The terrible snow storms this week may have prompted you to consider buying a generator. Before you do, read this . . .

By way of background, Virginia and I have played a key role in building a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in our neighborhood. We even have a budget from our Homeowners Association. And a couple of years ago the group agreed to purchase a gas generator to support our emergency planning team.

We originally purchased two, each of which put out 6,000+ running Watts, with 8,000 Starting Watts. On sale, each cost about $800, and was compliant with California environmental laws.

Then reality set in.

First issue: “Pounds per Watt!”

Portable generator with wheels, handles

Our big generators were deceptive. Their wheels and handlebars make them look portable. After jockeying one of them around it became painfully clear that their weight – as well as their appetite for fuel – was greater than we had foreseen. Also, they have to be started and run for 15 – 20 minutes every month or two or they will require resurrectional service (cost around $100 . . . if WE take it in to the shop).

We returned the unopened generator, and went back to the drawing board.

What had seemed like a good idea at the time turned out poorly. We kept the one generator and plan to use it to power our Command Post in an emergency. There, we’ll need it for lighting and computers and other communications. We’re still debating about purchasing any additional generators.

Second issue: Realistic output. 

You probably know that a portable generators isn’t going to power your home around the clock during an extended power outage.

Standby, or permanently installed, generator

With careful management, however, an emergency generator can keep a minimum number of appliances operating in order to provide more comfort and convenience during an emergency. And with careful purchasing, you might be able to get what you need for less than $400.

For example, you can apply your power 3-4 times a day for 15-30 minutes to keep your refrigerator/freezer operating. (Exact times depend on the size of your appliance). Charging up electronic devices (laptops, tablets, cell phones, etc.) can be done at the same time since most generators have more than one plug-in socket. But plugging in an appliance that generates a lot of heat – such as a hair dryer or toaster or portable heater – may overload the generator.

Hence, managing run times and appliance combinations is required.

It’s up to you to do some homework by listing the power requirements of your various appliances, combining appliances for a reasonable total power requirement, then finding the smallest unit that will do the job.

Third issue:  What fuel to choose?

Most of the portable generators for sale at your local hardware store or online will be powered by gasoline. So, consider where and how you’ll store the gas you need. Gas is easy to get most of the time (though probably not during an emergency). But gas is messy, is highly flammable, and degrades after 12 months or so.

But what about diesel, you ask? Compared to gasoline, diesel is cheaper, lasts twice as long in storage, is more fuel efficient and less dangerous. But typically you’ll need to install a storage tank to hold it. So, while some generators are set up to burn diesel, they are mostly the larger, permanently installed models that are planned to run for longer periods at higher load.

Some portable generators burn liquid propane and some can burn either propane or gasoline.  Storing propane is easier than storing either gas or diesel; it can be stored in a tank or in cylinders. And propane is the cleanest burning fuel of them all. Naturally, a combo unit (running either gas or propane) is more expensive that a single-fuel generator.

You want to consider all three fuel options.

But, keep in mind that NOT ONE OF THESE MACHINES SHOULD BE RUN INSIDE!  They have specific directions for their use and warnings that should be respected by all users.

Some Guidelines to Help You Make Choices.

These examples come directly from Amazon, where you’ll find literally hundreds of different generators on sale.  We have picked these as having representative prices and positive customer reviews.  As you shop, compare:

• delivery costs
• warranties
• environmental standards (for ex., CARB = OK to be sold in California)

Live in an apartment, condominium or modest home with access to an outside patio or small back yard, you’re looking at a small, portable unit that’s as quiet as you can find. (Propane generators are quieter than gasoline.) An example: the Champion Power Equipment 42436 1500-Watt Portable Generator, CARB Compliant costs $201.88 as of today. These items have to be shipped via ground so it may take longer than you’re used to for delivery.

Live in a Single Family Home, 3-5 Bedrooms, with outside access to patio or private yard? You can probably use a larger unit and won’t worry so much about noise or fuel storage.  For about $330, you can get something like the DuroStar DS4000S 4,000 Watt 7.0 HP OHV 4-Cycle Gas Powered Portable Generator.

Large Home or Small Business that still needs to continue running, even on a reduced basis, may require something like this model.  (It’s the one in the photo above, with wheels and handles that make it LOOK portable, but it weighs a good 200 pounds! ) Westinghouse WH7500E Portable Generator, 7500 Running Watts/9000 Starting Watts at $865, with free scheduled shipping.

Medium-Size Business that cannot afford to shut down for any sustained period, you’re looking at what’s called a “standby” generator. These are installed permanently and go on automatically even if you’re not there.  This example (shown in photo above.) runs on propane or can be connected to a natural gas supply (probably not the best idea if you live in earthquake country). Cost: $2,549 with extra $20 for shipping.Generac 6439 11,000 Watt Air-Cooled Steel Enclosure Liquid Propane/Natural Gas Powered Standby Generator (CARB Compliant) without Transfer Switch

This should be enough to get you started on some sensible shopping!

Joe Krueger
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

Looking for a bit more background? Here are a couple of Virginia’s recent posts:

• For more on alternatives for emergency power, including solar as well as generators, https://emergencyplanguide.org/choices-for-emergency-power/
• For a list of common appliances, to help build a “use schedule” for your generator, check out: https://emergencyplanguide.org/when-less-is-more/ 

(This article first appeared in 2014. As you can imagine, it has been updated since then — mostly because I have learned more about the ins and outs — or offs and ons and chirps — of smoke alarms!)

We remind everyone that when Daylight Savings Time comes round, it’s time to check the fire alarms.

So it’s now two weeks after the date, and I finally got around to practicing what I preach. Keep reading for what turned out to be an eye-opener!

Just looking up at the smoke alarm tells me nothing.

I seem to recall that my old alarms had a blinking light, but I see nothing like that on this one. My old alarm also once emitted a chirping sound — but I have heard nothing from this one.

Anyway, on with the test.

• I haul out my trusty step stool, position it properly and climb up.
• I look for the round test button (while being careful not to overbalance).
• Hey, look there! I discover a green light, deep in a recess. Is this what I was looking for?
• Well, since I’m up here . . .I press and hold the round button.
• Eeeeehhhh!

O.K., we know it’s working!

Now what about the other alarms in the house? Before I take a look at them, let me do some quick research.

I always thought fire alarms were pretty straightforward.

Here’s what I discover about the alarms in my house.

1. Code for fire alarms changes on a regular basis. My home is relatively new, so it has hardwired alarms that have a back-up battery. It’s that battery that we’re testing. (There are also alarms that operate solely on batteries. I used to have that kind.)
2. In my home, all the alarms all connected. If one goes off, so do the others. Still, I have to check each one individually to be sure about the batteries.
3. The requirement for alarms in California indicates that starting 2015 new battery-operated alarms must have a non-replaceable battery that will last for 10 years. After ten years, the whole alarm will simply be replaced. Some of those alarms are already on the market. So the question then becomes, do I have one of these models in my house? It’s back up the ladder. And the answer is no.

But here’s the discovery of the day . . .

I have always used the words “fire alarm” and “smoke alarm” and “smoke detector” pretty much interchangeably. It turns out that alarms are NOT all the same.

According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) there are two main technologies at work in fire alarms: ionization (alarm is set off when ion flow is interrupted by smoke) and photoelectric (alarm is set off when light is reflected off smoke).  (You can get the whole scientific description at http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/fire-and-safety-equipment/smoke-alarms/ionization-vs-photoelectric

Ionization technology works best on a fast, flaming fire; photoelectric works better on slow, smoldering fires.

Logically, the very best fire alarm combines both technologies!

And also, logically, the combination models cost more.

So what alarm technology do I have in my home?

Ta da! . . .Looks like ionization smoke sensing technology! (This model seems particularly made for home builders, since it comes in a six pack.)

Where does all this take us?

1. Check your own fire alarms to be sure they are working.
2. Check to see how old the alarms are and if they are over 10 years old, get rid of them an install new ones.
3. Get the best replacements you can.I just added the best photoelectric/ionization model I could find at Amazon to our own list of recommended products. Here’s a link to that model.

Let me know how your alarm testing goes!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

In earlier Advisories we’ve talked about how best to communicate during an emergency when the power is out. Here’s the likely drill:

1. First, try an old-fashioned landline; it may work when your rove-a-phone doesn’t.
2. Try your cellphone. But if lines are overloaded, you won’t get through there, either.
3. You’re down to option #3, a text message. Because it requires so little bandwidth, it may get through. But if cell towers are down, too? No luck.

So what’s the one phone that is most likely to ALWAYS get through?

You guessed it – a satellite phone!

The sat phone bypasses wires and towers altogether, shooting straight up to one of the satellite networks positioned 500 to 1,000 miles above the earth.  Given their position, the satellites are seldom affected by storms and thus won’t be impacted by whatever has hit your local community.

I thought I’d really only seen satellite phones in the movies. Typically, they were boxy and big, with an awkward antenna. And they seemed to appear mostly in the hands of the government, military or quasi-military, and usually on a ship somewhere.

Over the past few years, however . . .

sat phone technology has become refined and phones are now found in the hands of civilians around the world.  (So I may have seen one without realizing it!)

There are a number of companies offering the service, with phones that are now not much bigger than your cell phone. (You can see two of the most popular, the Inmarsat IsatPhone Pro Satellite Phone and the Iridium Extreme 9575 Satellite Phone at Amazon. Each looks to be about half-again as long as a typical cell phone, and to weigh about twice as much.)

Different services, high prices.

Although the different networks work differently, and have different coverage and quality, they do have one thing in common:  a relatively high price.

To buy the phone, expect to pay between $500 and $1500.  That’s just for the phone itself. You can pay more to get more features, like GPS, tracking, Bluetooth and WiFi capabilities. Most basic models allow you to send and receive text as well as email messages.

In addition, you need to pay for airtime.  You can prepay for the time or you can buy a monthly contract. Satellite airtime can be less expensive than cellular roaming rates, or a whole lot more (up to $10 a minute!), depending on which service you have. So, it’s back to knowing in advance just what you need the phone for!

Other things to keep in mind:

• A satellite phone won’t work inside a building. It needs access to the sky in order to “find” the satellite.
• The antenna needs to be extended, so you can’t put the phone in your pocket and expect to know when you’re receiving a call.
• Phone numbers seem to be more complicated. It reminds me of the work-arounds we used to see, where people dialed a local number to get to a trunk line and then another number to get to their desired party.
• There may be dead spots, depending on where you find yourself. Trees, jungles, buildings and mountains can block signals.
• Audio quality may not be as good as what you’re used to.

Even with all these imperfections, satellite phones have become standard equipment for business and for governments. A temporary rental (day, week or month) is easily managed over the internet, with the phone shipped right to you at home. Again, read carefully to be sure you get the accessories and the air-time bundle you need.

When it comes to emergency response, you may want a satellite phone for a particular period of time (say you’re going on a trip), for a season, or all the time.

It’s the ultimate in communications reliability.

As you consider your emergency communications needs, don’t overlook this technology. It could be the insurance you want. (Paying $6.50 for a minute of hearing your child’s voice – priceless!)

(My thanks to author Marc Weber Tobias, whose article in Forbes was the basis for much of what I have written here.)

Virginia

Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. If you have used a satellite phone, let us know your experience!

Who takes top honors when it comes to emergency preparedness in the schools?

In September, Save the Children’s annual report card awarded Illinois the “most improved” title.

But Illinois only “won” because the state had experienced tornados – and the old plans for tornado safety didn’t work!

What Illinois schools learned from November 2013 tornados:

• The principal of Central Intermediate School in Washington, IL, said: “We had areas we thought were safe, but after the tornado, we looked at the debris and we thought, ‘No, we cannot put our kids in certain spaces.’”
• He also reported that cell phones and even texting worked only sporadically – while there were injured people needing professional help. (Now the school is getting portable radios.)
• At Washington Community High School, the assistant superintendent reported that “Hallways became wind tunnels, so now instead of shifting students into the hallways, we are moving them into interior rooms without windows.”

Where does your state stand?

The same Harris Poll that showed Illinois’ improvements showed that 21 states don’t even require schools and child care providers to have a basic emergency plan!

What about where you live?

You can head to Save The Children’s website and click on the map of the U.S. to find out what your state requires. (Click on your state, then on the report card to the right.)

Here’s the link to the map:  http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.8777049/k.FE2A/Get_Ready_Get_Safe_US_Preparedness_Map.htm

(This is a very long link. If you can’t get there by clicking, go to www.savethechildren.org and simply type into the search box: “US Preparedness Map”)

Required or not, what can you do to improve your children’s chances?

If preparedness has been on your radar for a while, you are certainly aware of the various government websites that offer checklists and suggestions for family and business preparedness.

When it comes to school preparedness, your state department of education might have some resources, too.

As of today, my number one resource choice for teachers is . . .

DISASTER MASTER!

This quiz, available at Ready.gov, is fun to take and will be a great starter for a classroom conversation!

You pick the threat and go through a series of questions that train children how to respond.  (Of course, that’s why it’s my favorite. Knowledge is good; being ready to take action is a whole lot better.)

Hint: Be sure to save the secret password for each level to go on to the next.

Here’s the link: http://go.usa.gov/yqC5

As you can see from the illustration above, the quiz characters are modern and you’ll find the cartoon drawings themselves to be professional and compelling.

Please check this out for yourself, and forward this email to any teachers you know. Share it with your PTA or with your home schooling group.

We can never do too much to protect our children, and being charged with doing too little, when the information is readily available . . . well, that’s unthinkable.

Let me know how it works out!

Virginia

Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. If you missed my earlier Advisory for parents, here is the link again:  https://emergencyplanguide.org/dear-parent/

Today is September 1. Today, in Japan, hundreds of thousands of people are taking place in a disaster drill on the anniversary of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. And this year, they are being encouraged to stockpile toilet paper.

Japan’s disaster planning may have started in earnest in 1923, when 140,000 people were killed in Tokyo alone. And planning has intensified as a result of the 2011 Fukushima tsunami and resulting atomic power plant catastrophe.

But why a campaign to . . .

Stockpile toilet paper?

It turns out that some 40% of all toilet paper in Japan comes from one region – a region that is earthquake prone. According to government reports, within a month after the 2011 earthquake, toilet paper shortages began.

“Along with food and water, toilet paper was among the first items to disappear from store shelves,” said Toshiyuki Hashimoto, an industry ministry official in charge of paper products.

As part of this year’s campaign, paper manufacturers have come up with a special, 500 ft. roll of tightly compacted toilet paper. Price? Around $5 for a six-pack, that should last a family of four for a month.

No toilet paper in your house?

And in the U.S.? What do you do when you run out of toilet paper?

Most people reach for a tissue.

The problem? Kleenex, or tissue paper, is designed to hold together when wet – so it can block your toilet (if you are lucky enough in an emergency to have workable plumbing).

What about baby-wipes?

These are great for your baby, and for your emergency kit – soft, strong. But again, unless they are specifically labeled as “flushable,” they too will clog the system . . . and really mess up a septic tank.

And even the flushable variety is creating problems in many systems, because they take too long to disintegrate.

Anything else at hand?

We’ve heard of people using other items as toilet paper in an emergency: paper towels, newspaper, the Yellow Pages (Who has a phone directory anymore?), Sears and Roebuck catalog (stopped being published in 1993) and even corn husks.  (Corn husks?)

The point is, consider how much toilet paper (or wipes) your family would need in an emergency. Flatten rolls so they will take up less room. This is something you really don’t want to run out of.

If you’re interested in buying something specifically for your emergency supplies, try Amazon for “compact” toilet paper.

Oh, and to get back to the . . .

Three P’s of what to flush?

Whether it’s every day, or in an emergency, the answer is the same: pee, poop and (toilet) paper.  Period.

Your Emergency Plan Guide Team — Virginia Nicols

Dear Parent,

Welcome to another exciting school year. Before we allow your child to come to school, we need to know that s/he knows what to do in an emergency.

We don’t have time to fit this information into the regular school curriculum. So if your child is to have a good chance of survival, it’s up to you.

Please sign and return this note so we know your child is properly prepared.

Sincerely,  Your School Administrator

Wow! What if you got this letter from YOUR child’s school? How would you react?

I bet you’d have . . .

Questions for that “School Administrator!”

Here are a few of them:

1. What should my child know about responding to an emergency at school?

2. What emergencies are we talking about?

3. What plans does the school have for protecting my child?

4. Has my child’s teacher received disaster training?

5. What do you expect of me if an emergency happens during the school day?

The sad truth is, many parents do NOT know the answers to these questions. And I wonder, how many school administrators could answer for their school and their teachers?! it’s worth some effort to find out more.

I was inspired to write this post by three things.

• My friend Russell sent me a copy of a booklet passed out at his kids’ school. You’ll see it in the picture. It is packed with valuable information, pulled from a variety of sources. Because it IS so packed, though, no child would ever start reading it. Even a parent would be hard pressed to get through it. The booklet could answer questions 1 and 2 above.

• For the past six weeks, the LinkedIn Group that I participate in has been discussing disaster preparedness in the schools. These are professional trainers and consultants. Their reluctant conclusion? With rare exceptions, schools ignore basic survival skills for students. Some schools would be able to answer questions 3 & 4 above.

• Are schools required to be able to answer our questions? In June 2013 the White House released a guide  for developing emergency operations plans for elementary schools. The guide “incorporates lessons learned from recent incidents, and responds to the needs and concerns voiced by stakeholders following the recent shootings in Newtown and Oak Creek and the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma.”

Here in California, other resources are available through the State Department of Education. As far as requirements, all I could find is that regular fire and earthquake drills are mandatory. Still, a school that takes advantage of the guides and resources mentioned would, in fact, be able to answer all the questions above.

So where does YOUR kid’s school fit? Which of the questions can your school answer? Which CAN’T it answer?

It’s September. Back to School Month PLUS National Preparedness Month. Could there be any better time to find out more?

Virginia Nicols
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

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Do you have, anywhere you drive: levees, rivers, cliffs, oceans, lakes, docks, bridges . . . ? Some 400 people drown each year in the U.S. from being trapped in sinking cars. Don’t be one of them.

You can escape from a sinking car.

But you need to have a plan before it happens. Talk about your plan with family members.

Experts agree on four steps to survival.

Step 1. You have only one minute. Think then act.

What’s the situation? Is the car sinking nose down, or rear down? (The position of the motor determines this.) Who is in the car? What tools do you have?

Do NOT try to make a phone call. Do NOT try to save valuables.

You probably have about one minute to save yourself – make every second count.

Step 2. Unfasten your seat belt.

Unbuckle your seatbelt. If necessary, cut it off.**

Step 3. Get the side window open while it is still above water.

Leave the key in the ignition and you will likely be able to open the windows electronically. If they won’t open, use your heels or a tool** to punch a hole in the middle of a SIDE window. (You can’t break the front window.) You won’t be able to break the windows when the car is full of water.

Do not try to open the door against the pressure of the water – you won’t be able to and any water entering will cause the car to sink even faster.

Step 4. Get out through the window and swim. Children first; push them out if you have to.

If it’s dark or you’re disoriented, look for light or watch which way the bubbles are rising and swim in that direction.

Last chance; not a good one.

If you didn’t get the window open, you may be able to open the door once the car has filled with water and pressure is equalized. But waiting for the car to fill will use precious time, you’ll be deeper in the water, and you’ll have to hold your breath for much longer. Your chances are not good with this technique.

** Car Escape Tools.

Most car accessory shops and hardware stores carry special car escape tools. There are two main types: a “hammer” version with a razor blade embedded in it for cutting the seat belt, and a smaller keychain tool that has a spring-loaded spike for breaking the window in addition to the razor cutter. Prices range from around $5 to around $25. Click here to take a look!

Along with a survival kit and jumper cables a car escape tool seems like another no-brainer for drivers. Look for packages with two or more tools; you’ll want one for every car. This escape tool would make a good gift, too, particularly for a new driver.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S. If you don’t have your tool immediately handy it will be useless. Where can you put the tool in your car so it stays put: in the glove box, fastened to the window visor, beside the seat? In a violent fall the tool could fly out and end up anywhere. You will NOT have time to look for it.

Boil water alert! 

The minute water mains break anywhere, the water coming into your home stands the chance of being contaminated.  And mains break regularly. I did a quick search online and found multiple Boil Water Alerts listed over just a short two-week period – in locales as different as Portland (OR), New Brunswick (NJ) and Tampa (FL).

What are your sources of water in an emergency?

If you heard a Boil Water Alert, what sources of clean water would you turn to?

It goes without saying that water in bottles or properly-treated water from barrels would be your first choice. You wouldn’t even have to boil that water.

Rain water could also be a source if you could capture it directly from the sky.

But I’ve been asked . . .

What about using water from a swimming pool?

I’m not a chemist or a health worker, so I recommend you do your own research on this topic.  But this is what I have found out that seems to make sense.

Do not plan to use swimming pool water to drink or cook unless you are able to treat it.

In a long-term water outage, here are some guidelines:

1. Pool water could be used as is to wash feet and body; murky is better than nothing!
2. Do you have sunshine? Letting pool water sit in sunlight for a full day will cause chlorine to dissipate and the sun’s UV rays will kill organisms. At the end of its sunshine treatment that water will be cleaner than when you started.
3. Filter water (through layers of clean cloth) then boil it (one full minute after it reaches a rolling boil) for drinking and cooking.  (Boiling will kill bacteria and viruses. Chemicals and metals would not be removed.)

Only a commercial filter will remove all contaminants.

I asked the LifeStraw people specifically about swimming pool water, and they said that LifeStraw was NOT meant to handle pool water.

Then I went further, seeking out an expert in one of my LinkedIn groups.  Here’s info I got from Bob Hess of Tealbrook Supplies. The Outback portable filter is typically used in regions where there is no piped water supply. You pour water into the top bucket, it goes through four different filters, producing 100 gallons of pure water a day. This model costs less than $200. You can see more at www.tealbrook.com.

So in conclusion — yes, pool water may be useful for SOME things, but converting it to safe, pure water will take effort.

All this reinforces ongoing Emergency Plan Guide message – the most important item you can store for emergencies is water. The recommended amount: 1 gallon per person per day (plus more for pets) for at least 10 days!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. Do you have more information about the topic of using pool water in an emergency? Please share it by leaving a comment below!

Real life emergency stories, from real people.

Setting: In the rental office, talking to the woman behind the desk.

“Do you have some food for if you were trapped here in the office in an emergency?”
“Well, no. I thought that was the job of the Red Cross.”

Setting: Talking to a featured speaker at my recent Las Vegas conference.

“You’re living on the beach in North Carolina, right? Do you have emergency food set aside for when the next hurricane hits?”
“Well, not exactly. But I did unplug the freezer so I don’t have to throw all the spoiled food out, like I did last time. That cost me $300!”
“But what about food supplies for after the storm?”
“We eat only healthy, fresh food, so there’s no way I can store anything . . .”

Setting: Video snippet from a recent training held here in our neighborhood. The TV camera is trained on a hysterical woman in New Jersey, after Sandy:

“Where’s the government!? We’ve been waiting three whole days . . .!”

What’s your survival kit story?

If you and I were to meet on the street, and I posed these questions to you, how would you respond?

• How many 3-day survival kits do you need for your family?
• Where does each kit need to be? At your home, in the car, at the office?
• How many kits have you actually put together?

As I’ve mentioned before, our local fire department has told us flat out:
“When the big one hits, you’re going to be way down on our list.”

All this points to our having to manage by ourselves for the first 72 hours.

You know that we have done a lot of research on pre-made kits, and generally find them lacking when it comes to quality and quantity.

Worse, having a pre-made kit may give you a false sense of security.

So our recommendation has been, and remains:

Build your own customized 3-day survival kit.

Here’s a link to an updated list of our favorite starter items : Top 10 Survival Kit Items

It may take you a few days to a week to assemble all the items for your kits. Turn kit-making into a family “pick and pack” activity!

Three days.

Easy enough to get through when you’ve got the basics: food, water, light, communications.

Really tough when you have nothing . . .

Virginia Nicols
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

Do you have a blog of your own?

If so, you know that coming up with new and interesting information takes some effort. Of course, I keep a swipe file of articles, quotes, various tidbits of craziness that I use for inspiration. Lately, I’ve found some great online resources that I wanted to mention today.

Google Alerts as Blog Resources

In past Advisories, I’ve talked about my Google Alerts. I have one for “Emergency Preparedness” and “Emergency Planning” and get 10-12 articles daily on each. Most are standard announcements (who, what, where, when) announcing a preparedness fair or the test of an emergency plan in some facility. Today’s Alerts mention tests in airports, a test for security in a hotel, and for fire in a warehouse.

LinkedIn Groups as Blog Resources

Over the past month I’ve also become active in several LinkedIn groups, in particular, one for Emergency Preparedness Consultants/Trainers.  (The group”s page is shown in the image, above.) Themes discussed by members of the group have included:

• Planning for vulnerable members of the community (people in wheelchairs, hard of hearing, seniors, children)
• How to handle and train live “victims” when planning a field exercise (see the headline in the image, above)
• If and how to include humor in training exercises

Further, the group shares about various in-depth studies taking place. For example, these people asked for input:

• What areas in the U.S. DON’T use 9-1-1 to call emergency services? Posed by Paul Myers, PhD, CEM Director, Emergency Preparedness @ Save the Children, US
• Potential grant opportunities for emergency preparedness education. Brought up by Karen Elliott, Alternative Energy and Emergency Preparedness Traveling Exhibit and Activity Program
• Examples of Warming Center SOPs (“Standard Operating Procedures”), Requested by Steven Maynard, MA, AEM, CHS III, Emergency Planner at City of Fairfax

And your point is?

What I wanted to share is the fact that there’s a lot of great activity taking place across the country aimed at doing just what Emergency Plan Guide wants to do:

Raise awareness and the level of preparedness so more of us will survive in a disaster.

This one LinkedIn group alone has 4,455 members! If you have questions, or something to add, I recommend you join in the discussion. It’s  fun and rewarding.

Virginia Nicols
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team