Every year at holiday time, the pace of life escalates and there never seems to be enough time to complete all the tasks, both the critical ones and those not-so-essential ones. One challenge that most families face is what gifts to buy. The thought of making lists of what to buy for whom, locating the gifts on-line or at the mall, wrapping, delivering, etc., can just be overwhelming. And we all know that for the majority of individuals, especially children, if we asked them a few days after the holidays what they got and who gave them those gifts, they would have no idea … how depressing! Thus, I am suggesting that one gift families can give themselves is to prepare for the disasters that can occur at anytime. Now, none of us like to think of disasters, and we often do a great job of pushing such thoughts out of our minds. Unfortunately, or fortunately if we are considering this as an impetus for planning, the events of the recent tsunami and the horrific hurricane season have made us all more aware of the need to prepare for such disasters. Just this week while scanning television shows, I found one expert predicting a major tsunami off western North American that could affect an area from British Columbia to northern California; another program discussed a predicted eruption of the San Andreas earthquake fault that could affect a major portion of southern California … and that was just in two days of television! I’m not a doom-and-gloom person, but such predictions and recent events highlight the importance of families being prepared for the disasters that might occur wherever they live. We can suggest to the families who we work with that making plans to prepare for such a disaster might be a great gift they can give to each other, a gift that might help a family survive and cope in difficult times.
Since 9/11 and the recent natural disasters, the federal government and other associations have actively promoted the need for individuals and communities be prepared for a variety of disasters. Three major components of such preparation are 1) a solid plan, 2) appropriate equipment, and 3) practice and implementation. We can encourage families to address all three components. I’m not suggesting that all three components need to be in place by the end of the busy holiday season, but that there be a plan to move forward and complete the preparations early in the next year.
Having a good plan for preparation begins with knowing what the potential emergencies are. One good source to help families accomplish this is the book “Are You Ready?” by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Families can receive a copy by calling the agency at 1-800-480-2520. Other good materials on planning are available from the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org/pubs/dspubs/cde,html). Using the lists and guides from these sources, families can identify the hazards or emergencies that they may face: floods, hurricanes, thunderstorms/lightening, tornadoes, extreme cold or heat, earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, wildfires, etc. The various areas of the country naturally face different risks. Thus, it is especially important to check with families who have recently relocated to an area to see whether they are aware and prepared for the types of disasters that might affect that area of the country.
Developing a family disaster plan includes a number of different dimensions. First, parents need to find out the existing plans that may be available for them. Today, many communities, schools, and workplaces have disaster plans that can be helpful to families. Parents need to know whether such plans exist, how they can get copies of the plans, and what aspects are included in the plans. Parents need to be aware of the warning systems that exist in their community and know the evacuation routes, if applicable. Families need to know if and where shelters and/or supplies are available in their communities, workplaces, and schools. Busy families need to consider their responses to disasters when children are at school and parents are at work, as well as when they are all together at home. Some specific aspects in planning include having areas where family members will meet, both near the home and further away. It’s also recommended that each family member have a contact card with the name of a contact person who lives out of the state or area who family members can contact. In addition, parents and older children who might be home alone should know how to shut off gas, water, and/or electricity if instructed to do so by utility companies. Families also should review their insurance and be sure they have the needed levels of flood, earthquake, and other property, health, and life insurance. Documentation then needs to be kept in a safe place, e.g., safety deposit box. It’s even better to have multiple copies of the policies in multiple sites. Families should also make specific plans for their animals, finding out whether animals are permitted at local shelters and, if not, what facilities will allow animals. All animals need identification and copies of current veterinary records. Another aspect of planning is acquiring or reviewing skills, including CPR, first aid, and fire extinguisher use.
A second key component is equipment. Families should have disaster equipment that enables them to be self-sufficient for a minimum of three days. Some experts say plan on no outside help for seven days, depending on the type of disaster. Thus, families need the food water and other supplies they will need to help them survive. Families can assemble their own kits, following the FEMA or Red Cross guidelines for amounts needed and types of equipment. Such checklists make it easier to be sure all the critical supplies are included. Another option is the pre-made kits available from the Red Cross or now found in many grocery or other stores. These kits provide all the essential items one will need for a specific number of days. Some are designed for a workplace or school setting and some are for home use. Such kits might be excellent holiday gifts, or family members can give each other the specific needed items, such as flashlight, battery-operated radio, first aid kit, water, etc. A fun family activity might be making a kit for each of the family members, individualizing it with their special need items or preferences. The finished kits then need to be placed in a designated place, ready to be grabbed quickly if the family must evacuate.
The third aspect of preparation is ongoing maintenance of the plan, as well as practice. Thus, once the kits are assembled, it doesn’t end there. Food and water need to be replaced every six months; new medications need to be added to the kit. Families need to have an anniversary date to review their kits and at that time rethink how their needs have changed and update the kit accordingly. This might be a good annual New Year’s activity! Families also need to practice their plan. They need to do mock drills, such as getting their kits and getting ready to evacuate or assembling the flashlights and trying out the radios. They might actually call their contact person, just to be sure he/she still knows what to do in response.
This certainly isn’t a comprehensive discussion of what families must do to prepare for emergencies, but I hope it’s got you thinking of how we might help families get ready. Hopefully, this preparation will never have to be put in action but it’s too important for families to ignore. There are actions that families can take that will help them survive if a disaster strikes. If the emergency never happens, the process itself can help family members better communicate and work together. Children can learn important skills and knowledge from the process. So I hope it’s a non-disaster holiday season for all of you, but I also hope you are helping the families you work with to be prepared just in case.
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