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Man-Made
Disasters - Vigilance
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Man-Made Disasters: |
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On September 11,
2001, America was reminded that no place is immune from terrorism,
and that we must all be prepared for any kind of threat. Marion
County, like the rest of America, is at risk. To protect yourself
and your family, you must be prepared.
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Emergency Planning
In a disaster, you will have very little time to
make life-saving
decisions. Planning now will
save lives.
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Develop a Family Communications Plan:
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Your family may not be together when |
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disaster strikes. Plan how you will contact one another and
review what you will do in different
situations.
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Consider a plan where each family member |
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calls, or e-mails, the same friend or relative in an emergency.
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It may be easier to make a long-distance |
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phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-state contact
may be in a better position
to communicate among separated family member.
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Deciding to Stay or Go
Depending on your circumstances and the nature of the catastrophe,
the first important decision is whether you stay put, or get away.
You should understand and plan for both possibilities.
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Use common sense and available information
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to determine whether there is
an immediate danger.
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In an emergency, it may be some time before
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local agencies can provide
assistance. Use the radio, television for up to date information and
instructions.
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If you are specifically told to evacuate or seek |
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medical attention, do so immediately.
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Getting Away
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There may be conditions under which you
will decide to get away or be ordered |
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to leave. Plan in advance how you will assemble your family and
anticipate where you will go. Choose several directions so you have options.
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If you have a car, keep at least half
a tank
of gas at all times. |
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If you do not have a car, plan how you will
leave if necessary. |
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Take your emergency supply kit, unless you
have a reason to believe it has |
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been contaminated and lock the door behind you.
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Take pets with
you if you are told to evacuate. If you are going to a public |
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shelter, however,
keep in mind that pets may not be allowed inside.
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If you believe the air may be contaminated, drive with your windows and vents |
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closed and keep the air conditioning and heater turned off. |
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Working Together
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Schools, daycare providers, workplaces, neighborhoods, and apartment
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buildings, should all have site specific
emergency plans.
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Review plans at places your family spends time, such as work and school. If no |
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plans exists, consider volunteering to
help develop one.
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You will be better prepared to reunite your family and loved
ones safely during an |
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emergency if you think ahead, and communicate with others in
advance.
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Schools and
Daycare
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Employers
Make sure your workplace has a
regularly practiced evacuation plan.
Take a critical look at your heating
ventilation and air-conditioning system
to determine if it is secure
or if it
could be feasibly upgraded to better
filter potential
containments.
Be
sure you, and others, know how
to
turn off the ventilation system if
necessary.
Think
about what to do if your
employees can’t go home, and make
sure you have appropriate supplies
on
hand. |
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If you are a parent, or guardian of an
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elderly or disabled adult, make sure schools or daycare providers have emergency response plans.
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Ask how they will communicate with |
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families during a crisis.
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Do they store adequate food, water |
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and other emergency supplies?
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Find out if they are prepared to |
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“shelter-in-place” if need be, and where they
plan to go if they must get away.
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