Do you know…

How to include your pets in family emergency planning?

What critical supplies you will need for your pets’ safety and comfort?

How to evacuate your pets quickly and safely?

Join us for these answers and many more.

We’ll have supplies on hand for you to purchase.

Where: Leading the Way

18 Chestnut Street, Florence, MA

Time: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Date: Sunday, May 16, 2010

RSVP: Shannon @ 413-559-7011

Wiggins, Miss., October 29, 2005 -- Cheryl Rasbury shows Skylor Welch, her granddaughter Mariah Rasbury, and their puppy named FEMA, pictures of their destroyed beach house in Bay St.Louis. This family and hundreds of other beach residents were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. George Armstrong/FEMA

In our house, I like to think we wake up each morning to Plan A.  Plan A means the grown-ups exercise, the kids have healthy breakfasts and everyone gets out of the house to school and work on time.  Where is Plan A?  Does anyone get to the bathroom in the morning with Plan A?  Not too often.

Maybe the baby had a bad night or the dog had to go out at 3:00 AM because she got the remaining birthday cake, or you tossed and turned all night because your mind was racing with business-related pressures.

My philosophy is to hold on to Plan A, to strive for it but for goodness sake be ready for reality.  We are all too tired.  We are juggling family, finances and work 24/7.  We have odd stress-related ailments that may turn into chronic illnesses.  The bottom line is: we are pushed and pushing beyond our limits every day.

But it is our responsibility to be prepared for the inevitable disaster or incident.  This may mean your child falls off his skateboard and needs his wounds cleaned and bandaged.  It may mean you are stuck in a major traffic jam on the way to a ski resort and need blankets, flashlights, food and water to survive several hours in the cold and dark.  It could mean there is a blackout in your city which cripples public transportation and leaves you wondering how to pick-up your toddler from daycare on-time.

When we watch television, we see terrorism, natural disasters and war in places far from us.  What is local may seem manageable and still not close enough to touch us.  But the old saying “it is not if but when” truly applies to disaster in our lives.  House fires, car accidents, hurricanes and winter storms do happen.

Finding yourself in a situation that requires you to act without the right supplies is devastating.  We know how to bandage skinned knees, but where are the band aids?  We know how to use flashlights in the dark, but has anyone seen the flashlight?  Do the batteries work?  We know to pick an emergency meeting place in case we cannot get home, but did we pick the middle school or the grocery store?  The fact is we are not ready.

We have many excuses for why we have not prepared.  We are too busy, our finances are stretched, and we live in a safe place.  But the excuses will not protect us from the inevitable.   So why not help your family, co-workers and friends be ready for disasters?  It is the best gift you can give them.  It shows you truly care about them and that you understand the risks in their lives—because they are the same ones in your life!

The news media and government agencies keep reminding us that we will have a flood or other disaster and should be prepared now.  You cannot see experiencing a flood unless you win the lottery and move to the beach or buy lakefront property.  Those people have floods.

Actually, all homes can flood.  Growing up I can remember an upstairs neighbor who let their bathtub overflow and a whole line of apartments had water damage and flooding.  A friend of mine recently moved his family into a trailer next to their home because they had a flood.  Their upstairs washing machine water hose disconnected and while everyone was at work and school water ran through the walls and pooled in the kitchen and basement damaging 75% of their home.

Driving is a time we all are likely to experience flooding.  Our aging infrastructure increasingly floods.  Pot holes turn into lakes when it rains and the trenches next to roads are overgrown with weeds forcing water onto roadways.

In fact we are all at risk for flooding.  Be especially careful when driving during heavy rain or near swollen rivers.  The National Weather Service has a campaign called Turn Around  Don’t Drown.

“Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm related hazard. Why? The main reason is people underestimate the force and power of water. Many of the deaths occur in automobiles as they are swept downstream. Of these drownings, many are preventable, but too many people continue to drive around the barriers that warn you the road is flooded.  Whether you are driving or walking, if you come to a flooded road, Turn Around  Don’t Drown. You will not know the depth of the water nor will you know the condition of the road under the water.”[1]

Help your customers, friends and your family be prepared for a flood or other disaster by giving them the gift of safety.  All of our Ready Gift Boxes include educational information and essential supplies that can be immediately applied to lessen their impact of any disaster.  Plus, you really do not need to be the person who gives another bottle of wine.

[1] NOAA National Weather Service information

Most people know to call 911 during a medical emergency or other type of emergency.  We teach our children to call by showing them how to use the phone and by posting the 911 emergency numbers near telephones in our homes.  We have included several 911 stickers for a family’s convenience.  The other number all families need to have on hand is Poison Help.  America’s poison centers are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help you.  The Poison Help hotline 1-800-222-1222 serves as a key medical information resource and helps reduce costly emergency room visits. We have included several Poison Help Hotline stickers for families to post near telephones in their homes.

Ready Home Gift Box Safest Size

Information is power before, during and after any disaster.  For that reason we have included two American Red Cross and FEMA publications, Food and Water in an Emergency and Preparing for Disaster.  These brochures guide a family through the process of preparing an emergency food and water supply as well as how to make an emergency plan.

We recently discovered the Fire Resistant Document Bag and include one in the Safe House gift box.  Use this bag to protect your property deeds, passports, birth certificates, and cash and family photos.  This bag even holds legal size documents.  Post disaster, you will need these documents for insurance purposes.  Putting your important papers in a central location that can survive a fire will inevitably streamline the process of resuming to normal.  After Hurricane Katrina, many homeowners were waiting for FEMA checks because they did not have proof of insurance.

During a power outage or other emergency, you are suddenly cut-off from the outside world.  We inundate ourselves with information through electronics, internet, television and radio.  During a disaster a family needs to know the weather forecast, if an evacuation order is in effect, when power will be restored or what the roadway conditions are.  We have included an AM/FM Radio Receiver complete with a crank flashlight.  These have become popular devices and they work.  Ours includes a telescopic antenna, earphone jack, AC power adaptor and carrying strap.  It can also be charged with 2 AA batteries.

Crank Radio and Flashlight

In addition to the flashlight attached to the crank radio, we include a regular flashlight with 2 D batteries and several 6″ instant glow lightsticks.  They last for 12 hours are non-flammable and weatherproof.  Please do not light candles or use propane stoves indoors because these may cause fires or carbon monoxide poisoning.

Next we tackle the issues of food and water.  We include pouches of drinking water with a drinking container.  These are U.S. Coast Guard approved emergency drinking water pouches.  We also include Energy Food Bars.  These actually taste good, will stay fresh for years and contain 400 calories each so they are a true meal replacement.  Your food or your pet’s food may be stored in cans that you typically open with an electronic can opener so we have included two hand held can openers for your convenience.

Considering fires, we have included a Survival Tool.  This tool can be used to shut-off the main gas valve to your home.  It is light weight, reflective and easy to use.  This tool could save your life!  Just imagine the fires in San Francisco following the 1906 or 1989 earthquakes and turn off the gas.

We have included a whistle for you to signal for emergency help or to call your dog.  Disasters are loud and a whistle may come in handy for communicating the need for help.

Of course, we have included a 107 Piece First Aid Kit.  This First Aid Kit comes in a plastic container and includes 35 large plastic bandages, 30 medium plastic bandages, 6 gauze pads of various sizes, 1 rolled gauze, 15 alcohol cleansing pads, 10 cotton swabs, 1 adhesive tape roll, 1 tweezers, 4 tongue depressors, 1 first aid guide book, 1 plastic bandage, 1 instant cold pack.

Finally, we put in a pack of playing cards.  When the power goes out we may feel a bit lost without our “electronic” friends that are why we have included a pack of playing cards.  There is no need to sit in the dark and be bored.  Have some fun by playing a game of Solitaire or Go Fish.

Conway, AR December 29, 2000 -- Recent ice storm downed many trees and caused significant power outages. Photo by John Shea/ FEMA News Photo

Families and home owners are at risk for a long list of emergencies. These range from house fires and poisoning to power outages and flooding. Residential fires are prevalent in all communities. They increase during blackouts due to poor heating and lighting choices.

Blackouts occur nationally due to heat waves, hurricanes, floods, winter storms and terrorist activities. Living in the dark and in extreme cold or extreme heat from a power outage causes extreme stress and potential danger for a family.

To prepare and respond to power outages National Grid recommends the following four things:

1. Place working flashlights throughout the house and be sure all family members know where they are.
2. Have a battery-operated radio on hand for storm information.
3. Have extra flashlight and radio batteries ready.
4. Keep extra drinking water, a manual can opener and a supply of canned and dried foods on hand in case an outage lasts more than a few days.

The Ready Home Gift Box includes all of these items plus many more to keep a family safe and prepared for any type of disaster.

You do need to prepare for disaster. But, do not try to prepare for the world to end.

The best way to accomplish preparedness is to understand your risks. Ask yourself these questions:

1. What natural hazards occur in my area? (For example, floods, earthquakes and ice storms.)

2. Who am I responsible for and what are their special needs? (For example, infants, seniors, people with disabilities.)

3. Does my lifestyle include travel to an office or school?

Use the answers to these questions to begin determining what you need toward preparing for disaster.

For instance, if you live in an area with the possibility of earthquake you should know how to shut off the gas in your home and office. You will probably need a gas shut off wrench for this. We include one in the Ready Home Gift Box.

If you are responsible for people who require medication on a regular basis then you should make sure their medications never run out. You should also document the names of their doctors and the names and doses of their medications.

If you and your family head out in different directions for work and school, you should have a plan of where to meet if you can not return home. You also should have an emergency contact person out of state who can take calls from your family during a disaster. Frequently land and cell phone lines become jammed in an area affected by a disaster, it can be impossible to make local calls.

I encourage you to be reasonable and prepare for what is likely to occur. And, I remind you to never become complacent about preparedness.

The USFA offers a few helpful tips on smoke alarms and sprinklers:
• Place properly installed and maintained smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas and on every level of your home.
• Interconnected smoke alarms are best, because if one sounds, they all sound.
• The U.S. Fire Administration recommends that every residence and place where people sleep be equipped with both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.
• Test smoke alarms monthly and change alkaline batteries at least once every year, or as instructed by the manufacturer. You can use a date you already know, like your birthday or when you change your clocks as a reminder.
• If possible, install residential fire sprinklers in your home.
• Avoid painting or covering the fire sprinkler, because that will affect the sensitivity to heat.

So while you are running around on a sugar high this weekend, please take the time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors.

It’s also a great time for a conversation with your family about what to do if a fire occurs in the house. See my earlier blog post called We meet at the mailbox.  Where do you meet?

I’ve taught my oldest son several rules that he must abide by during a fire:
1. He may never hide. He can’t hide in the closet, under the bed or in the bathroom. All too often kids hide during a fire and can’t be found by firemen.
2. He must leave the house immediately. He may not grab even his most favorite possessions, whether that means his blanket, his hamster, or his toys.
3. He may NEVER go back into the house during the fire.
4. He must stay at the mailbox until I come get him or a policeman comes to get him.

Remember, you may need to evacuate your house for a number of reasons: fire, smoke, carbon monoxide warning, and wind or flood damage. Help your kids know how to get out of the house safely and where to go once they exit the house so they are safe. A little planning ahead can prevent danger and anxiety later.