Although we don’t often think about it, when you consider the time we spend driving to and from work, shopping, vacationing, or running errands, the likelihood of being on the road when a disaster occurs is rather high. Most of us haven’t considered how we should respond in this kind of situation.

If you’re in your car during a disaster, you may have to respond quickly. If there is an explosion that makes it difficult to control the vehicle, pull over, stop the car and set the parking brake.  If you are in an earthquake, or if the emergency has an impact on the physical stability of the road, avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, signs, and other potential hazards.

If a power line falls on your car, you are at risk of electrical shock. Stay inside the car until a trained person removes the wire.  It may take some time for the electricity to dissipate, so don’t get out until you’re give the “all clear.”

If you have a disability, be sure you carry your cell phone with you when you drive. Listen to the radio for information about the disaster and for instructions as they become available.

YOUR VERY OWN PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS PLAN

Recently, I went to visit a friend who is disabled. He’d asked me to help him get started on designing his own personal preparedness plan.  Since his disability leaves him with limited mobility, I decided to accept the assignment and see if I really could help him think through what his specific needs are in designing his plan.

There is a lot of information out there to help people design their plans, so I went on line (try Ready.gov to start) and began by generating a list of questions that I thought would help him think about his needs. They included the following:

• Who can you rely on for help during a crisis (who is your personal support network)?
• What specific personal needs do you have? (He requires a walker to ambulate and uses braces on his hands.  He also has some minor memory impairment).
• What Assistive Technology equipment are you dependent upon? (He uses a walker, a button assistance device, a long-handled shoehorn, etc.).
• What would you do if your water were turned off for several days?
• What would you do if your electricity were turned off for several days? (Would that look different in the winter vs the summer months?).
• Who would you be able to depend on for transportation needs if you had to call on someone to help you get to emergency sheltering?
• How will you cope with the debris in your home or along planned exit routes if an earthquake or tornado hits?
• If the person who purchases groceries for you, or transports you to an appointment could not reach you because the roads were blocked, who would you call on for assistance to take their place?
• What would you do if you could not find your walker?
• Have you registered with the local police and/or fire department so help can be provided quickly during an emergency?
• Where could you go to stay if you had to leave town during a disaster?
• If you become separated from friends and family following a disaster, where would you meet them?
• Do you have a list of phone numbers and addresses for each family member, members of your support network, caregivers, information on out-of-town contacts, meeting locations, and emergency services?
• Do you know where the main cut-off valves are for your electricity, gas, water, etc. are located?
• Do you have a cell phone available? Do you have extra batteries for it?
• Do you have a fire extinguisher handy? Do you know how to use it?
• Do you have a working smoke alarm in your home? Are the batteries fresh?
• Do you have an inventory of the items in your home in the event they are damaged or destroyed? Do you have a copy stored off site?
• Do you have vital records copied and stored off-site? This would include such items as social security card, passport, will, deed, financial records, insurance records, and immunization records.
• What items do you have in your Go Kit? What items do you think you might still need to think about getting?

We spent over an hour just talking about the list! There are many things he had not considered, and I was glad to be able to help him begin the process of thinking about what his special needs might be.

WHY PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME?

If you have a disability and you’re not sure why you should take the time to design your own tailored Emergency Response Plan, please consider the following:

When Hurricane Katrina hit, the people who fared the worst were those with disabilities. There were those who delayed evacuating because they had no plan for how to get to the home of a friend or family member. They drowned while on the phone with rescue workers. Others did evacuate….but got separated from their caregivers and didn’t get the care they needed to be comfortable or safe. There were those who went to the local evacuation center where they were turned away because centers weren’t set up to handle people with disabilities. There were those who didn’t get where they needed to be because they couldn’t hear the announcements or read signs telling them where they needed to go.

While you’re at it, check to make sure the care facility where your parents are living has a plan too. Then you won’t have to worry about Mom and Dad while you’re trying to survive.

Take the time today to sit down and make a plan for how you’ll get by if disaster strikes. Think about who might help you, the route you’ll take if you leave town and who could drive you. Make a plan; it doesn’t take long. Practice it until you can do it without looking at your notes. Then rest easy knowing you’re ready and able to handle whatever comes along.

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IF YOU HAVE A MOBILITY DISABILITY

If you have a disability, advance planning may be the one thing you can do to save your life in the event of an emergency. Fire is the worst threat; no disaster occurs more often than fire. Don’t hesitate to contact your local fire department and ask for advice in creating an evacuation plan. Keep a smoke alarm in your home along with a fire extinguisher, and know how to use it. Some other tips that may save your life:

• When you purchase clothing, linens and other bedding, make sure it’s fire-resistant
• Arrange your furniture so it doesn’t block your exit
• Keep a small Go Kit attached to your wheelchair or walker
• Have a list of support people who can help you evacuate when necessary
• Make a card with a concise explanation of your disability and your special needs and carry it with you at all times
• Have a plan for evacuating and practice it regularly

Keep some special supplies in your Go Kit:
– A pair of heavy gloves to use with your wheelchair
– An extra battery to power your motorized wheelchair or scooter
– Patch kit to inflate flat tires on your wheelchair if it uses tires with tubes
– A spare cane or walker

Take a little time to create your plan now…and ounce of prevention may save your life!

Thinking it Through

If you have a disability and are dependent on mobility aids such as a ramp, wheelchair, or other special apparatus, have you thought about what you’d do if the assistive technology you depend upon were not available? What happens if there is a disaster and you can’t locate your wheelchair? What plans to you have in place if your ramp becomes damaged or if your service dog runs away or can’t evacuate with you? Maybe it’s time you made a plan…just in case.

Take the time to meet with your landlord, personal care attendants, or others you rely on for assistance.
Choose an “out-of-town” contact and let your family know they can call this person to find out where you are and how you’re doing.
Decide on a place outside your home where you’ll meet in the event of a fire or other sudden emergency. Let your family members know where it is so they can find you if needed.
Create a communication plan including contact information for your family members, caregivers, support network, etc.
Plan escape routes and safe places.
Make a plan for your pets too, and prepare a list of family, friends, boarding kennels, etc. who can take your pet in during an emergency if needed.
If you, or someone in your family, relies on electrical equipment, then learn how to shut it off and connect the back-up system.
Label all the equipment you depend upon.
If you use a power wheelchair keep a manual one on hand in case of power failure.
Have a backup plan for when/if your phone goes out.
If you have communication difficulties, make arrangements for someone from your support network to check on your during an emergency.
Be prepared to provide clear, specific and concise instructions to rescue personnel. If you think it will be a problem giving these instructions verbally, then write them out and keep a printed copy on hand.
Know how to turn off your water, gas and electricity at the main switches or valves and let your caregivers know as well.
Have a copy of your important papers in your Go Kit too for when you need them.