Emergency Preparedness Month-Life Saving Skills for Riverside City

9/12/2018 (Permalink)

What You Should Know About Life Saving Skills

• Know basic preparedness skills to protect your family and home.
• Eliminate common electrical and fire hazards around your house and property.
• Install smoke, carbon monoxide, and natural gas alarms and test them monthly.
• Teach children what to do when they hear smoke, carbon monoxide, and natural gas alarms.
• Place natural gas detectors on every level of your home and test them monthly.
• Know how to turn off utilities like natural gas in your home.
• Talk to your landlord or building manager about evacuation routes and fire safety.
• Develop and practice a family communication plan and discuss it with your family.
• Have emergency supplies in place at home, at work, and in the car.
• Pay attention to alerts and warnings.
• Know two ways out of your home in the event of a fire and practice evacuation plans.
• Set some money aside from your income in case of an emergency.

. Fire Safety

• Do a fire drill with your children regularly.
• Make sure your family knows two ways out of your home.
• Identify two ways out of every room when making your fire escape plan.
• Meet with your landlord or building manager to learn about the fire safety features in your apartment building.
• #DidYouKnow your apartment building should hold a fire drill with residents once a year? You should participate.
• Know your apartment building’s evacuation plan, in case of a fire.
• Identify each exit in your apartment building before an emergency like a fire.
• Memorize the number in case you have to find the exit in the dark.
• Talk to your family about what they should do in a fire.
• Put smoke, carbon monoxide, and natural gas alarms on every level of your home and close to bedrooms.
• Be sure your smoke, carbon monoxide, and natural gas alarms work by testing them monthly.
• Get a smoke, carbon monoxide, and natural gas alarm with flashing lights or vibrating signals if you’re deaf or hard of hearing.
• Keep electrical cords tangle free to help prevent possible fires.
• Remove electrical cords from under a carpet or rug. It is a fire hazard!
• Do not overload power strips. This can cause a fire.

Power Outage

• Create or update your emergency supplies with this list: Build a Kit
• Get ahead of the next disaster by making sure you have emergency supplies: Build a Kit
• Gather the supplies you may need if there is a power outage Build a Kit
• Have emergency supplies at home in case there is a power outage.
• Learn what supplies you may need when a power outage happens at Power Outage
• Stock up on batteries for flashlights, radios, medical devices, and phones in case there is a power outage.
• Always have extra batteries in your emergency kit: Build a Kit
• Ask your doctor or health care provider about how you can prepare for a power outage if you have medical needs.
• Make sure your loved ones who use medical equipment can keep using it if there is a power outage.
• Have medication for at least three days in your emergency supplies.
• If you have medical needs and rely on medical equipment, make a plan before a power outage or other emergency: Home Medical Devices That Require Electricity
• Keep water, non-perishable food and other supplies at home.
• Check the expiration date on your emergency supplies, and replace any old items.

Natural Gas

• Protect your family by putting natural gas detectors in your home.
• Install natural gas detectors throughout your house.
• If you live in an apartment, talk to your building manger or landlord about how to turn off the gas in an emergency.
• Carbon monoxide is deadly, colorless, and odorless. Put natural gas detectors in your home to detect carbon monoxide.
• If you ever smell natural gas, Get Out! Call 9-1-1 once you get to a safe distance from your house.
• Know how to turn off the gas in your home in case you ever have a gas emergency.
• #DidYouKnow most natural gas detectors can detect propane and carbon monoxide? Select a detector that can handle both.
• Get a detector that can check for several types of gases including natural, propane, and carbon monoxide.
• Save money and get a natural gas detector that can check for propane and carbon monoxide too.
• Gas shut-off procedures vary by gas meter. Learn your proper shut off procedure and tell everyone in your household.
• Practice the proper gas shut-off procedure for your unit, BUT do not actually turn off the gas when practicing.
• If you turn off the gas in an emergency, get a qualified professional to turn it back on.

Emergency Plan

• Know your alerts and warnings. Download the FEMA app to stay informed: Mobile App#LifeSavingSkills
• Have a plan before an emergency. Get prepared at Checklist
• Keep important documents in a safe place like a waterproof and fireproof safe or box.
• Discuss with your family how you will communicate if there is an emergency.
• Decide and practice your emergency plan with your family.
• Know several evacuation routes before an emergency happens.
• Houses, apartments, and high-rise buildings have different evacuation considerations. Make a plan for each: ready.gov/plan-for-locations
• If you live in a mobile home, create an emergency plan that includes alternate shelter locations and practice getting there.
• Ask your neighbor about their plans during an emergency. You may be able to work together.
• Know where all the exit doors and stairs are on your apartment floor. Put this info in your emergency plan.

Financial Preparedness

• Save for a rainy day, you never know when it may pour. Here’s how: Financial Preparedness#LifeSavingSkills
• Emergencies will happen, but your savings can be your fall back plan. Start saving today!
• Create a budget that includes putting money into an emergency fund every month. Financial Preparedness
• Pay yourself first! Before you spend, put a little bit of it in your savings account. Financial Preparedness#LifeSavingSkills
• 56% of adults can cover a $400 emergency. Be part of the growing number who are savers and have an emergency fund.
• Life can be unpredictable. It pays to have an emergency fund for when life happens.
• Teach your kids this simple Life Saving Skill: save some money now to be one-step ahead when an emergency hits.
• Your emergency savings can help you get life saving items like food, shelter, and water in an emergency. Saving Tips: Financial Preparedness
• Saving money is not only a good practice, but puts you in a position to help loved ones and your community after a disaster. Learn to save: Financial Preparedness

 Build A Kit

Make sure your emergency kit is stocked with the items on the checklist below. Most of the items are inexpensive and easy to find, and any one of them could save your life. Headed to the store? Download a printable version to take with you. Once you take a look at the basic items, consider what unique needs your family might have, such as supplies for pets, or seniors.

After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for several days. Being prepared means having your own food, water and other supplies to last for at least 72 hours. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.

Basic Disaster Supplies Kit

To assemble your kit, store items in airtight plastic bags and put your entire disaster supplies kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag.

A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

• Water - one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food - at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
• Flashlight
• First aid kit
• Extra batteries
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Manual can opener for food
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery

Download the Recommended Supplies List (PDF)

Additional Emergency Supplies

Consider adding the following items to your emergency supply kit based on your individual needs:

• Prescription medications
• Non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication, antacids or laxatives
• Glasses and contact lense solution
• Infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream
• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Cash or traveler's checks
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records saved electronically or in a waterproof, portable container
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person
• Complete change of clothing appropriate for your climate and sturdy shoes
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper to disinfect water
• Fire extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils
• Paper and pencil
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

Maintaining Your Kit

After assembling your kit remember to maintain it so it’s ready when needed:

• Keep canned food in a cool, dry place
• Store boxed food in tightly closed plastic or metal containers
• Replace expired items as needed
• Re-think your needs every year and update your kit as your family’s needs change.

Kit Storage Locations

Since you do not know where you will be when an emergency occurs, prepare supplies for home, work and vehicles.

• Home: Keep this kit in a designated place and have it ready in case you have to leave your home quickly. Make sure all family members know where the kit is kept.
• Work: Be prepared to shelter at work for at least 24 hours. Your work kit should include food, water and other necessities like medicines, as well as comfortable walking shoes, stored in a “grab and go” case.
• Vehicle: In case you are stranded, keep a kit of emergency supplies in your car.

Find out more about our Emergency Ready Profile. 

It is a start up approach that provides the critical information needed to begin mitigation and recovery services.  It is designed to serve as a quick reference of important building and contact information.  By working with SERVPRO's Emergency Ready Profile, your business or home will receive the benefit of over 40 years of experience in reducing the impact of any natural or man-made disaster.  SERVPRO is a leader in water and fire damage response and can help you get your property back in working order.

Call us for more Information.