Emergency
Preparedness
Disasters
can happen without warning. In a large scale emergency,
firefighters, law enforcement, and other first responders
cannot be everywhere that help is needed. For the most
part, citizens will be on their own for the first 72 hours
of a disaster. There
are several things that every person can do to be prepared
for this possibility:
Have
a plan
With
members of your household, discuss the disasters that
might affect you. Talk about what you would do if you
had to evacuate. Where would you reunite if you were separated?
Do you know what to take with you? The American Red Cross
has several suggestions on making a plan, including what
to do during an evacuation.
Out-of-area
contact
During
a disaster, local telephone circuits may be overwhelmed.
If you are separated from your friends or family, you
may be unable to contact them for days. But because long
distance circuits are often unaffected during a disaster,
they can be used to check on your loved ones. By preselecting
an out-of-area contact, someone who is out of your local
dialing area and at least fifty miles away, you can use
them as a message board. By trading messages long distance
you can check on the location and safety of your loved
ones locally, possibly reuniting with them more quickly.
First
Aid and CPR training
Help
for the injured may be hours or days away. By taking a
first aid class now, before there is an emergency, you
will be more prepared to render aid to those around you
that might be hurt in a disaster. Your first aid training
and willingness to help others may mean the difference
between life and death for someone someday.
72
hour kit
Basic
services and supplies may be interrupted or destroyed
in a disaster. Whatever you have stockpiled in advance
may be all you have for several days. A 72 hour kit enables
you to get through the first 72 hours of a disaster, the
period of time when local responders are struggling to
get help to everyone that needs it.
At
a minimum, your kit should contain the following items
for each household member to get through the first few
days of a disaster:
- 1
gallon of water per person per day
- Battery
operated radio
- Non-perishable
foods
- Essential
medications
-
Blankets and extra clothing
- Heat
and light alternatives (non-flame sources)
- Additional
items may be included to make your kit more complete.
Do
your part
By
taking these simple emergency preparedness measures, you
can help take some of the load off of the emergency responders
so they can concentrate on helping those who are unable
to help themselves. You can be part of the solution rather
than part of the problem in a disaster. For those who
want to do even more, consider becoming a member of a
Citizen Emergency Response Team.
Subheading
Everyone
here at CRESA takes pride in serving the citizens of Clark
County. Our technical skills, state-of-the-art systems,
and customer service commitment have given us an excellent
reputation within the community. All of us work hard to
uphold the high performance standards of our agency.
Our
service standards are high because the stakes are high.
When you have an emergency, you rely on the services we
provide. And when seconds count, you need to know you
can count on us.
To
learn more about how we serve you, please explore our
web site. If you have additional questions you may e-mail
us at cresa@clark.wa.gov.
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