it’s a high-rise dorm or an apartment, be sure you know how to escape in an emergency. Where are stairs, back doors, fire extinguishers, etc.? Take a tour!

Are you ready to take care of your health – without a parent’s reminders? This involves what you eat, how much sleep you get, how you care for your “stuff” (doing the laundry on your own, maintain a car, etc.)  For perhaps the first time you will be making all these decision on your own. Learn what you need to know before you leave home!. (The stories about students not being able to do their own laundry seem terribly common!)

Are you ready to deal with a roommate – or several of them?

There’s an art to living with strangers – and a lot of it has to do with open communication about setting boundaries. Freshmen need to be ready to talk with roommates about all sorts of issues they may never have dealt with before, like:

• routines (sleeping, cleaning)
• privacy (and this includes digital privacy)
• visitors including overnight visitors
• security (locking room, lending computers or cars, etc.)

My own research on security stressed two things: 1. Find out what recommendations the school makes 2. KEEP YOUR DOOR LOCKED. (You may even want to invest in a wedge for the door or an alarm for the door knob.)

Setting boundaries takes thought and even practice beforehand.

As part of my preparation I interviewed several students now in their second year of college. They all emphasized that a student must be ready to immediately and strongly make it clear when someone is getting too close or too intimate. Let them know you don’t allow that behavior!

(“But what exactly do I say?” I developed a worksheet with sample boundary statements. See the link below.)

Avoid the one activity that makes you more vulnerable than any other.

You must know what that is by now!  It’s being buried in your cellphone!  We talked about the concept of situational awareness. The rule: “Heads up! Phones down!”

In summary . . .

Our discussion really revolved around three important preparedness activities that girls heading for college can engage in:

1. Do more homework about potential colleges! It’s not just a question of size, reputation, etc. Go online and dig out more info about weather, security recommendations, campus policies, etc.
2. When you arrive, tap into face-to-face resources: your dorm assistant, campus security, others with your similar interests and values, etc.
3. Pay attention to what’s going on around you, and be ready to take action when necessary. Don’t be afraid to look silly or to make a scene!

And what more can I recommend with regards to personal safety?

I already mentioned the Setting Boundaries worksheet. It is accompanied by a list of what a student might want in a Campus Emergency Kit. Download both worksheets here.

A serious discussion about personal safety really deserves more than just this one Advisory. The 17 questions in our mini-series Personal Safety booklet cover many of these subjects in much more detail – and make you think a bit harder.  In particular, the booklet deals with questions about alarms, self-defense, pepper spray and tear gas (including legal restrictions), and deadly weapons. It asks some questions, too, about how you might feel after having used them.

Though not written specifically for students, any college-bound young person can use the information in this booklet. Get a copy for high-schoolers you know, and a copy for their advisors, too!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. Dealing with young people about emergency preparedness was refreshing and a real change of pace for me. I’d love to do it again.

So I repeat my invitation: if you know a group of kids, particularly teen-agers, think about our getting together via Zoom to talk about some of these ideas. The adults might learn something new (I did, in my interviews!). And the young people may become engaged in a new way, too.  Just drop me a line to get the conversation started.

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Bare hands won’t work.

Clearing roads, walkways and corridors, prying open locked or distorted doorways, freeing victims pinned beneath fallen debris — just a few of the scenarios you might experience in an emergency. You’ll want the right emergency tools in your hands — and you’ll want to protect those hands!

So the solution? Heavy, well-fitting gloves!

This is particularly important for women, because most off-the-shelf gloves — even those provided via a CERT class — are JUST TOO BIG. If you’ve been visiting here a while, you’ll have seen some of our gloves. They make for good photos, but the extra space across the palm and at the end of my fingers means I just can’t wear them. In the presence of tools they are just plain dangerous!

The image at the left shows some of the gloves I do like for myself. Heavy-duty construction. Leather. Separation between fingers. Elastic at wrist. And you can select SMALL.

Whatever size you wear, find good ones and get several pairs. In wet or heavy work, you can damage them or even just wear them out. Here’s the link to Amazon so you can take a look for yourself.

OZERO Leather Work Gloves Flex Grip Tough Cowhide Gardening Glove for Wood Cutting/Construction/Truck Driving/Garden/Yard Working for Men and Women 1 Pair (Gold,Medium)

Essential emergency tools for turning off utilities.

Water shut-off.

In an earthquake or storm, you may face broken pipes — somewhere in the system or even inside your house. (Remember those terrible photos from the ice storm in Texas?) If you don’t know where or how to shut the water off, every minute increases the chance of damage or even danger.

Do you know where ALL THREE water supply shut-offs are located?

An Individual appliance may have its own shut-off valve. Check the water lines leading to the toilet, for example. Easy enough to shut off.

Turning off water to the whole house can keep water in your tank from becoming contaminated! Your home has a master shut-off valve. It’s usually in the basement, crawl space or maybe in the garage. It may be located outside by the foundation. These valves usually can be shut off by hand — just turn the faucet handle (clockwise) or the lever (until it’s crosswise to the pipe).

You may also want to turn off water at the street. This valve is probably buried in a concrete box some distance from the house. Use a big screw driver to pry off the cover. (Gloves, here!) Then use a special water shut-off tool that has a sort of hook at the bottom. (You may have used one for your irrigation system.)

Here’s an article with a number of illustrations that may be useful.

ACTION STEP: Plan a time for a family tour to find all your water shut-off valves! Do you need an emergency tool to turn any of them off? (See below for a suggestion.)

Natural gas shut-off.

Here where I live our scariest danger is fire after an earthquake. Fire fueled by gas leaking from broken gas lines! So on a regular basis our neighborhood group puts out information about where and how to turn off the gas if you smell that rotten egg smell!

Just like water, there are a variety of valves to shut off the gas. At the street (distribution pipe), in the neighborhood (smaller pipes) and directly to your home (low pressure pipe). Generally, you can only control the line that leads into your home.

You’ll need a sturdy wrench or specialty tool to turn off the gas! And you’ll need to know HOW to turn if off. (See below for a gas wrench suggestion.)

ACTION STEP: Find your gas shut-off valve. Store a gas shut-off wrench permanently near the valve.

DO NOT PRACTICE shutting off the gas! Once it’s off, you’ll need the gas company to come turn it on again! (All pilot lights will have gone out, remember . . .)

A convenient, all-in-one tool for shutting off water and gas.

Get at least one, have a permanent place for it so it doesn’t go missing. Know you’ll be ready when you need to use it!

4 in 1 Emergency Tool: Gas & Water Shut Off, Pry Bar, 4 in 1, Non Sparking, Emergency earthquake Gas Shut Off Valve – Fireman Tools – Tool Emergency – Emergency Tools – Gas Turn Off Wrench – Tern Tool

Will you be able to use your power tools?

The image at the top of the page shows a standard power tool. But when you’re planning for an emergency, you have to assume that power will be out. So what are your options?

Battery-driven tools (power drills, chain saws) will have a limited useful life span if they can’t be re-charged. These days, many tools come with multiple change-out battery packs, which gives the tools a lot longer useful life span. And there are small Power Banks for small devices. Still, at some point, batteries will run out. So to be useful, they’ll have to be recharged.

What are your recharge options for emergency tools?

• Some people and businesses keep gasoline or butane-powered generators to supply emergency power. They can be really useful — but generally, they’re big, heavy and noisy. And they can be dangerous.
• If you live in the right location, and can afford it, you may want to consider using a solar system to charge your tools. Solar works well for small-ish devices and lighting, but it takes a big system to actually drive anything with a motor.
• Power inverters can take the output of a 12-volt battery and convert it to 110 volt AC, but in an emergency you’ll probably want more power than your inverter can give you. Still, worth another look.

Here’s an updated discussion of generators and inverters.

What about emergency lighting?

And let’s not overlook lights as emergency tools! Without them, you won’t be able to do much with the other tools you may have that still work!

Small flashlights are appropriate for getting around in the dark but may not provide adequate lighting for working in an emergency situation. Some newer flashlights offer more options, fortunately. Some have a side panel of lights, not just the main light. Some have magnets that can stabilize the light so you have both hands free. Flashlights are essential emergency tools — as long as their batteries hold out.

Lanterns can be even more useful, since you can set them down while you work. Low-level lighting is adequate for moving around in a space, and many lanterns adjust to meet that purpose. Other lanterns even have red or blinking emergency signals. From an emergency standpoint, it makes sense to have a couple of solar-powered lanterns, too, since batteries will ultimately fail.

Headlights from cars or trucks often suffice, but they may not be able to maneuver into position to be of help in all situations. There are large battery-operated candlepower spotlights available that can overcome this challenge, but most people don’t have these on hand. And again, they ultimately run out of juice.

Emergency lights keep getting better and better. Here’s our latest review of heavy duty lanterns. And for power tools that will last, take a look at this Advisory about solar-powered lights and tools.

What tools do you need to add to your emergency supplies?

ACTION STEP: Start now to put together an inventory of what emergency tools you have on hand, and what tools are available in the neighborhood.  Make sure you have the essentials. Consider whether an auxiliary power source will be required for tools to be effective.

Joe Krueger
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

Heat Illness Prevention for People Who Work Alone

Every week I figure out a topic for my blog post. I call them “Advisories” because they usually provide some recommendation or warning about potential emergencies. Often, picking the topic comes out of that week’s news. But this week so many disasters were unfolding at the same time that I was overwhelmed!

So, I took another look at what’s going on in my OWN life. And the top issue – heat.  Again!  Last year I wrote about my own bout with heat exhaustion. Just a month ago I wrote about the dangers of extreme heat for senior citizens.

Then just two weeks ago I attended the “back-to-school training” for school crossing guards in my own town here in Southern California. (I’ve been a crossing guard for 5 years now. Best job ever. There’s definitely a book in there but I haven’t started it yet!)

Anyway, our first meeting always includes some sort of training. For example, how to fill out the request for a day off. Traffic laws. Understanding bullying and harassment. This year, the training was – by now you have guessed it:  Heat Illness Prevention.

I thought I knew a lot about it. But this training added some important info. And I want to share.

This Advisory applies particularly to people like crossing guards who work alone.

What exactly is Heat Illness?

There seem to be five commonly accepted levels of heat illness. Each describes how your body responds to overheating.  The initial response can be mild; level 5 can be fatal.  The progression:

1. Heat rash
2. Heat cramps
3. Fainting
4. Heat exhaustion
5. Heat stroke

What factors are at play?

When you’re hot, you sweat. Your sweat evaporates and cools you off. Heat illness occurs when normal sweating and evaporation don’t work.

Naturally, the hotter the temperature, the more you have to sweat. At the same time, the higher the humidity (that is, the amount of moisture in the air), the harder it is to sweat. Hot temp, high humidity = the recipe for heat illness.

“Feels like . . .” The Heat Index

The National Weather Service reports on the “heat index,” which combines air temperature and humidity.  For example, an air temperature of 90° F and a relative humidity of 60% intersect at a heat index of 100°. In other words, the temperature would feel like 100° with this humidity/temperature combination. The index is what’s behind the label “ . . . feels like XX degrees.”  

What’s the heat index where you are right now???  What does it feel like? The NWA warns that when your index reaches 90, it’s time to pay attention.

What else contributes to heat illness?

Temperature and humidity are the key risk factors, as described above. Of course, there are other factors.

• Your environment also plays a role. For example, being in the bright sunlight, with no shade, can add as many as 15 points to your index.  Standing on hot concrete or asphalt adds a few more points, too. And, of course, the longer you are in that location, the greater the impact. Finally, heavy clothing or masks made add to your danger.
• Your own health helps determine your risk, of course. Age, medications, (salty) food and (alcoholic) drinks can all have a negative impact.
• Work requirements that don’t encourage or even allow for a rest can be deadly.
• Your attitude can be the game changer. That’s what got me into trouble the last time! This is what may apply to the man in the image above, too. (Or to your high-schooler trying out for a new sports team.)

When you are highly motivated to push through any discomfort, when you have a lot of confidence in your own level of fitness, and when you haven’t taken time to get used to a new activity . . . that’s when heat becomes dangerous.  

Advance planning can make a big difference.

• Drink water!  Drink water!  At least 4 cups per hour whether you are thirsty or not. Have water with you any time you expect to be out in the sun.
• Don’t strip down to bare skin. Radiation from the sun will have a direct path to your core. Rather, wear a light layer of light-colored clothing to reflect that heat, and a hat that’s breathable.
• Wear an old shirt, keep your shirt damp or wrap a damp or even wet cloth around your neck and chest. Pour water over your head and clothing (not your shoes!).
• Look for a shady place nearby where you can take a rest if you start to feel symptoms.

And if you are working or working out alone, follow this important advice that we got at our training:

If you feel ill (rash, cramps, dizzy, nausea, confusion) stop what you’re doing and get into the shade. Rest until you can recover.

Not recovering? Know you’re really in trouble? Call 911 or have someone else call 911 for you.

For people working alone: Write down exactly where you are and have those directions handy.

A stranger who stops to help may not know the streets or the block but with your directions can give emergency crews a huge boost.

I have taken my own advice when it comes to avoiding heat illness.

Here’s a photo of the “beat the heat” gear I have assembled and use when the afternoon shift temperature gets up over 90 degrees. If you look closely you’ll see the three items I wear when it’s hot. (And the 3 items I have with me every day, of course!

Here’s more about my special gear for hot weather.

My latest purchase – a real hat for a real job

I’ve always worn a hat on the job — visor, baseball cap, whatever. But this year I had to get serious. I needed a hat big enough to protect ears and neck but that wasn’t so big that it blocked my vision. And it needed to stay on in the wind. (I have a small head and short hair and many hats don’t fit!) This one turned out to be just right. Pretty much water repellent, mesh sides for air flow, and an elastic cord for snug fit. (Of course, there are other colors but beige felt more “official.”)

I got my hat at Amazon. Here’s the image and a direct link.

lenikis Unisex Outdoor Activities UV Protecting Sun Hats with Neck Flap Grey

A cooling towel — provided by my employer

Along with the Heat Illness training, we all received a “cooling towel.” I already had a couple of them. The concept is simple, and well-known to athletes. Just get the scarf wet and wrap it around your neck, shoulders or even head. Keep it wet, and evaporation will continue to work — while YOU are working!

The scarves I already have are plain colored. Here is a more stylish model from Amazon.

KAKOO Cooling Towel (40″x12″) 4 Pack Instant Relief Microfiber Cool Towels Chilling Neck Wrap Ice Cold Rags/Scarf for Sports Gym Fitness Camping Cycling Hiking Workout Golf Travel (A-4 Color)

And saving the best for last — the Cool Vest

I discovered the cool vest several years ago when one of my motorcycle-riding women friends gave me the heads up. The vest is a special high-tech material (from Germany) that absorbs and holds water for hours. In my case, I soak the vest for about 10 minutes in the basin at home, pack it into a plastic bag, and then slip it on just before I start my shift. Yes, it feels cold and almost clammy at first! But then, the water evaporates slowly and keeps me cool for my whole shift!

There are a variety of cool vest styles. Some actually have pockets for inserting ice bags! The one below is similar to my own.

FLY Racing Cooling Vest with Evaporative Cooling Technology, Cool Protective Vest for Hours on the Road

If you haven’t previously taken steps to avoid heat illness, now’s the time. We can only expect extreme heat days to increase due to climate change. This summer has already broken heat records – remember the “heat dome” that killed over 600 people in the Pacific Northwest? We’re going to experience more heatwaves that have higher temperatures and last longer.

So don’t wait to add Heat Illness to your list of potential emergencies. And add a hat to each of your Go-Bags, too.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. What tricks and tips do YOU have for beating the heat? Please share!

Every year in August I think about school starting and ask, ”Do I really need to give parents a list of questions about school preparedness?” And every year, because things keep changing, the answer is YES. Lately my list has had to be updated more than once a year!

Here are updated school preparedness questions for Fall, 2021.

These questions are written primarily for elementary school parents, teachers, staff, security and healthcare providers. Of course, every school is unique – not to mention every student! – so we can’t provide guidelines for every single situation.

In particular, we can not address the situation with COVID-19 and public health that is front and center for school children this year.

But we can ask pertinent questions with the hope that all parents will make sure to get the answers that work for their family.

Preparedness questions to ask the school

Caution: School personnel may be hesitant to answer some of these questions. They may not want to share details. They may be uncomfortable with preparedness issues in general. Or given all the changes that are happening, they may simply not know the answers. But remember, if you feel good answers are not forthcoming, stick with it!

Also remember this, too. School staff members may not consider themselves “First Responders,” but when something happens, they are the first ones there. Their actions can keep an emergency from turning in to a disaster. School staff deserves and needs to have the right training and supplies — and support from the district and the community — to do this job.

1 – General school emergency policies.

1. Does the school have written emergency policies and plans? Have they been updated to account for the Coronavirus? For air quality or other emerging situations?
2. How do parents find out about the policies?
3. What about emergency contact forms for each child. How are they distributed? Where kept? How detailed? How often updated?
4. Who decides on the definition of “emergency?”
5. How will parents be notified in emergencies? Are all parents notified for each emergency?
6. What are student pick-up policies? What are alternative pick-up locations if school has been closed? Who can pick up your child if school is shut down? How will they be notified? How will they be identified before child is released? What if your child won’t go with them?

2 – Emergency drills.

1. Does the school face any particular threats because of its location? (near railroad tracks, busy traffic or airport, environmental hazards from neighboring businesses, potential for earthquake or tsunami, etc.)
2. How are teachers and students on site notified of an emergency? (site-wide PA system, internal phone system, cellphone app, etc.)
3. How can teachers advise the office of an emergency?
4. What emergencies does the school train for other than fire or storm? (Earthquake, tornado, wildfire, active shooter?)
5. Does the school train for evacuation as well as shelter in place?
6. What should parents know about how these drills are called and how conducted?
7. Who does the training and how often?
8. How are substitute teachers included in these drills?

3 – Emergency supplies and equipment.

1. What food and water supplies are maintained in the school?
2. Are supplies kept on school buses?
3. What food, water and hygiene supplies are in the classroom in case of extended lockdown? (Please see P.S.!)
4. Are first aid supplies available in each classroom?
5. What first aid training do staff members get? Do they get age-appropriate training? (For example, CPR for infants and children is different than for adults.)
6. Where is emergency equipment located? (fire extinguishers, AEDs, wheel chairs, etc.)
7. Who is trained in equipment use?

4 – Security features.

In recent years, many schools have made changes to their physical infrastructure to provide more security. Parents and students should know what to expect.

1. Have changes been made in the classroom or on the campus due to the threat of COVID?
2. Has the school made any changes to the way visitors are allowed onto the campus or into the buildings? What are the policies?
3. Does the school have security cameras? Are they monitored?
4. Does the school have a professional security force? How many officers with what credentials, what training and what weapons? Their role?

(By the way, a report from the National Center for Education Statistics can give you an idea of how your school stacks up compared to others when it comes to physical security and crime statistics. The report is updated every year.)

5- Getting back to business as usual.

Sometimes it’s easier to focus on immediate protective actions and overlook what it will take to recover once the event is over. A good school preparedness plan has procedures in place to help parents and students “get back to business as quickly as possible.” (Obviously, after a year of distance or hybrid learning, these procedures may be new for everyone.)

Depending on the age of the students, such activities might include

• professional and peer counseling
• student-aided clean-up
• building safety inspections
• memorials
• acknowledging First Responders, etc.

See what plans the school has for such activities and what role the parents are expected to play.

Next steps for parents.

First, share your list of school preparedness questions with other parents. You may want to take the time to expand it with details unique to your school. Next, approach teachers and administrators for answers.

Make sure the answers get out to everyone in the neighborhood! You may want to insist on special presentations on some topics. Guest speakers could be school staff and a member of the police or fire department. You yourself might volunteer to help design and put on parts of the presentation.

You may need to create materials in multiple languages.

Presentations could be held virtually, or on Back to School night, at a PTA meeting, and, of course, in the classroom. Have students videotape the presentation for later showing or showing online, as well.

Working together, schools, students, parents and other community members can keep emergencies from becoming disasters and do the best possible job of protecting students when disasters do occur.

Virginia
Your Emergency Preparedness Team that naturally includes children!

P.S. Does your school ask that you send an “emergency kit” to school with your student? If so, please read this companion Advisory, also newly updated for 2021: Emergency Kit for School.

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Is your child missing an emergency kit for school?

The first time I did research for this Advisory, I was shocked to read comments like this:

“Wow, an emergency kit for school. What a good idea! I just thought the school would be taking care of this!”

These were comments from people reading articles online!  What about all the other parents who don’t have time to spend online?!

First things first. What emergency supplies does your school store?

A year or so ago I attended a training put on by the Earthquake Country Alliance, and sat next to a woman who works with schools. She told me about a school that called to ask her to inventory their emergency supplies shed. “How long has it been since you checked it?” she asked.  The answer was, “Uhhhh…”

When she opened the shed she discovered what she called “a hazmat situation.” The shed had leaked and everything inside was completely spoiled and contaminated!

That story should encourage you, when you go to your Back to School night, to ask not only what supplies are kept at school but also how often they are refreshed.

Next, what emergency supplies does the school want children to bring? Are they adequate?

In some schools in our area, each child is required to bring an “emergency kit for school” at the start of the school year. Reading the instructions closely, I discovered that the kit is to consist of a quart-sized resealable plastic bag with the child’s and teacher’s name on the outside, some snacks, and a personal note from the parent to the child.

This “kit” would sustain the kids I know for about 15 minutes.

Here’s another list from a school district in the mid west: ”A little food, some water, a space blanket or large plastic trash bag, a non-toxic light stick and a letter or photograph from home.”

As a parent, you need to find out about “required kits” at your school. The questions to ask:

• What goes in the kits?
• How are they stored?
• What about kids whose parents send nothing at all?

Third, what sort of PERSONAL emergency supplies make sense for YOUR child?

Here at Emergency Plan Guide we talk about survival kits frequently, so none of this should be new or different. In this section we’re not talking about the “required kit” that the school wants to collect and hold. Here, we’re talking about emergency supplies specifically for your child. A few things to consider:

1. Your child may need access to emergency supplies at any time! An emergency could happen on the way to school, or on the way home, not just while the child is in class. So, the best place to have supplies is in the kid’s bookbag or backpack.
2. Of course, this kit is meant for emergencies only. It’s not to be shared or talked about at recess. This means the kit has to be separated from the rest of the stuff in the bag.
3. Every kid’s personal emergency kit will be different. Your first-grader just won’t need or want the same stuff that your 6^th-grader wants! And, of course, that kit’s contents will have to change regularly.

Some suggestions from parents for customizing an emergency kit for school.

The kit needs its own pocket.

Pick a backpack or book bag or rolling cart with a zippered pocket for the emergency kit.  A bottom pocket would work, as well as an outside pocket of the right size.  You’ll have to shop for the right backpack based on your your kid’s size, sex and whatever is in fashion at the school! 

An older child may like a “tactical” bag with mesh and lots of pockets – as long as it has one pocket for the survival kit.

Find a sensible container for the personal emergency kit.

Depending on the size of your kid’s backpack, you will very likely be able to find an individual zippered toiletries bag or one in a set of organizers that will fit perfectly in the pocket or on the bottom of the bag. You might want to use a clear bag (meant for travelers) and a couple of sets of compressible “packing cubes.” If you’re packing a jacket or other emergency wear, being able to compress it would be a great space saver. ( Here’s the link to an Advisory with some handy packing tips and organizers.)

You may even be able to pack supplies in a tin box that will fit in a particular pocket.

In any case, the idea is to avoid your child having to paw past the kit to get to books and papers, etc.

What goes into the personal emergency kit for school?

If the student carries the bag every day, it can’t be too heavy. (That’s why a rolling cart is a good idea!) Still, the kit should include items from this list:

• Food – energy bars, non-perishable snacks. Hard candies. Get some protein bars and not just carbs!
• Water – if your child carries a water bottle every day anyway, that may suffice. Otherwise, consider packets of water.
• Warmth – Poncho, space blanket, extra jacket. Maybe hand warmers.
• Light – Pen with light; light stick.
• Emergency whistle – good quality. Cheap plastic whistles are hard to blow and may not give the sound quality your child needs.
• First aid items – Most children won’t be able to use a full first aid kit, but they certainly know and love band aids and maybe anti-bacterial cream.
• Face mask for emergency use.
• Wet wipes individually packaged.
• ID card with emergency contacts and family photo – protected from getting wet.
• Emergency phone if allowed and if the kid knows how to use it.
• Small toy, book or comfort item.

Warning: The emergency kit for school is NOT the place for medicines or drugs. Most schools have strict rules about how student prescriptions are to be handled. Be sure you find out about those rules.

Suggestions for parents whose kids walk home alone . . .

Phone Wristwatch.

The minute school lets out I have two young neighbor children who immediately call their parents using a phone wristwatch. Children aren’t allowed to have phones at school, but the watches are allowed. I’ve interviewed the parents, who REALLY like being able to check in via voice and talk with the kids as they head to their after-school care locations. Questions to have in mind:

1. Is the wristwatch phone limited to a particular carrier?
2. Can you connect the wristwatch phone via app to YOUR phone? (iOS or Android)
3. Does it monitor the child’s location via GPS? Can you set limits and get an alert when the child goes out of area?
4. How many phone numbers can be programmed into the wristwatch phone?
5. What sort of access to the internet (games!) is available through the phone?

The phone below is a good example. I was attracted because this phone limits calls to 10 known friends or family, and blocks all others. It also can block calls during class time. Naturally, I was looking for different colors, too! Click on the image or the link to check out all the details at Amazon.

Cosmo JrTrack 1 Kids Smartwatch | Pink | Voice & Video Call | GPS Tracker | SOS Alerts | Water Resistant | Blocks Unknown Numbers | SIM Card Included | Class Mode | Perfect for Back to School

Welcome-home doorbell Camera

By now we’ll all seen the home security cameras that can alert you when your kid steps through the front door. Again, parents whose kids arrive home to an empty house are really comforted by this technology. Of course, you’d want to get the kind that allows for two-way conversation.

We’ve written many times about front door security. New models are coming online all the time. The Ring model shown below does what I was looking for for parents wanting to know their child is home safely after school.

Ring Video Doorbell – newest generation, 2020 release – 1080p HD video, improved motion detection, easy installation – Satin Nickel

Special needs kid?

If you have a special needs kid, please take a look at my recent Advisory that describes a particularly powerful tracker for kids who need close supervision.

Let me know of other suggestions you have for items for kids, or what your school requires. I’d like to include that research next time!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

Welcome to new readers! If you’d like more on the topic of kids and school, you may want to check out this Advisory with Preparedness Questions for Back to School.

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Packed and ready . . .

We recently asked readers what worried them the most. There was one clear winner (if that’s the right term for it):
“Not being prepared to evacuate.”

One person (Elizabeth!) had a very specific request regarding evacuation, and that’s what we’re addressing today.

“Can you please send us a SHORT list of what we need to have ready?” 

Here’s what goes into the . . .

Get Out The Door Bag.

This is the bag you need to have packed and available at all times, ready for that unexpected emergency.

This is the bag you grab when suddenly there’s a police officer banging at the door and yelling at you to get out, because . . . there’s been a train wreck, a chemical spill, some sort of terrorist attack, whatever. You have ONE MINUTE to get out! 

You pull this bag out from under the bed, scoop it out of the closet near the door, or maybe it’s already stored in the car when you scramble in.

And if it happens in the middle of the night, remember, you are in pajamas.

The Get Out The Door Bag is meant to get you to wherever you end up and give you a sense of confidence until the situation is straightened out, which may take minutes or hours.

This is not the 3-day or 72-hour kit that we talk about so often. Watch for THAT list later. It’s a longer list, so it doesn’t fit in this Advisory!

What 10 things go into the Get Out The Door Bag?

(If you look carefully, you’ll see all these in the image above!)

1. Sturdy shoes and socks
2. Long pants, long sleeved shirt (You might be in pajamas, remember?)
3. Jacket
4. Flashlight + extra batteries
5. Emergency radio
6. Cell phone and charger
7. List of emergency contact names and numbers
8. Toiletry kit including several days’ worth of medicines
9. Extra glasses, sunglasses, contacts
10. The one small thing you just can’t leave behind . . .

Everything 1-9 on the list will fit into an ordinary-sized backpack, depending on the size of your shoes! This was my list, and it all fit into my bag, with room left over!

As for that item #10 . . .

If you have extra room, or specific concerns, one or more of these might be your “one small thing you just can’t leave behind.”

• Cash
• Extra set of keys
• Memory stick/flash drive with copies of your important documents including website/account passwords
• Pocket knife or multi-tool
• Favorite photo, book, etc.
• Stuffed animal
• Mylar space blanket/sleeping bag

Because Joe and I are such fans of walkie-talkies, we’d probably each have a hand-held radio, too. You may also have noticed the hard candies in the image above. I always gotta have something sweet!

Some suggestions about how to pack your Get Out The Door Bag.

Line your backpack with a big plastic bag to help keep everything dry.

To make this really work, you will have to “build” a second toiletries kit, just for the Bag. Get a small toothbrush, small sized deodorant, wipes. Pack a supply of pills in small plastic bags. (Get in the habit of replacing pills with a new supply every other week or so.)

Use another plastic bag to build a minimal first aid kit and tuck it into the toiletries bag, too.

And as for phone and charging cables, if you always plug in at the same place, you’ll be able to scoop everything up as you head out the door. Have a plastic bag or see-through packing cube for them, too.

Keep reading for more about plastic bags!

Specific recommendations to consider for your Get Out The Door Bag.

The Packable Jacket

While I was waiting in one of the endless lines at the airport last summer, I watched a young woman dig into her suitcase and pull out a wadded up piece of clothing.

She straightened it up, slipped it on and everybody standing around nodded and smiled in approval! Turns out this is an actual fashion: the PACKABLE jacket. These jackets look like a very light-weight, close-fitting down jacket. Some, of course, are filled with material other than down. The outer material also varies; some are weather resistant. Some have hoods. But all of them are very light, very crushable and would be the perfect item to pack in your Get Out The Door bag and/or have in the car all the time!

Here are a couple of examples from Amazon: prices for packable jackets start as low as $25 (though most are more), so check out several different brands.  (Click on the images below to go directly to Amazon to start your comparison shopping.)

Amazon Essentials Men’s Lightweight Water-Resistant Packable Puffer Jacket, Charcoal Heather, Large Amazon Essentials Women’s Lightweight Long-Sleeve Full-Zip Water-Resistant Packable Puffer Jacket, Black, X-Large

Plastic baggies

A second essential item for packing is something you may have at home, but maybe not – and that is a collection of different sized zip-lock or other plastic baggies! There’s nothing better for building that

• Streamlined toiletries kit
• A small first-aid kit
• A sewing kit
• Place to store your cell phone cords, charger, etc.
• Last summer I spent about $2 I think to buy individual pill baggies. They are tiny – and perfect to hold a daily supply of a half-dozen pills!

I saw this collection at Amazon and it looked very convenient, with six different sizes. Get a couple of packs so everyone will have the sizes they need.

You know what plastic bags look like. Click the link to see this collection:

ShipGuard 600 Ziplock Bags 6 Assorted Sizes Clear 2MIL baggies1.5×2 2×2 2×3 3×3 3×4 3×5

Packing cubes

Here’s yet another packing idea. This one you should consider if you travel AT ALL!

They’re called “packing cubes.” The cubes are soft-sided rectangular-shaped  zipper containers that you pack tightly (fold or roll) and then stack in your suitcase. Put underwear in one, socks in another. PJs in another. All your little “kits” – toiletries, sewing, first aid– in another. The idea is to not have to paw through everything to get to the bottom of the case where these socks are hiding.

Obviously, our Get Out Of The House bag won’t have multiples of many items, but still, organizing in layers simply makes sense. Here’s one set that is bright red. Click on the image to get details.)

Amazon Basics Small Packing Travel Organizer Cubes Set , Red – 4-Piece Set

Extra warmth

And finally, particularly for the Get Out The Door bag, pop in a couple of space blankets or even one of the space blanket mummy bags. These flexible sheets of Mylar aren’t too sturdy, but could add extra warmth in place of or even inside a sleeping bag. The shiny reflective side goes toward your body to capture heat, or turns outside to reflect the sun.

(I added  some duct tape to my kit. I could use it to tape my blanket into a bag.)

Bought singly they cost somewhere around $4-5 each; buy in bulk and you can get them for more like $1-2 each. We have space blankets in every survival kit we own.

EVERLIT Emergency Mylar Thermal Blanket (4 Pack) Space Blankets for First Aid Kit Camping Kit Hiking Outdoor

Here’s another Mylar product that’s been turned into an instant “sleeping bag” with its own fabric case, perfect for emergency shelter and/or camping:

Tact Bivvy 2.0 Emergency Sleeping Bag, Compact Ultra Lightweight, Waterproof, Thermal Bivy Sack Cover, Emergency Shelter Survival Kit – w/Stuff Sack, Carabiner, Survival Whistle + ParaTinder (Orange)

You don’t NEED any of these Amazon items to pack up your Get Out The Door bag. Still, having the right stuff will make the bag easier to pack, easier to carry and easier to manage when you need it.

Let me know when you’ve got YOURs all packed!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

Ready to get an emergency radio — or another one? Check out our radio reviews. One of these small radios will fit in your Get Out The Door bag, just like my black and red one does.

News often drives these Advisories. You can’t have escaped the latest headlines about summer heat and summer fires. The following selected statistics from various fire news sources will give you an idea of what to expect this summer.

First, sobering statistics on the fire front — and they threaten to continue.

• Fire season – what’s changed? Last season’s California fires were some of the biggest ever seen. Already this year, fires are burning faster and hotter and earlier. Summer fire season used to start in May. Now fire “season” is all year long.
• High temperatures – how high? This year heat waves with triple-digit temperatures have hit most western states and even western Canada, setting records and breaking them the next day. (Are you familiar with “heat dome?” The NOAA defines it as “when the atmosphere traps hot ocean air like a lid or cap.”  Read more on the NOAA site and you’ll see that it’s all because the Pacific Ocean has heated up faster than the Atlantic. Expect more about heat domes in upcoming fire news.)
• Drought – again? High temperatures added to dry vegetation make fires more extreme. Two-thirds of western states are in a drought. In California, 85% of the state is in a drought. The Governor has already called for 15% cut-back in water usage.
• Deaths – Dozens! People have died from these extreme temperatures – because they didn’t have A/C and because they didn’t know how to take care of themselves, or couldn’t. And of course there have been deaths due to the fires, too. The whole situation is sad and distressing.

By contrast, is there any good fire news?

Some. You may want to find out more about each of these!

As mentioned above, the fire season is now officially 12 months long. The Federal Budget has increased funding for permanent firefighter staffs. This means departments can do a better job of planning.

Meanwhile, new technologies are coming online to improve fire detection and firefighting. Drones are a good example. They can find fires (with the help of specialized cameras), assess conditions and direct fire fighters. New apps have been developed, for professionals and citizens, which show fire locations, evacuation zones, current evacuation alerts, and up-dated escape routes. Artificial Intelligence is being harnessed to capture and analyze information from cameras, current and archived weather data, satellite images and modeling tools to predict the likelihood of fire conditions wind patterns, utility service, and more.  

All these have potential, of course, but until there are some massive breakthroughs, it looks as though we are going to experience more and more extreme fire seasons.

What can we do today here in our neighborhood?

This question prompts me to write every week!  What can I do? What can my neighbors do, working together? How can we make use of good guidance and professional resources?

The news in this Advisory, and the emergency situations described below, are meant to help you step up to a higher level — of knowledge and of readiness. Like much of what you see here in Emergency Plan Guide, this Advisory assumes you already know most of the basics. So you can consider these items as extra credit!

How many fire extinguishers should you have in your home?

Fire Alert! Wildfires can blow up out of control within as short as an hour, People need all the advance notice they can get in case they need to evacuate. Can you name three ways YOU will get warnings about fires?

Everyone should be familiar with and able to get multiple alerts: text and phone alerts from Federal and local jurisdictions, news from public airways, and messages from their place of  work. We’ve written before about emergency alerts. Be sure you are signed up if signing up is required! Promote signing up as a community or neighborhood activity. Be aware that PEOPLE WITHOUT INTERNET ACCESS MAY NOT GET ALERTS, particularly if power is out!

Possible gas leak from earthquake! Clouds of dust! A gas line valve needs to be turned off, but you know that a spark could set off an explosion or fire. What tools do you use?  

Wind is pushing embers out miles in front of an advancing wildfire! You don’t expect to have to evacuate, but embers could certainly start a smaller fire. What is the latest fire news for removing vegetation fuel outside the home?

“Keep vegetation 1 foot away from the house, keep plants/bushes trimmed up 2 feet off the ground.” Get all the guidelines at FireWise. (And get rid of all Juniper bushes – to quote the firefighter giving one of the recent presentations I attended, “They are a roman candle ready to explode.”)

A small fire starts in an older public building. The fire department has been called. People are getting safely out. You notice a fire hose and standpipe right there. Are you allowed to use this hose to keep the fire from spreading?

Next steps

Every one of the questions above can be turned into a comment, an article, a show-and-tell, a flyer, a study session – perfect for sharing with others. You can invite a guest speaker from the fire department. Everything fire-related is appropriate for every single family and every single community. Please make a commitment to share!

Good luck with your fire prevention and preparation activities.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

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