SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS

Yesterday, I sat stuck in traffic for an hour on the way home from visiting my sister. We were returning from St. Paul and she was coming back to spend a week with me in Michigan. While I was glad we didn’t have to sit in traffic any longer than that, we put the time to good use as we talked about disasters and what preparations we’d made so far. She has extra food put up, water on hand, and a “Go Kit” all packed and ready to go.

I mentioned the book I’d read sometime back about what happened when Hurricane Katrina hit and so many people were evacuated to local schools. People had to sleep on the wooden floors in the gym with only a single blanket for comfort. I laughed as I explained to her that if that were me and I had spent a night sleeping on a wooden floor, I would not be getting up in the morning at all. I probably wouldn’t sleep in the first place, but I surely would not be able to stand up in the morning if I’d slept on a hard floor like that!

My sister readily agreed; it would be the same for her. We are older now and I have arthritis. She has had many broken bones, and she gets stiff from sitting too. To lie on a wooden floor would be a horror story for both of us. I told her that part of my “Go Kit” was an air mattress! Having given it some thought, that is one item I believe I would have to have if I were to survive with any kind of comfort. She decided then and there that she would add one to her kit when she returns home.

Have you thought about what special items or accommodations you may need in the same situation?  I know we all tend to think it won’t ever happen, but it only takes one fire, tornado, strong wind, etc. to leave you in a similar circumstance.  What would it take to make you comfortable?  How would your spouse, parents, children, or friends manage?  It might be worth talking it over with them and making a few plans. After all, your comfort might just depend on it

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

If you have created your Go Kit, written your evacuation plan and pretty much done all the basics you need related to getting yourself prepared for a disaster, what comes next?  How much is enough, or do you just keep adding to your preparations in a never ending cycle of preparedness?

For me, the natural next step was to do what I could to help others prepare.  Hence, writing this blog, sharing tips with my co-workers, and taking the CERT class (Community Emergency Response Team training).  I don’t believe that everyone has to follow that same recipe for success though.  Not all of us want to become that involved, and that’s ok.

One thing I’ve discovered is that even if you only want to do the basics in being prepared, it’s an on-going effort.  For instance, I have my Go Kit assembled, but I have to rotate my medications and the food in the kit on a monthly basis.  That is how I keep the kit up-to-date so the items stay fresh and viable.  In the same way, I check my written plan quite often as phone numbers or financial information changes, and plans must be adapted as time passes too.  When have you done enough?  When you can say you’re comfortable that you’ve done what you could to protect yourself and those you love from the fallout of a disaster.   Every effort you make is another step toward survival.

IT’S A SMALL WORLD!

With the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa, one begins to realize how small our planet really is. The Center for Disease Control is monitoring the situation closely because it would be quite easy for the virus to be transferred within the United States. But have you ever thought about what it might look like if Ebola or some other hideous virus got a foothold here? You would it look like for you?

For me, it would mean that my animals would die of thirst unless I was there to care for them. I have a business partner who would care for them if he could, and that’s a consolation, but I have a plan for how disaster might impact my family too.

In the event of a wide-spread viral infection, I have several friends who are familiar with how to properly care for my animals. With dogs, cats, donkey, chickens and sheep, that’s no small feat! Just feeding them all can be a major undertaking. I keep extra food on hand for them and the storage bins are all labeled so anyone would know what food is fed to what animal.

I have an infection control kit in my possession. It has gloves, masks, and gowns to protect against any blood bourn pathogen. I also have stocked up on rubbing alcohol, peroxide, water, and antiseptic creams. I placed a First Aid kit out in the barn and another in my car.

That may not sound like much, but it really doesn’t have to be! I have my Go Kit ready all the time. I also have my communication plan, and business plan to fall back on as needed. It’s a small world out there, but by adding one more piece to my existing Emergency Preparedness Plan, it’s decidedly safer.

KEEPING SOPHIE SAFE

Sophie is my 9-pound beagle; I love her dearly and, if we were caught in a disaster, I think I’d probably risk my own life to try to save hers. However, you have to understand, Sophie is only one of the dogs I own. I have several others and I love them too. I want to take whatever precautions I can to keep them all safe.

I have an Emergency Preparedness Kit for my pets in my “Go Kit.” In it, I have all the important things I’ll need if I have to go hunting for Sophie or try to track her down following an emergency (she’ll be the one in trouble, trust me!).

My doggy kit includes:

• I.D. information for the dogs: copies of the certificates for the chips I had implanted for identification purposes
• Pictures of each dog from front and side along with their birthdates and how much each one weighs
• The name the vet I use and contact information
• The shots each dog has had
• The brand of dog food I normally feed
• Extra leashes, collars, a tie-out stake and bowls
• Toys so they won’t get bored

If you have a treasured companion animal or a service animal that you depend upon, please consider make a plan and putting together a kit so your pet is offered the best possible chance at survival. It doesn’t take long to do…so do it today!

WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?

Emergency shelters can’t be chosen prior to a disaster as they may have sustained damage at the same time. Prior to issuing the order to evacuate, authorities will need to inspect the chosen site they are sending you to in order to determine that it is safe. You can find out where your evacuation site is to by listening to the local radio station, watching television, or calling or texting your local Red Cross office.

When you evacuate to an emergency shelter, let your family contact person know where you’re headed. Take your “Go Kit” with you as emergency supplies may not be available immediately. Have a blanket, pillow, air mattress, towel, washcloth, food and specific supplies on hand for each member of your family. Take your service animal with you to the shelter. Everyday pets may not be allowed in emergency shelters, so follow the plans you have made for caring for them, or talk to Animal Care and Control staff at the emergency shelter for help finding a safe place for them. Don’t assume you’ll be able to come back in a day or two, but plan to be gone for several weeks.

Have a list of medical and emergency contact information with you as well as out-of-town contact information. If you have difficulties communicating, write down on a piece of paper the best way to communicate with you and keep it with you at all times. Keep a list of the medications you take, your medical care provider numbers and the adaptive equipment you need to have on hand. Also keep a copy of your health insurance cards in your medical information packet.

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!

disABLEd but Ready!

Being ready to respond to an emergency means being ready to move quickly. Have your Go Kit nearby, packed and ready to go. Some of the items you may want to place in your kit would include extra eyeglasses, hearing aids, communication devices, phones, flashlights, medications, and dentures. Some of the other items you depend on can be stored together so you can use them daily, but get to them quickly. These items include assistive technology devices you depend on such as a wheelchair or walker, oxygen or other special adaptive equipment.

Know how to get out of your house using alternate routes, and make sure everyone else in the house knows them too. Family or friends visiting? Then make sure they know where the fire extinguishers are, as well as first-aid supplies and the shut-off valves for utilities.

Know what you’re going to do before an emergency arises. Stack the deck in your favor!

Ready & disAbled

I don’t think of myself as a doomsday person, but I do like to be prepared for things before they happen, not after.  When I read about the effects of Hurricane Katrina on people with disabilities (pwds), and the aftermath of the attack on the Twin Towers, I was struck by how poorly people with disabilities tended to fare.  PWDs catch the worst of it in most cases: transported without the assistive technology they need to get by on a daily basis if they were able to be transported at all; turned away from alternate housing because there was no way to get them up the steps; no written directions for those who were deaf, or directional signs that were illegible to the elderly or persons with low vision; the list goes on and on.

Ok, so I know that the likelihood that terrorists are outside ready to blow up my office is pretty unlikely, still…when I think about it, my office is right across the street from a major highway and a railroad tracks.  Either one could be the avenue for an accident that could release toxic chemicals into the air.  And my home is located within 50 miles of 2 nuclear power plants.  And I’ve already experienced high winds, tornados, and several long-term power outages, so I know emergencies can happen…and that makes me vulnerable.  I don’t like being vulnerable.  I don’t like it at all.

Earlier this year, I decided to get started making some plans.  I’d do what I could, as I could to get myself ready.  I wouldn’t make myself crazy, but I was going to try doing one thing each month to prepare myself for an emergency.  My first step was to pick up a “Go Kit.”  It’s just a backpack filled with some items you can use in an emergency.  There are a variety of them available on the internet running from around $40 to hundreds of dollars depending on how big they are, how many people they are designed for, and how long they are expected to last.  Mine is just a small one, it has a first aid kit, food enough to last for a couple of days, flares and other items you’d need in an emergency to get you by, especially if you can’t get home for a day or two.  Pretty nifty!  I like knowing I’m taking care of myself and that when/if an emergency happens, I won’t be running around looking for other people to take care of me.  I guess that comes from being an Independent Living Specialist!

I’ll tell you more about the other steps I’ve taken to prepare myself next week, but what are you doing to be prepared?  If you’re a person with a disability, what challenges do you face ensuring your independence during an emergency?