January Disaster in Place: Power Outage!

Time for another round of Disaster in Place!  Please feel free to change and tailor to your needs or the needs of your organization and send me a note to let me know if you are using/participating!

If you haven’t participated before, Disaster in Place is a short 5-10 minute exercise designed to help individuals think about their own personal preparedness with a different scenario every month.  There is also additional training, videos, and relevant material for those who want to further their involvement.  I use it to engage my Medical Reserve Corps members and put up generic versions here for anyone else to use.  Enjoy!

***

Hello and welcome to the first “Disaster in Place” of 2014!

This month’s scenario is a widespread power outage.

If the power went out across your area right now, what would you do?  How would you receive updated information about the outage?  Do you have a weather radio, batteries, crank lights, and food and heat options that do not require electricity?  Do you fill your gas tank, charge your cell phone and keep cash handy when inclement weather is possible as these things all require electricity to operate?  Do you know how to properly operate a generator and protect yourself from electrical hazards?

For everything related to blackout and power outage preparedness, review these helpful FEMA tips, guides, and reminders: http://www.ready.gov/blackouts

For tips on Food Safety During Power Outages, check out this short FDA video: http://www.drc-group.com/project/jitt-poweroutage-foodsafety.html (duration 2:46)

For tips on Downed Electrical Line Safety, watch this short clip the State of Washington: http://www.drc-group.com/project/jitt-powerline.html (duration 1:25)

For information on personally preparing for this, and all types of disaster, take this free FEMA training, IS-22 Personal Preparedness: http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/courseOverview.aspx?code=IS-22

We’ve already had some record breaking cold weather, and the winter is still young! Please, please stay prepared!
Tanya

November Disaster in Place – Winter Storms!

It’s time for a new “Disaster in Place”.  Take 5-10 minutes to play along!

This month’s scenario is just in time…winter storms.

If severe winter weather were to affect your area right now, what would you do?  Could you safely shelter in place at work or at home through the next few nights?  What if you lost power and needed to find creative ways to stay warm and cook food, how would you do it?  What if…you were stranded in your car for hours in the cold, do you have what you need to stay warm and safe already in there?

For information about prepping your home, car, and mind for severe cold and winter storms, check out this FEMA site and “Pledge to Prepare”: http://www.ready.gov/winter-weather

For a few tips about what to do if winter weather strands you in your car, check out this short (1:46) video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR9sJKdsY4o

For tips about cooking food, as well as some great non-perishable recipes for your kit, check out: http://www.emergencykitcookoff.org/

All signs point to a busy winter for Virginia…please be prepared!
Tanya

October Disaster in Place: Rad/Nuc Event!

Happy October!  Please take 10 minutes to enjoy this month’s Disaster in Place and as always, please feel free to share with your partners and peers.  If you do, send me a message or leave a comment and let me know who’s joining in!

Also, for the fellow emergency leaders distributing this in your areas, here is the link to the Radiological Terrorism Toolkit referenced below where you can print, download or order a full kit of your own for no charge (and I strongly encourage this for you, your peeps, and your partners!)

It’s that time again!

Welcome to the October Disaster in Place!

This month’s scenario is a radiological/nuclear terrorism event.

If a radiological/nuclear event were to happen in your area right now, how would you protect yourself?  Are you familiar with your local evacuation routes?  What if it happened in Washington, DC (or your nearest well-populated city?)…could you support our closest state managed shelter and leave your family for 1-3 days without worrying about them, and are you affiliated with an agency that allows you to do so?  What if you were told to shelter in place for the next two weeks?

For all kinds of information about being involved in a radiological/nuclear event, check out these resources from the CDC, including protection, treatment and health effects: http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/

For training on responding to a radiological/nuclear event, check out the free online course from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health – Radiation Terror 101: http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-public-health-preparedness/training/online/rad101.html

You can also email me if interested in learning more about our cache of Radiological Terrorism kits, full of information for public health professionals and clinicians, available free from the CDC.

See you next month! Tanya

September Disaster in Place: Zombie Apocalypse!

Hello and happy National Preparedness Month!

This month’s scenario is a zombie apocalypse.

  

If zombies were to emerge from the undead right now, would you be ready?  Could you defend yourself using what is right beside you?  Do you and your family members have a meeting place?  Supplies to keep you alive and safe for at least three days until some of this can be sorted out?  What are your emergency exits if a zombie comes walking through the door?  Do you have a written response plan?  (All assumptions are based on slow, rather than fast moving, zombies). 

For information about zombies and how to prepare for this catastrophic apocalypse, visit the CDC’s excellent resource: http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse/   

For additional training on personal preparedness, and to see tips for making your own zombie kit, check out this fun video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXFdT0V770w 

And for FEMA tips on your personal anytime preparedness, check out IS-22: Are you ready? http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/courseOverview.aspx?code=is-22

Let’s get ready!
Tanya 

August Disaster in Place – Chemical Event!

Below you will find the August content of my monthly Disaster in Place.  Disaster in Place is an email series I began in May 2013 to engage Medical Reserve Corps team members to think practically about preparedness for just a few minutes a month and increase our alert responses (what we use in Virginia to see who is available to respond in disaster).  It comes complete with training and educational opportunities for those who are so inclined.  (I wrote a blog post introducing this series back in May!)

I’ve been instituting the Disaster in Place training series with my three MRC units since May and am happy to share stats, info, and previous months’ with you.  Feel free to participate, use and share, but if you do, please let me know so I can keep track of the reach of this program!  It would be quite appreciated.  I’ll be posting these every month…enjoy!

August Disaster in Place – Chemical Event!

Good morning!

Welcome to the fourth of our monthly Disaster in Place series. As always, please click on the alert link in this message and indicate you did or did not participate in this exercise so we can track that everyone knows how to receive and respond to requests with  availability!

This month’s scenario is a chemical event.

A chemical exposure can happen for a few reasons, including terrorism and human error in a factory or even at home. If you were exposed to a chemical material, how would you react? Would you know to remove exposed clothing and wash for fifteen minutes with soap and water (or what we call decontamination)? What if that chemical was at home and a family member or friend was exposed?

For information about various chemical agents, including lists, FAQ’s, and decontamination, check out this fantastic resource from the CDC: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/chemical/

For additional training on hazardous materials at home, visit this free online course from FEMA, IS-55.a: Household Hazardous Materials ? A Guide for Citizens http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/courseOverview.aspx?code=IS-55.a

For even more training, check out this course from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health – Intro to Chemical Agents: http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-public-health-preparedness/training/online/intro_chem_agents.html

And remember these important numbers: Poison Control Center – 800-222-1222 and Virginia 2-1-1 for all types of questions, connections and resources.

Hope you enjoyed this month!
Tanya