Easy Ways to Help Prepare Your Family for Disasters April 16, 2015
Picture This A hurricane is heading up the coast Do you: Know how to get in touch with your family to ensure everyone is safe? Have enough emergency supplies for each family member? Have your documents and valuables in a secure location in case your property sustains damage? 2
Campaign Overview 3
Featured Presenters 1. Shelle Wells, Preparedness Mama, http://preparednessmama.com/ 2. Erica Mueller, Mom Prepares, http://momprepares.com/ 3. Tanya Ferraro, Bigger than Myself, https://biggerthanmyself.wordpress.com/ 4. Shelly Lopez-Gray, Adventures of a Labor Nurse, http://adventuresofalabornurse.com/ 4
Easy Ways to Help Prepare Your Family for Disasters Today s Agenda Topics 1. Shelle Wells: Assemble/update emergency supplies 2. Erica Mueller: Collect and safeguard critical documents 3. Tanya Ferraro: Develop and test emergency communications plans 4. Shelly Lopez-Gray: How pregnant women and parents with infants can get prepared 5. Allison Carlock: Conclusion and next steps 6. Everyone: Let s chat session (Q&A) 5
Assembling & Updating Emergency Supplies Shelle Wells, Presenter http://preparednessmama.com/
What is an Emergency Supplies Kit? The purpose of gathering emergency supplies is to provide Basic needs Comfort Peace of mind Convenience (Portable and easy to - Grab & Go) Ready before you need it Each kit is different Spread out the supplies Kits should be updated twice a year http://preparednessmama.com/emergency-supplies 7
Basic Emergency Kit Supplies Emergency Kit Supplies Water - 1 gallon per person / per day for 3 days Food - 3 day supply of nonperishable food, can opener Radio Hand crank / Battery powered with NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both Flashlight and extra batteries First aid kit http://preparednessmama.com/emergency-supplies 8
Extra Supplies to Consider Extra pair of glasses Prescription medications 3 Days clothing Personal sanitation items Work gloves Dust mask Extra batteries Wrench or pliers Cell phone charger Local maps Whistle Information - a full copy of family plan and vital information Emergency numbers written down http://preparednessmama.com/emergency-supplies 9
Packaging - How Will You Carry It? Kits should be geared to the individual and grow with them Backpack Suitcase with rollers Plastic Tub Vest for kids (fishing vest with 26 pockets) http://preparednessmama.com/emergency-supplies 10
Question For Shelle? What fun things did you do with your family when assembling your emergency supply kit? 11
Safeguarding Your Family s Important Documents Erica Mueller, Presenter http://momprepares.com
Why Should I Worry About Documents? Disasters happen, and when they do, our fragile papers don t stand a chance. Papers you NEED could be Blown away by strong winds; Picked up by the wrong people; and Destroyed. Gather and safeguard them. Know where they are when you need them. 13
Which Documents Should I Safeguard? Birth Certificates, Social Security Numbers and Passports Homeowner/Rental Insurance and Car Insurance Medical information, Prescriptions and Health/Life Insurance Home and Vehicle Titles Important Contacts/Address Book Wills and other Legal Documents 14
How to Safeguard Your Documents Back everything up Keep a hard copy off-site in a safe Use a small fireproof safe for originals 15
Question For Erica? What was the biggest challenge you experienced when gathering your critical documents? 16
Talking It Out: Maintaining Communication with the Ones You Love (and also probably like) Tanya Ferraro, Presenter https://biggerthanmyself.wordpress.com/
Staying Connected is Important 18
What s Your Plan To Stay Connected? Effective plans are: Redundant Well-equipped Well-known Informed: Risks and Disaster Effects 19
Now Test It! Practice responses Text: Are you okay?/ruok? Respond: I m okay/imok Have a family drill Example: Family communication drill! Call your outof- town contact to check in for dinner by 6 p.m. Share the menu with them, track responses Share information Potential weather hazards Notable events IMOK! Remind to charge phones and check contact lists Exercise your plan once a month! RUOK? 20
Question For Tanya? What do you think is the best format for a family communications plan (i.e. written, verbal)? 21
Preparing for Disaster While Pregnant Shelly Lopez-Gray, Presenter http://adventuresofalabornurse.com/
Preparing for a Disaster While Pregnant The first step to prepare for a disaster is to HAVE A PLAN Keep important documents with you, including copies of Up-to-date prenatal records; Immunizations; and Immunization records of your children with you. Have the names and numbers of physicians or hospitals at your planned evacuation location. 23
Preparing for a Disaster while Pregnant If you think you are in labor go to the nearest hospital. If you are at a shelter, immediately notify them that you are pregnant and get information about the location of hospitals in the area. Bring medications with you, including prenatal vitamins and prescriptions enough to last about two weeks. 24
Preparing for a Disaster while Pregnant Download a Pregnancy Disaster Card http://adventuresofalabornurse.co m/2014/06/01/preparing-fordisaster-while-pregnant/. Review the Pregnancy Disaster Card with your physician, midwife, or nurse. Keep your Pregnancy Disaster Card with you at all times. Be aware of signs of mental health distress. 25
Preparing for a Disaster with a Newborn The safest food for an infant is breastmilk. It is readily available It protects against infections diseases, especially diarrhea and respiratory illnesses There may not be clean drinking water It may be impossible to ensure sterilization of feeding utensils Visit http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-healthinitiatives/children-and-disasters/documents/infantnutritiondisaster.pdf for more information on Infant Nutrition During a Disaster from the American Academy of Pediatrics 26
Question For Shelly? What s the biggest takeaway you would like to stress for new parents and those expecting? 27
Ways to Participate
Contact For questions about America s PrepareAthon!, contact: Email: PrepareAthon@fema.dhs.gov Website: www.ready.gov/prepare Twitter: @PrepareAthon #PrepareAthon. 29
Contact Shelle Wells Reach Out to the Presenters Website: http://preparednessmama.com/ Twitter: @PreparednessMa Erica Mueller Website: http://momprepares.com/ Twitter: @MomPrepares Tanya Ferraro Website: https://biggerthanmyself.wordpress.com Twitter: @tjlasagna Shelly Lopez-Gray Website: http://adventuresofalabornurse.com/ Twitter: @shellylopezgray 30
Lets Chat (Q&A)! Instructions: Type your responses into the chat box on your computer screen Think about all the preparedness actions we discussed during our webinar. Have you practiced some of these actions with your family already? How can you apply this information to yourself and your family? What are some preparedness tips you would like to share with us? 31