US Girl Scouts prepare for war, pestilence - Yahoo! News
Posted using ShareThis
I've criticized many of DHS Secretary Napolitano's policies but on this we agree. Getting people to prepare before a disaster happens is a basic, no nonsense approach. The approach with using the Girl Scouts is reminiscent of the Civil Defense days of having all citizens familiar with the threat - in the CD case nuclear war - and steps to take (albeit "duck and cover" would not have done much). I hope she will continue to reach out to other youth groups such as the Civil Air Patrol, Explorers, Boys Clubs, Girls Clubs, etc.
“If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.”--Benjamin Franklin
Showing posts with label disaster preparedness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disaster preparedness. Show all posts
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
In Case of Emergency
When I started Losantiville, my intent was to focus on safety and disaster preparedness from a local perspective. Over time, the blog has evolved to reflect my opions on a number of subjects that interest me (fire/EMS, safety, emergency management, defense, and local Cincinnati topics). John Solomon has created a blog similar to Losantiville's original focus. I salute John's efforts! You can find his blog here http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/
Monday, December 22, 2008
Hospital Security and Disaster Preparedness
Chris Van Gorder at EMS Responder published an article last week on emergency training at hospitals.
Reports of a suspected bioterrorism attack have sparked panic in the community. Worried residents swarm the region's major hospital for diagnosis and treatment and confusion quickly turns to chaos. Military helicopters thunder onto the hospital's helipad, where dozens of police officers disembark to battle a disaster within a disaster—pandemonium on hospital grounds in the midst of a public health emergency.
This was just part of the action-packed script for a landmark emergency training event in San Diego in summer 2008. Believed to be the first large-scale disaster event to link federal, state and local government agencies with private-sector healthcare officials, the drill enabled participants to practice what it really takes to secure the campus of a major hospital during a crisis.
Led by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and the San Diego Police Department, the Golden Phoenix '08 hospital protection event also included personnel from San Diego County's EMS system, the U.S. Marine Corps, FBI, DEA and Department of Homeland Security. What differentiated this exercise from previous events was the involvement of the host, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, part of the nonprofit Scripps Health system in San Diego.
The Golden Phoenix '08 exercise was specifically designed to test the operations, communications and security capabilities of multiple agencies and Scripps working together in an emergency on a major hospital campus. It served as a bellwether for future emergency and disaster training efforts by breaking through old assumptions that hospitals are self-sufficient during disasters—somehow fortified against a public surge and the disruption to care this would cause. This drill served notice that private healthcare personnel must work shoulder to shoulder with other first responders in the community to ensure hospitals are protected as key community assets during times of disaster….
Reading about more and more agencies having to make cuts to personnel or services due to funding shortfalls, it makes sense to plan on a multi-agency response to disasters. Hospitals will be facing increased admissions simply due to patients who have run out of prescription medications. Local municipalities will be laying off staff or cutting back on services. Major disasters will require support from other regional assets or federal agencies.
Advances in genetics and bio-enigneering increases the chance of a terrorist group of developing a biological or chemical weapon that could lead to mass casualties. Hospital staff could be quickly overwhelmed in trying to manage patient care with federal agencies swarming all over the ward. Practicing for this before it becomes necessary makes good sense. However, given the mood of the country now with a disastrous economy such exercises may be seen as an attempt by the federal government to take over.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Did we learn anything?
Day 9 continues much as the other days do, no electric and no sign of utility workers. I dutifully call in my outage, per DP&L, each day and each day I get to hear we still are not schedule for a repair crew.
Enough of that nonsense, here is really what I’ve been thinking about. You can have all of the bottled water, food and batteries in the world but it doesn’t help if your are alone. Friends, family and neighbors looking out for one another is what really helped during this emergency. Better health care means or population continues to live longer. More and more people require some type of in-home medical care that relies on electricity. When the power goes out, these people’s health becomes at risk. Checking in on you friends and neighbors with medical conditions during power outages or storms is an important part of everyone getting through tough times.
You can’t underestimate the importance of having working flashlights available. I usually have a small SureFire pocket flashlight on my person and several flashlights throughout the house. Don’t fall victim to letting your flashlights become repositories for dead batteries. Keep fresh batteries in you flashlights by changing them whenever you change your smoke detector batteries.
Ready.gov has good list of items to keep on hand as part of your emergency kits. In addition to water, food and first aid supplies don’t forget about prescription medications and pet food. The time of course to stock up is before and not after the emergency so paying attention to the weather is critical. Keep as much of your supplies in a kit or bag that you can take with you in the event you have to vacate your home.
Make sure you and your family have ways of communicating that doesn’t rely on cellular phones (which work so long as there is power to the towers). You may have a pre-determined rally point where everyone gathers at a pre-agreed time in the event of no communication. In the event you had to leave the area (say due to a chemical hazard), you will need a rally point outside the immediate area as well.
As we get ready for winter, let me mention having a possibles bag. The term comes from Colonial times and a possible bag was a small bag woodsman carried to handle a wide variety of possibilities. A possibles bag is smaller than you home emergency kit but basically address some of the same issues.
A good possibles bag would contain a way of creating fire, a small space blanket, water purification tabs, first aid kit, and a knife. You possibles bag needs to contain those items you would need to survive 24-48 hours without assistance. Other items might be some protein bars, a compass and candles. Don’t make it too big, it needs to be something that you could carry around with you. I recommend keeping it in your car in the event you get stranded in a snow storm.
Basically though, apply what you learned from this emergency to allow you to handle the next one.
Enough of that nonsense, here is really what I’ve been thinking about. You can have all of the bottled water, food and batteries in the world but it doesn’t help if your are alone. Friends, family and neighbors looking out for one another is what really helped during this emergency. Better health care means or population continues to live longer. More and more people require some type of in-home medical care that relies on electricity. When the power goes out, these people’s health becomes at risk. Checking in on you friends and neighbors with medical conditions during power outages or storms is an important part of everyone getting through tough times.
You can’t underestimate the importance of having working flashlights available. I usually have a small SureFire pocket flashlight on my person and several flashlights throughout the house. Don’t fall victim to letting your flashlights become repositories for dead batteries. Keep fresh batteries in you flashlights by changing them whenever you change your smoke detector batteries.
Ready.gov has good list of items to keep on hand as part of your emergency kits. In addition to water, food and first aid supplies don’t forget about prescription medications and pet food. The time of course to stock up is before and not after the emergency so paying attention to the weather is critical. Keep as much of your supplies in a kit or bag that you can take with you in the event you have to vacate your home.
Make sure you and your family have ways of communicating that doesn’t rely on cellular phones (which work so long as there is power to the towers). You may have a pre-determined rally point where everyone gathers at a pre-agreed time in the event of no communication. In the event you had to leave the area (say due to a chemical hazard), you will need a rally point outside the immediate area as well.
As we get ready for winter, let me mention having a possibles bag. The term comes from Colonial times and a possible bag was a small bag woodsman carried to handle a wide variety of possibilities. A possibles bag is smaller than you home emergency kit but basically address some of the same issues.
A good possibles bag would contain a way of creating fire, a small space blanket, water purification tabs, first aid kit, and a knife. You possibles bag needs to contain those items you would need to survive 24-48 hours without assistance. Other items might be some protein bars, a compass and candles. Don’t make it too big, it needs to be something that you could carry around with you. I recommend keeping it in your car in the event you get stranded in a snow storm.
Basically though, apply what you learned from this emergency to allow you to handle the next one.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Disaster response or stopping terrorists?
The local news is alternating between the Bengals lackluster performance and the Presidential elections. I’ve done my rant on the Bengals for now, so I thought the Presidential elections might bear some fruit.
Other bloggers are criticizing their candidate of choice based on the major issues; the economy, the war, the lack of experience of whichever candidate has caught the particular bloggers ire. Instead I tried to focus on a narrow view, what are the candidates saying about homeland security and emergency management?
On Senator Obama’s website, I found this “In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, improving our nation's emergency planning and response capacity has become a priority for Senator Obama. He introduced legislation to ensure that the mistakes witnessed before and after Katrina are not repeated in the future.” The rest is devoted to positions on homeland security including chemical plant security, transit security (subways and buses), nuclear waste and drinking water safety. I take this to mean Department of Homeland Security, and also FEMA, would continue much as they do today under his administration.
Senator Biden echoes much the same. He wants to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 commission. After reading several books on the 9/11 commission and how it was conducted, I’m not certain these recommendations are as bi-partisan as advertised.
On Senator McCain website, he doesn’t mention disaster response or emergency management. Talking points are given for national security and border security. I was somewhat surprised not to find anything about homeland security. I’m not sure what this means for the Department of Homeland Security should Senator McCain become President. It is hard from his website to gauge the impact of his Presidency on the Federal Emergency Management agency.
Governor Palin should probably have the most experience in state emergency management issues but as yet, I have not seen her thoughts on emergency management or homeland security. Alaska does not have the types of emergencies seen in states such as California or Florida. She may not have had time in only two years to have experienced a statewide emergency.
For something different, I saw Cynthia McKinney (who is running on the Green Party platform) campaign bullets on “On The Issues” website (http://ontheissues.org) . She has perhaps the most to say on the topic: she demands the end of the rollback to civil liberties, did her PhD thesis on the role of assassination as a state political tool, and opposes the Patriot Act.
What does this all mean? FEMA, now under DHS, has to demonstrate its role in protecting the homeland from terrorist attack. The shift concerns those in the emergency management field as they see this emphasis taking away from the humanitarian role. Whoever is the next President will have to figure out if they want to continue the emphasis homeland security or go back to disaster response. The former leaves a lot of communities out of the hunt for federal grants while the latter would create more opportunities for communities to compete for federal dollars. Of course, all disasters are local and the next administration could use that axiom of emergency management to cut federal funding.
Other bloggers are criticizing their candidate of choice based on the major issues; the economy, the war, the lack of experience of whichever candidate has caught the particular bloggers ire. Instead I tried to focus on a narrow view, what are the candidates saying about homeland security and emergency management?
On Senator Obama’s website, I found this “In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, improving our nation's emergency planning and response capacity has become a priority for Senator Obama. He introduced legislation to ensure that the mistakes witnessed before and after Katrina are not repeated in the future.” The rest is devoted to positions on homeland security including chemical plant security, transit security (subways and buses), nuclear waste and drinking water safety. I take this to mean Department of Homeland Security, and also FEMA, would continue much as they do today under his administration.
Senator Biden echoes much the same. He wants to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 commission. After reading several books on the 9/11 commission and how it was conducted, I’m not certain these recommendations are as bi-partisan as advertised.
On Senator McCain website, he doesn’t mention disaster response or emergency management. Talking points are given for national security and border security. I was somewhat surprised not to find anything about homeland security. I’m not sure what this means for the Department of Homeland Security should Senator McCain become President. It is hard from his website to gauge the impact of his Presidency on the Federal Emergency Management agency.
Governor Palin should probably have the most experience in state emergency management issues but as yet, I have not seen her thoughts on emergency management or homeland security. Alaska does not have the types of emergencies seen in states such as California or Florida. She may not have had time in only two years to have experienced a statewide emergency.
For something different, I saw Cynthia McKinney (who is running on the Green Party platform) campaign bullets on “On The Issues” website (http://ontheissues.org) . She has perhaps the most to say on the topic: she demands the end of the rollback to civil liberties, did her PhD thesis on the role of assassination as a state political tool, and opposes the Patriot Act.
What does this all mean? FEMA, now under DHS, has to demonstrate its role in protecting the homeland from terrorist attack. The shift concerns those in the emergency management field as they see this emphasis taking away from the humanitarian role. Whoever is the next President will have to figure out if they want to continue the emphasis homeland security or go back to disaster response. The former leaves a lot of communities out of the hunt for federal grants while the latter would create more opportunities for communities to compete for federal dollars. Of course, all disasters are local and the next administration could use that axiom of emergency management to cut federal funding.
Friday, December 21, 2007
More Thoughts on Disaster Preparedness
FEMA Region X Administrator Susan Reinertson posted some excellent suggestions on preparing for disasters. She is responsible for coordination FEMA mitigation, preparedness and disaster response and recovery activities in four states in the northwest --
- Create family disaster communications plans - and schedule biannual practices.
- Install smoke detectors, freshen batteries and mark your calendar for routine inspections.
- Keep serviceable fire extinguishers in kitchens, garages, risk areas and autos.
- Re-evaluate flood insurance coverage to make sure it is adequate to your current needs. If you don't have flood insurance, get some!
- Consider back-up generators, but be sure to provide for safe operation.
- Buy a NOAA Weather Radio.
- Build Pet Disaster Kits (food, water, leashes, dishes and carrying case or crate).
- Teach all responsible family members how to shut off water, gas and power in case of emergencies.
- Stock emergency supplies for 72-hour independent action-and rotate stock to keep supplies fresh.
- Stock or restock disaster kits for home, office and auto (first aid kits, food, water and prescription medications for 72 hours, extra clothing, blankets, flashlights).
The communications plan is perhaps one of the most important things you can do. In the event of an emergency, you need to be able to notify your family members who may be at work or at school. Cell phones and other personal communication devices allow for a quick text message to be sent letting everyone know what is going on. You need to have a plan both to warn family members of impending danger or to let them know you status should you find yourself in the middle of a disaster. Texting seems to be second nature to those under 30, if you are older you may find it difficult at first. Texting has advantages over a voice message as it is succinct and doesn’t require much bandwith. You can have pre-canned messages on your phone or you can use something like Twitter to forward one text message to all of your family members.
New batteries in your smoke detector and flashlights should be done twice a year at the minimum. Many experts recommend during around the time when we switch between daylight savings time and standard time. Even so, I bet any number of readers have flashlights with dead batteries or smoke detectors with batteries that are running out. Take the time to maintain these important pieces of emergency preparedness equipment. If you haven’t had to buy a flashlight lately, many now come equipped with argon or LED bulbs which are many times brighter than older incandescent bulbs. These can provide excellent emergency lighting. There are many excellent pocket flashlights with similar bulbs that produce amazing candle-power for their size. These lights are easy to keep on your person at all times.
Fire extinguishers are one of those ubiquitous pieces of equipment that you should have on hand but many do not. Make sure you have fire extinguishers at a minimum in your kitchen, garage and automobile. Check to make sure your fire extinguisher is current and easily accessible. If you have use a fire extinguisher, remember the acronym P.A.S.S. which stands for
Pull the pin
Aim at the base of the fire
Squeeze the lever
Sweep from side to side
Insurance, especially flood coverage, needs to be reevaluated from time to time. People tend to overlook their insurance as their families and possessions change. Not does this risk having too little insurance in the event of a disaster, it also may mean paying more than you actually need. Flood and earthquake coverage are two that many people overlook unless they live near water or around an active fault line. However, all homeowner should check to make sure their coverage is appropriate to their locality. Many who live in
Back-up generators are always something to think about. Especially if you live in an area with an energy co-op, getting damaged power lines or transformers back on line take time. Homes with electric furnaces definitely want to consider back up power even if power outages are rare. If you do decide to have an back-up generator, make sure that it is regularly serviced and checked. You need to make sure the generator is fueled and ready for use on a moment’s notice. You will be surprised at the number of commercial properties that have back-up generators that are empty!
Regarding a NOAA radio, you may want to consider one with a hand-crank for power. There are several on the market but my choice is the Eton FR400. It is weather resistant and receives AM/FM radio, TV bands (2-12) as well as NOAA weather stations. It is relatively inexpensive and will allow you to keep up on news and other emergency messages during a disaster.
If you own pets, you certainly need to consider their needs as well. Keep an emergency supply of their food on hand as well as additional water for your pets. Develop a plan for how you will travel with your pet in the event you have to evacuate your home for another location. In the event of an evacuation, make sure you and the rest of your family know how to shut off water, gas, and power. The rest of Ms. Reinertson’s list was covered in an earlier blog. I would just recommend that you have the necessary prescription medication on hand BEFORE you need to evacuate and remember some medications require refrigeration. You can get a small travel cooler that plugs into you care cigarette lighter so you don’t have to worry about getting ice before leaving the area.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)