Emergency Readiness

We all need to be prepared for natural and man-made disasters which may temporarily cause us to leave our homes.  What follows are suggestions the SSCPC believes will better prepare for the temporary evacuation of your home:


Practices & Procedures

• Gather important documents--passports, IDs, Soc. Sec. cards, insurance documents, etc.--for each family member
• Have medical history and medical consent forms for each member of your family
• Have personal contact info, emergency services numbers for doctors, veterinarians, road assistance, etc. handy
• Store one gallon of water (for drinking & sanitization), per person, per day, for 3 days--if possible, store water in car
• Also have water packed for readiness/"go" bags [see description below]
• Ask an out-of-area friend or relative to be the emergency contact person after a disaster
• Using the above information, create emergency response cards for each family member (especially kids)
• Create at least one first aid kit [contents to be described below]
• Designate one adult to get first aid kit when evacuating home
• Ensure you have extra home and vehicle keys
• Choose a location where each family member will meet after a disaster in case you are separated from each other
• Practice evacuating your home and meeting at your designated reunification location
• Practice/drill family members in stop-drop-roll (fire safety) and duck-cover-hold (earthquake safety) techniques
• Teach family members how to use a fire extinguisher
• Create a readiness/"go" bag for each family member as well as one for pets [contents to be described below]
• Keep recent photos of family members (yourself, kids, pets, spouse) in "go" bags for re-identification purposes
• Put each child's emergency response card in her/his "go" bag

Suggested Contents for a Readiness/"Go" Bag

• Each bag should be brightly colored and/or marked with high-visibility tape
• Each bag should be marked with person's name
• Each bag should be stowed under a bed or a near a bedroom door for quick access
• Each bag should contain photos of that person as well as her/his family members
• Paper, pencil, and pen--kept in resealable plastic bag
• Small flashlight (preferably hand-crank/solar-powered) and batteries--kept in resealable bag
• One roll of toilet paper--kept in resealable plastic bag
• At least 6 empty waterproof bags (for waste disposable)
• Medications--enough for three days
• Eye glasses; hearing aids and hearing aid batteries
• Dust mask 
• Small bottle of hand sanitizer
• Toothbrush, dental floss, toothpaste, and collapsible cup
• Enough high-protein energy bars, packets of nuts, crackers, packaged cheese, and portable dry food for three days
• First Aid/Mylar blanket (prepackaged) and sleeping bag
• One pair of closed-toe shoes; two pairs of socks
• Underwear, three shirts (at least one with full sleeves), two pair of pants, two sweaters, and a foldable rain-proof jacket
• Emergency whistle
• An infant's bag has: clothes, diapers, baby food/formula, moist towelettes, baby powder, rash ointment, etc. for 3 days
• One designated adult's bag should contain a small fire extinguisher
• One designated adult's bag should contain a crescent and pipe wrenches to turn off gas and water lines
• One designated adult's bag should contain a can opener
• One designated adult's bag should contain portable radio (hand-crank/solar) and batteries--kept in resealable bag
• Each adult's bag should contain a cell phone with a solar-powered, hand-crank, and/or car battery-powered inverter
• Each adult's bag should contain a basic multi-tool pocket knife/Swiss Army knife
• Each adult's bag should contain a pair of heavy-duty work gloves
• Each adult's bag should contain a foldable local map and compass
• Each adult's bag should contain candles and waterproof matches (kept in resealable plastic bag)
• Each adult's bag should contain paper (in small bills) and coin money--ATMs may not be available
• Each adult's bag should have at least six 10 ounce bottles of water
• Each child's bag should have at least 3 10 ounce bottles of water
• Each child's bag should have activities (small toys, cards, games, puzzles) to occupy attention
• Pet bags should have at least six 10 ounce bottles of water
• Pet bags should contain can opener and pet food and treats for three days
• Pet bags should contain prepackaged first aid kits for animals

Suggested First Aid Kit Contents (in case of Home Evacuation)

• First aid instruction manual/card
• Copies of medical conditions/histories cards for family members
• Aspirin
• Non-aspirin pain relief (acetaminophen or ibuprofen)
• Disposable latex or other sterile gloves
• Sterile dressings; sterile gauze pads; roll of sterile gauze
• Cotton balls; cotton-tipped swabs (such as Q-Tips)
• Absorbent compress dressings/sanitary napkins
• Medical adhesive tape
• 30 adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes
• Butterfly wound closure bandages
• Insect bite swabs
• Epi-pen (to delivered measured dose of epinephrine/adrenaline)
• Breathing barrier/CPR mask (may be obtained at local Red Cross)
• Bandage scissors
• A pair of sharp-edged tweezers
• Sewing needle or safety pins (for splinter removal)
• Rolled bandages in 3- and 4-inch widths
• Ace bandage (for minor joint sprains)
• Two triangular bandages (may be used as a sling)
• Antiseptic hand cleanser/ hand sanitizer
• Alcohol wipes; antiseptic wipes; small bottle of rubbing alcohol
• Antiseptic cream/ointment, such as Neosporin 
• Antiseptic solution such as hydrogen peroxide (disinfectant, mouth wash, etc.)
• Triple-antibiotic ointment; antibiotic towelettes
• Burn ointment
• Hydrocortisone ointment/cream
• Aloe Vera gel
• Calamine lotion
• Petroleum jelly or other lubricant
• Soap or other cleansing agent (disposable cleansing wipes, for example)
• Eye-wash solution 
• Tooth preservation kit/sterile balanced saline solution (BSS)
• Digital thermometer
• Instant cold packs
• Two tongue depressors/popsicle sticks (for use as finger splints)
• First Aid blanket (aka space or Mylar blanket)