Disaster Preparedness and Response

Comment

Comment by Robert Michael Buser on May 17, 2010 at 10:33am

Local phone books sometimes carry emergency information or contact your local/county emergency mananagement office. Sirens are only an "Outdoor Warning" system to alert individuals to go inside and seek additional information (TV, Radio, Weather Radio). Using multiple or redundent systems helps to ensure notifications reach the target audience. Doing a personnal hazard risk assessment of your new location will also ensure your preparation efforts are prudent.

Comment by Dawn Rodriguez on May 14, 2010 at 7:45pm

Hello all, Moving from a Hurricane Prone area of the US gave me a false sense of security. Now I live in an area that is frequented by tornado's. It was amazing that something as simple as a tornado siren can be misunderstood. I thought once the siren went off it meant things were "all clear". What type of experiences have you had where you did not understand how a warning actually worked?

Comment by Kevin Gilbert on July 1, 2009 at 6:19pm

Dawn the commentary on water quality was very useful! However when it comes to bleaches, Iodine, and any of this stuff I prefer a Water filter such as the Katadyn Combi with a Carbon element or just simply advanced preparedness by stocking bottled water. Also the product known as "POTABLE AQUA" contains both the iodine with instructions, and the nutilizer. I would use the filter, then boil when possible, then iodine for 30-40 minutes, then filter the water with the Carbon element to remove the iodine.

Also important when camping or drinking water from outdoor sources, running water is better than static, and a Carbon element also filters out Industrial Polutants!

Comment by Dawn Rodriguez on July 1, 2009 at 2:49pm

When disaster strikes and an evacuation has occured, sometimes it's hard to keep up where you family members have gone. American Red Cross has a place where you or your family can post their where abouts. Please see the following site. It would be a good piece of information to have with your emergency contacts. https://disastersafe.redcross.org/

Comment by Randall Veatch on April 8, 2009 at 10:11pm

Securall has developed a shelter that has been certified by NTA testing for a FEMA designed shelter

Comment by Dawn Rodriguez on September 12, 2008 at 8:29am

Emergency Drinking Water

http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/faq/emerg.html

ONLY USE WATER THAT HAS BEEN PROPERLY DISINFECTED FOR DRINKING, COOKING, MAKING ANY PREPARED DRINK, OR FOR BRUSHING TEETH.


Filter murky or colored water through clean cloths or allow it to settle. It is better to both settle and filter.

Boiling is the surest method to make water safe to drink and kill disease-causing microorganisms like Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium, which are frequently found in rivers and lakes.
To improve the flat taste of boiled water, aerate it by pouring it back and forth from one container to another and allow it to stand for a few hours, or add a pinch of salt for each quart or liter of water boiled.

When boiling is not practical, certain chemicals will kill most harmful or disease-causing organisms. Chlorine (in the form of unscented bleach) and iodine are the two chemicals commonly used to treat water.

You can use a non-scented, household chlorine bleach that contains a chlorine compound to disinfect water. (Remember, 1/8 teaspoon and 8 drops are about the same quantity.) ** Please note that many sites also say 16 drops of bleach.. It depends on the percentage of chlorine in the container.- Dawn** You can use tincture of iodine to disinfect filtered and settled water. Common household iodine from the medicine chest or first aid kit may be used to disinfect water.

** More detailed....If you don't have bottled water, you should boil water to make it safe. Boiling water will kill most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for boiling. Boil the water for one minute, let it cool, and store it in clean containers with covers.
If you can't boil water, you can disinfect it using household bleach. Bleach will kill some, but not all, types of disease-causing organisms that may be in the water. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for disinfection. Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Store disinfected water in clean containers with covers.

Tincture of iodine. For cloudy water add ten drops and let the solution stand for at least 30 minutes.