KNOWING WHAT’S AVAILABLE

Part of being prepared for an emergency is knowing what resources you can count on in a disaster prior to anything happening.  The best way to get to know what’s out there may be for you to get involved with making your own advance preparations and designing your own plan.

If you are designing an emergency preparedness plan specific to you and your family, then you may want to spend some time thinking about how a disaster would affect each person in your family.  Spend some time learning about what resources you may be able to tap to make things easier on yourself in the aftermath of an emergency.

A good example of this is I own multiple dogs.  In the event of a disaster, I may well have to evacuate those animals in a very short time span.  I have a good friend who lives in the country.  She has a large, fenced-in back yard, and she has a huge storage barn.  I’ve already spoken to her about bringing my dogs there is something should happen.

I have a special “Go Kit” ready to grab and go, specifically tailored for my dogs.  There is extra food, tie outs, collapsible crates, food and water bowls, toys, etc.  All the items I may need on the spur of the moment are ready to go.  That brought me some peace of mind!

If you have children, elderly parents, a disabled relative, pets, whatever your situation is, please take the time to begin designing a plan now for how you’ll fare during and after a disaster.

MAKING A “GO KIT”

I have a Go Kit all set up for if I ever have to evacuate quickly from my home.  Mine is a rather unique kit, I believe, since I have to consider the animals I have too.  My kit has all the basics recommended by FEMA for preparing for disaster:

a flashlight, wind-up radio, mess kit, a change of clothes, an air mattress, space blanket, etc., etc., etc.  But in addition, mine has a tie-out cable, dog dishes, toys, chewy sticks, and other things to occupy my dogs if I have to bug out at any time and take them along.

You may think it’s silly to be this prepared.  I’ve been one of those “ounce of prevention” people all my life, so this is nothing new!  But, it’s more than that.  These dogs are my livelihood.  They are also my companions and my pets.  I love them and would never be able to leave them behind if I had to go.  I have a plan of where I can take them and how I’ll be able to care for them causing the least amount of stress to those I’m with.  That’s important to me.

This weekend I took the time to get my Go Kit out and go through it.  I found my emergency food rations were about to expire, so I took them out and will replace them with new ones.  The same was true of the water supply.  I made some adjustments of the items I carry in the pack as my needs have changed some since I first assembled the kit.  But I feel it now has the items I’d need in it to keep me and those I am responsible for as comfortable as possible when and if it’s ever needed.

 

IT’S TIME TO EVACUATE

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to have the police driving down your street telling you that you have to evacuate your home within five minutes?  If you only have a few minutes to think about what you need to take with you, how will you know you have the essentials you need?

Of course, the obvious answer is to have prepared for evacuation ahead of time.  According to information from FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute in A Citizen’s Guide to Disaster Assistance, if you are told to evacuate, you may want to take the following steps:

• Listen carefully to instructions given by local officials. Evacuate immediately if told to do so.
• If you have time, grab your portable disaster (3 day) kit. Make sure that you include any last-minute items, such as prescription medication, that you may need.
• Wear appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes.
• Lock your home.
• Use travel routes outlined by local officials. Do not take short cuts; they may be unsafe.
• Keep fuel in your car if evacuation seems likely. Gas stations may be closed during emergencies.

Be prepared to leave your home if:

• Your area is without electrical power or water for an extended period of time.
• There is a chemical emergency affecting your area.
• Floor water is rising.
• A wild land fire is burning near your home.
• Your home has been severely damaged.
• Local officials tell you to evacuate.

Evacuations are more common than many people realize.  Hundreds of times each year, transportation and industrial accidents release harmful substances, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes.  Fires and floods cause evacuations even more frequently.

SURVIVING WITHOUT ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT

Do you use adaptive equipment on an everyday basis?  Many of us depend on assistive technology to get by, and it’s become such a part of us that we don’t even actively think about it.  For example, if you wear glasses and need them to see, then you’re using assistive technology.  If you walk using a cane or a walker, the same thing is true.  Whatever type of adaptive equipment you’re using could be lost or damaged during an emergency.  Have you ever considered how you’d get along without it?

I wear glasses.  I need them to see far distances, not for close up work.  But now that I’m older, I also use magnification glasses to read fine print.  If I had to evacuate quickly, I’m not sure I’d think to grab the two pairs of glasses I use.  How would I compensate if I were at an evacuation site without my glasses?  That’s something I needed to think through and work into my plan.  For me, that meant adding two pair of glasses to my Go Kit.

Do you use personal care equipment such as shower chairs, transfer benches, or other similar equipment to get by?  If so, have you thought about what you’d do if you didn’t have them available to you at an evacuation site?  Have you considered what your everyday needs are and designed your preparedness plan accordingly?

Life may be very different if you’re forced to evacuate to a center.  Thinking about the adaptive equipment you use on a daily basis, and then planning around how you’ll get by without it can mean you’ll be much more comfortable in the aftermath of a disaster.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLANNING FOR YOUR PETS

One lesson I learned while reading about Hurricane Katrina, is that we need to have plans in place for how we’ll care for our pets during and following a disaster.  Before Katrina hit, many people left their homes thinking they’d only be gone a few hours, yet it was days before they were able to return.  The pets they left did not fare well, and some of them didn’t survive.  Hundreds of pets were lost, many drowned.  It grieves me to think of how terrified they must have been and how much pain it caused their owners when they were able to go back into their homes.

If disaster hits, the likelihood that your pets will survive may depend on the plan you’ve made for them ahead of time.  When you are developing that plan, consider the following:

• If you must evacuate, take your pets with you. Plan on where you can go with your animals and have a “Go Kit” assembled ahead of time to take along. Remember, public shelters may not accept your pets, even those designated as service animals.
• Make sure you have a back-up plan in case you can’t care for your pets. If you are away when disaster strikes, you’ll want to be sure someone is available to care for them.
• Disasters can cause animals to behave erratically. Have your pet microchipped if possible in case you become separated.
• And, keep the name and contact information for your veterinarian close at hand.

Create a “Go Kit” to take with you in an emergency.  In it include:

• Food and water, enough to last each animal at least 3 days.
• Have enough medications on hand to last for 3 days, and make sure it’s stored in an airtight container.
• Assemble a pet first-aid kit with bandages, tape, scissors, antibiotic ointment, flea and tick prevention, gloves, alcohol and a pet first-aid book.
• Have an extra collar with ID tag and leashes on hand.
• Crates or pet carriers are priceless during an evacuation.
• Bring litter and a litter box if appropriate, or sanitation bags for your dog.
• Include a picture of your pet and you for ID purposes.
• Add favorite toys, treats or bedding to your kit. Familiar items can help reduce stress for your pet.

Your pets are important members of your family.  Creating a plan for caring for them during a disaster can help ensure they’ll be safe and comfortable, and it will certainly add to your peace of mind.

 

 

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

I have often wondered about those emergency preparedness groups and if they really have much input from people with disabilities on what we really need in the event of a disaster.  Have any of you offered to talk with the groups?  When I think about all the people with disabilities I’ve worked with over the years, and of my own disabilities, I have to wonder what it would be like if disaster struck and I had to be evacuated to a center somewhere to stay for an extended period of time.

I have rheumatoid and osteoarthritis.  Stairs are difficult for me.  Standing up after sitting on a low chair is also hard.  If my fingers get cold, they barely work.  And my joints hurt at night, so I’m up, on and off, all night long.  Now, think about what it might be like to be shuttled to a local school, given a cot in the gymnasium, instructed to use the little girls’ room (literally!), and eating meals in the cafeteria on those picnic-like tables they use.  I don’t know how I’d manage it, but I can tell you that if I didn’t have my Go Kit, I’d be damn miserable.

I am part of a State-wide group that looks at disaster preparedness.  I try to represent people with disabilities and help the others group members see the trials of managing to evacuate if you have a disability.  I don’t use a wheelchair.  What about those people who do?  I can hear fairly well, but what about those who are deaf?  Can they hear the instructions being given for where people need to be?  What about those who have vision impairments?  Can they read the signs directing them?  What about the elderly, and those with mental impairments?  Where can they go and be safe?  What if excessive noise and activity disturb them?  How do we provide a safe haven for people with disabilities?

The onus isn’t all on the government or emergency personnel.  Part of it has to lie with each one of us who has a disability.  We know what our needs are.  We know how to best meet those needs.  We have a responsibility to make our own plan and see to it, to the best of our ability, that we have what we need, when we need it.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLANNING FOR CAREGIVERS

I’ve been in the role of caregiver several times in my life.  First, caring for both my parents as they aged, and later, caring for my husband.  It’s a difficult job, and it requires a lot of planning just to keep things running smoothly, but it was something I felt honored to do and I was glad I was able to do it.

I made plans for how I could respond during a disaster while still providing the care my loved ones needed.   More than once during my time caring for them, the power went off.  With Michigan winters being what they are, it was necessary to have a back-up source of heat.  I did not have it in my own home, however.  When the power went off, we grabbed our Go Kit and drove to my sister’s house.  Fortunately she had a gas fireplace which worked even when the power went off.  We were able to stay warm and comfortable until it came back on.

Because we’d camped a lot when I was younger, we had a camp stove and gas lights.  We were actually quite comfortable, making cocoa and sitting in front of the fireplace indulging in a little life review of those infamous camping trips.  I shudder to think about what it would have been like though without that back-up plan though!  Mom was anemic, meaning she was always cold.  It was unthinkable to not have a plan to keep her warm.  My husband, Paul, loved it when the house was quiet, so having the television out didn’t bother him at all.  I read to him and we talked for hours making it a fun time, not a disaster.

You know, those times without electricity could have been very traumatic and uncomfortable, but with a bit of advanced planning, they became the times some of my favorite memories were made.  That alone is worth the bother of planning ahead!

HAVING WHAT I NEED WHEN I NEED IT

While thinking about what damage a disaster might leave me facing, I thought about what it would be like if I lost my home with all my important papers: drivers’ license, insurance and credit cards, the deed to my home, medication lists, and the addresses and phone numbers of family and friends.  That lead to my thinking about what it might be like trying to track down family members and friends following a disaster if I didn’t have either my cell phone or address book with me.

In the event of a disaster, I know I will be frantic to know if my sister is safe and to let her know how I am doing.  I’ll want to know where my friends are, and I may even need to contact them for help, or for other reasons.  The fact is, following a disaster, I want to know that I have all my ducks in a row so I’ll be as resilient as I possibly can be.

With that in mind, I have made a list of important phone numbers and addresses and added it to my Go Kit.  I’ve also put my extra health insurance card inside, and copies of my credit cards, the deed to the farm, and pertinent data about my dogs.  I may not have everything I need, but I’ll keep adding to the kit as I go.  At lease I’ll know that if something does happen, I put some forethought into how I’d survive and did my best to ensure I’d be in the best shape possible.

FINDING THE GAPS IN THE PLAN

I have my plan for what I will do in the event of a disaster in regards to my dogs…all 25 of them!  I run a kennel, so ensuring they are well-cared for in an emergency situation is part of keeping my business healthy.  But even when I just had one dog, I made sure she was covered in my plan.  I read too much about what happened to people’s pets when Hurricane Katrina hit.  Many people left feeling they could not take their animals with them when they evacuated to local shelters.  They put out extra food and water thinking they would be back in a couple of days.  Many animals died of thirst or went hungry because their owners couldn’t get back in a reasonable time frame.

So, I was thinking about my plan for my dogs the other day and I realized that, although my animals are all identifiable through microchipping, I don’t have their numbers or the organizations they are monitored by in my Go Kit.  If something were to happen and I lost them, I would not be able to check to see if they’d been turned in because I didn’t have their numbers.  Stupid, huh?  It’s a simple thing, but it just got by me.

This weekend I’ll be making a list to put in my Go Kit that has each dog’s name, chip number and the phone number of the organization holds the record.  I want to be able to be reunited with my pets if something happens.  The other thing I’ll be doing is trying to think about what other gaps there are in my plan.  I’m thinking I may need to do a practice run to see what else shakes out.

STARTING SOMEWHERE

I recently was talking with a group of friends over the holidays, when one of them asked me if I was making any advanced prepping for the event of a disaster.  I told her I was and we got into quite a discussion with the entire group about what to do and how much was enough.

My sense is that everyone has to find their own level of inclusion in preparing.  For me, that means having enough food and water on hand to last a couple of weeks, at least.  It also means having a Go Kit with copies of my important papers and assorted items that I feel I would not want to be without in the event of an emergency.

We discussed what it might be like being evacuated to a local evacuation site: probably a school gymnasium or a church, sleeping on the floor.  Making sure you have your own towel, washcloth, soap and shampoo, toothbrush and other toiletries.  We also discussed sheltering-in-place and what that might entail.

We came to the conclusion that what was most important is that we all think about what would mean the most to each of us as individuals as we prepared.  For me, it’s making sure I have my arthritis medicine, an air mattress to sleep on, and the contact information for my family and friends.  It’s also preparing for my animals to be cared for properly too.

For each of us, it was something different, but at least we were making plans.  We were struck by how hard it could be for people who don’t do anything at all.  In the event of most disasters, the one consistent result would likely be a power outage.  Because we live in Michigan, that could mean dreadfully cold days without heat.  It’s a small thing to think about having some sort of extra heat available.  Most of all, we realized that knowledge can save lives.  We decided to meet again and continue our discussion and see if we can’t help each other figure out ways to ensure our survival if a disaster does occur.