America’s PreparAthon Day!

The day is finally here – America’s PreparAthon!!!!!! Today is the official preparedness event. I hope that everyone was able to get registered in time. This is the time for you, your family, your friends, and even different organizations to learn about preparedness in your area. Discussions, activities, and/or tabletop exercises should be happening in order to increase your awareness of the disasters that can happen in your area. At Toledo-Lucas County Health Department we will be reviewing the preparedness plans and kits that we have been putting together during September.

If you did not have time to register for America’s PreparAthon! do not worry. You can still participate by going back through the blog we have posted and review the different materials. This will help you start preparing for different types of disasters throughout our area. If you have any questions about anything in the blog posts please let us know by either leaving a comment or following us on Twitter and/or Facebook.

After completing your PreparAthon day use surveys to get feedback to plan improvements and enhance your organizations preparedness. There is no time like the present to make changes and improve on plans for potential future disasters.

Sources: fema.gov     ready.gov

 

Recap of Weeks 3 and 4 of National Preparedness Month!

Today, we will review what we covered in weeks 3 and 4.

Week 3: “How to…”

• A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items in your household that you may need in the event of an emergency for AT LEAST 72 hours (equivalent to 3 days)
• Assemble your kit in advance and make sure to rotate the items in order to keep the food from expiring
• To find out what to put into the kit go back to the blog posted on September 15^th.
• Emergency kits do not have to be just for the home, you should make one for your workplace and vehicle as well.
• To save money while making your kit you do not have to buy all the items at once. Wait for stores to have the items on sale or use coupons to help reduce the cost.
• Buy items in bulk and split the cost with other families
• Look into government funded programs that help assist with the cost of the kits as well as emergency cell phones
• Different types of Emergencies: floods, extreme heat, winter storms, power outages, etc. For more information refer back to the specific blog post on September 18^th.
• Maintain your emergency kit by keeping it located in a cool dry place.
• Re-think your need every year and update your kit as your family needs change
• Check to make sure none of the food or water has been damaged or punctured throughout the year.

Week 4: “Flu Season”

• Getting the flu vaccine is important to not only keep yourself healthy but those around you as well.
• You can get others sick 24 hours before you feel any symptoms of the flu
• Vaccinations are a way to produce immunity in the body against that organism.
• The CDC has a recommended immunization schedule for people starting from birth.
• After a disaster occurs the CDC recommends that everyone get a Tetanus shot or a Tetanus booster due to the amount of debris that can accumulate.
• Toledo-Lucas County Health Department along with local healthcare providers offer different vaccines.
• Shots 4 Tots is a program through the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department that provides immunizations to children from birth through 18 years of age.
• Infection Prevention!
  • Wash your hands and those of children regularly. After vaccines this is the second most helpful way to prevent the spread of diseases.
  • Do not share eating utensils or drinking containers
  • Do not share personal toilet articles such as combs, razors, toothbrushes, or towels with anyone else
  • Dispose of razor blades and needles used for medications in containers designed for sharps disposal.
  • Bathe and wash clothing on a regular basis.
• Even though you prepare for the flu you may still catch it.
• Make sure that you get your flu vaccination early before flu season is in full affect
• Learn the symptoms of the flu versus the symptoms of a cold or stomach bug.

 

Recap of Weeks 1 and 2 of National Preparedness Month

National Preparedness Month is coming to an end; here is a list of what we covered the first two weeks!

 

Week 1: “Get Ready”

• Common natural hazards in Ohio: floods, tornadoes, winter storms, and extreme heat.
• Get information on when and where a threat has the potential to develop!
• Know the difference between a watch and a warning
  • Watch means that conditions are favorable for dangerous weather and to be alter for changing weather conditions
  • Warning means that immediate action is to be made, and is only used when severe weather is about to strike.
• Keep all family members involved in all steps of the planning, including children
• Family communication plan: contact list with names and phone numbers, as well as where to go in the event of an emergency
• Tailor your plans and supplies to fit your specific needs and responsibilities
• Have a plan for any type of location, it is likely that you and/or your family members will not be at home during an emergency.
• Ready.gov provides information on how to prepare for different locations. Questions you should ask your child’s school or even your workplace in the event of an emergency:
  • Ask schools how they will communicate with families during a crisis.
  • Ask if they store adequate food, water and other basic supplies.
  • Find out if they are prepared to “shelter-in-place” if need be, and how they plan to go if they must get away.
• If you are an employer – make sure you have appropriate supplies on hand and include a plan for if your employees can’t get home.
• ID your pet. In an emergency situation having your pet wear and ID tag can help rescue workers contact you when the pet is found.
• Make sure you have a safe place to take your pets in case of an emergency because not all shelters all pets.
• Create an emergency kit for your pets. These kits can include food and water, medications and medical records, cate litter and litter box, leashes, collars, pet toys, a photo and description of pet, as well as veterinarian contact info.
• Look back at September 6^th for how to stay connected through media sites. Some of the sites include Facebook and Twitter

Week 2: “Get Involved”

• Ready.gov recommends that the community, as a whole, “participates in activities to make their families, homes and communities safer from risks and threats.”
• Volunteer through organizations such as: Community Response Team (Lucas County does have one), the Medical Reserve Corps, Citizen Corps, American Red Cross and/or faith-based organizations who are active in supporting disasters.
• Participate in CERT Basic Training courses or through Teen CERT programs
• Training opportunities are also available through FEMA and have a lot of different courses that are at no cost to the individual
• Attend Safety Town events within the community. Children can learn about what their local fire departments and police departments do in the event of emergencies
• Business preparedness means taking charge and having a plan prepared for emergencies
• Five steps in developing a preparedness program: program management, planning, implementation, testing and exercise, and program improvement.
• First responders include law enforcement, fire fighters, and emergency medical personnel. These individuals can serve as a role model in the community by properly preparing themselves and their families for an emergency
• Be sure to speak with your employer about emergency response drills.
• For those with disabilities – PLAN AHEAD! Make sure that you are able to execute your preparedness plan in the event that there is no assistance available

 

Maintaining your Emergency Kit

The best thing that one can be in the event of an emergency is prepared. An emergency supply kit allows a little peace of mind, knowing that you and your family have essentials on hand, and they are ready to be used. Maintaining your kit is just as important as putting your supplies together, so they are safe to use when needed. In this post we will focus on how to update and maintain your kit, and some tips to keep your supplies ready and in good condition.

 

Ready.gov recommends that you:

• Keep canned food in a cool, dry place
• Store boxed food in tightly closed plastic or metal containers to protect from pests and to extend its shelf life
• Throw out any canned good that becomes swollen, dented, or corroded
• Use foods before they go bad , and replace them with fresh supplies
• Re-think your need every year and update your kit as your family needs change (medications, did you get a pet, did you have a baby? etc)

Other things to keep in mind while maintaining your kit is to:

• Check batteries to make sure they still work and are not expired
• If the climate changes, from warm to cold, make sure you have warm clothes and blankets
• If you have boxed water in your kit make sure it was not punctured, and is still in good condition

Keep in mind to check all of your kits if you have multiple, for example your workplace kit, and your vehicle kit.

Please feel free to comment and ask questions, we are here to help you and your family become better prepared!

If you ask on twitter be sure to use the hashtag #readylucas