Emergency
& First Aid articles - page index
EARTHQUAKES
Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently
and without warning. Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance
planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from
an earthquake.
BEFORE Check for hazards in the home.
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Fasten shelves securely to walls.
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Place large or heavy objects on lower
shelves.
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Store breakable items such as bottled
foods, glass, and china in low, closed cabinets with latches.
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Hang heavy items such as pictures and
mirrors away from beds, couches, and anywhere people sit.
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Brace overhead light fixtures.
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Repair defective electrical wiring and
leaky gas connections. These are potential fire risks.
-
Secure a water heater by strapping it
to the wall studs and bolting it to the floor.
-
Repair any deep cracks in ceilings or
foundations. Get expert advice if there are signs of structural defects.
-
Store weed killers, pesticides, and
flammable products securely in closed cabinets with latches and on bottom
shelves.
Identify safe places in each room.
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Under sturdy furniture such as a heavy
desk or table.
-
Against an inside wall.
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Away from where glass could shatter
around windows, mirrors, pictures, or where heavy bookcases or other heavy
furniture could fall over.
Locate safe places outdoors.
In the open, away from buildings,
trees, telephone and electrical lines, overpasses, or elevated expressways.
Make sure all family members know
how to respond after an earthquake.
Teach all family members how and
when to turn off gas, electricity, and water.
Teach children how and when to call
9-1-1, police, or fire department and which radio station to tune to for
emergency information.
Contact your local emergency management
office or American Red Cross chapter for more information on earthquakes.
Have disaster supplies on hand.
-
Flashlight and extra batteries
-
Portable battery-operated radio and
extra batteries
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First aid kit and manual
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Emergency food and water
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Nonelectric can opener
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Essential medicines
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Cash and credit cards
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Sturdy shoes
Develop an emergency communication plan.
In case family members are separated
from one another during an earthquake (a real possibility during the day
when adults are at work and children are at school), develop a plan for
reuniting after the disaster.
Ask an out-of-state relative or friend
to serve as the "family contact." After a disaster, it's often easier to
call long distance. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address,
and phone number of the contact person.
DURING If indoors:
-
Take cover under a piece of heavy furniture
or against an inside wall and hold on.
-
Stay inside.
-
The most dangerous thing to do during
the shaking of an earthquake is to try to leave the building because objects
can fall on you.
If outdoors:
-
Move into the open, away from buildings,
street lights, and utility wires.
-
Once in the open, stay there until the
shaking stops.
If in a moving vehicle:
-
Stop quickly and stay in the vehicle.
-
Move to a clear area away from buildings,
trees, overpasses, or utility wires.
-
Once the shaking has stopped, proceed
with caution. Avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged by the
quake.
Pets after an Earthquake
-
The behavior of pets may change dramatically
after an earthquake. Normally quiet and friendly cats and dogs may become
aggressive or defensive. Watch animals closely. Leash dogs and place them
in a fenced yard.
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Pets may not be allowed into shelters
for health and space reasons. Prepare an emergency pen for pets in the
home that includes a 3-day supply of dry food and a large container of
water.
AFTER Be prepared for aftershocks.
Although smaller than the main shock,
aftershocks cause additional damage and maybring weakened structures down.
Aftershocks can occur in the first hours, days, weeks, or even months after
the quake.
Help injured or trapped persons.
Give first aid where appropriate.
Do not move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger
of further injury. Call for help.
Listen to a battery-operated radio
or television for the latest emergency information.
Remember to help your neighbors who
may require special assistance--infants, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Stay out of damaged buildings. Return
home only when authorities say it is safe.
-
Use the telephone only for emergency
calls.
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Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches
or gasoline or other flammable liquids immediately. Leave the area if you
smell gas or fumes from other chemicals.
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Open closet and cupboard doors cautiously.
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Inspect the entire length of chimneys
carefully for damage. Unnoticed damage could lead to a fire.
INSPECTING UTILITIES IN A DAMAGED HOME
Check for gas leaks--If you smell gas or hear blowing or hissing noise,
open a window and quickly leave the building. Turn off the gas at the outside
main valve if you can and call the gas company from a neighbor's home.
If you turn off the gas for any reason, it must be turned back on by a
professional.
Look for electrical system damage--If
you see sparks or broken or frayed wires, or if you smell hot insulation,
turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker. If you
have to step in water to get to the fuse box or circuit breaker, call an
electrician first for advice.
Check for sewage and water lines
damage--If you suspect sewage lines are damaged, avoid using the toilets
and call a plumber. If water pipes are damaged, contact the water company
and avoid using water from the tap. You can obtain safe water by melting
ice cubes.
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Emergency
Food and Water Supplies
If an earthquake, hurricane, winter
storm or other disaster ever strikes your community, you might not have
access to food, water and electricity for days, or even weeks. By taking
a little time now to store emergency food and water supplies, you can provide
for your entire family.
This brochure was developed by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency's Community and Family Preparedness
Programs which provides information to help families prepare for all types
of disasters.
WATER: THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY
Stocking water reserves and learning
how to purify contaminated water should be among your top priorities in
preparing for an emergency. You should store at least a two-week supply
of water for each member of your family. Everyone's needs will differ,
depending upon age, physical condition, activity, diet and climate. A normally
active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot
environments can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers and ill
people will need more. You will need additional water for food preparation
and hygiene. Store a total of at least one gallon per person, per day.
If your supplies begin to run low,
remember: Never ration water. Drink the amount you need today, and try
to find more for tomorrow. You can minimize the amount of water your body
needs by reducing activity and staying cool.
How to Store Emergency Water Supplies
You can store your water in thoroughly
washed plastic, glass, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers. Never
use a container that has held toxic substances, because tiny amounts may
remain in the container's pores. Sound plastic containers, such as soft
drink bottles, are best. You can also purchase food-grade plastic buckets
or drums.
Before storing your water, treat
it with a preservative, such as chlorine bleach, to prevent the growth
of microorganisms. Use liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium
hypochlorite and no soap. Some containers warn, "Not For Personal Use."
You can disregard these warnings if the label states sodium hypochlorite
is the only active ingredient and if you use only the small quantities
in these instructions.
Add four drops of bleach per quart
of water (or two scant teaspoons per 10 gallons), and stir. Seal your water
containers tightly, label them and store them in a cool, dark place.
Hidden Water Sources in Your Home
If a disaster catches you without
a stored supply of clean water, you can use water in your hot-water tank,
in your plumbing and in ice cubes. As a last resort, you can use water
in the reservoir tank of your toilet (not the bowl), but purify it first
(described later).
Water beds hold up to 400 gallons,
but some water beds contain toxic chemicals that are not fully removed
by many purifiers. If you designate a water bed in your home as an emergency
resource, drain it yearly and refill it with fresh water containing two
ounces of bleach per 120 gallons.
To use the water in your pipes, let
air into the plumbing by turning on the highest faucet in your house and
draining the water from the lowest one.
To use the water in your hot-water
tank, be sure the electricity or gas is off, and open the drain at the
bottom of the tank. Start the water flowing by turning off the water intake
valve and turning on a hot-water faucet. Do not turn on the gas or electricity
when the tank is empty.
Do you know the location of your
incoming water valve? You'll need to shut if off to stop contaminated water
from entering your home if you hear reports of broken water or sewage lines.
Emergency Outdoor Water Sources
If you need to seek water outside
your home, you can use these sources. But purify the water before drinking
it.
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Rainwater
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Streams, rivers and other moving bodies
of water
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Ponds and lakes
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Natural springs
Avoid water with floating material,
an odor or dark color. Use saltwater only if you distill it first (described
later).
Three Easy Ways to Purify Water
In addition to having a bad odor
and taste, contaminated water can contain microorganisms that cause diseases
such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis. You should therefore
purify all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food
preparation or hygiene.
There are many ways to purify water.
None are perfect. Often the best solution is a combination of methods.
Before purifying, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom, or
strain them through layers of paper towel or clean cloth.
Three easy purification methods are
outlined below. These measures will kill microbes but will not remove other
contaminants such as heavy metals, salts, most other chemicals and radioactive
fallout.
Boiling is the safest method of purifying
water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 10 minutes, keeping in mind that
some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking.
Boiled water will taste better if
you put oxygen back into it by pouring it back and forth between two containers.
This will also improve the taste of stored water.
Chlorination uses liquid chlorine
bleach to kill microorganisms. (See page 1 for bleach safety information.)
Add two drops of bleach per quart of water (four drops if the water is
cloudy), stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not taste
and smell of chlorine at that point, add another dose and let stand another
15 minutes.
If you do not have a dropper, use
a spoon and a square-ended strip of paper or thin cloth about 1/4 inch
by 2 inches. Put the strip in the spoon with an end hanging down about
1/2 inch below the scoop of the spoon. Place bleach in the spoon and carefully
tip it. Drops the size of those from a medicine dropper will drip off the
end of the strip.
Purification tablets release chlorine
or iodine. They are inexpensive and available at most sporting goods stores
and some drugstores. Follow the package directions. Usually one tablet
is enough for one quart of water. Double the dose for cloudy water.
More Rigorous Purification Methods
While the three methods described
above will remove only microbes from water, the following two purification
methods will remove other contaminants. Distillation will remove microbes,
heavy metals, salts, most other chemicals, and radioactive dust and dirt,
called radioactive fallout. Filtering will also remove radioactive fallout.
(Water itself cannot become radioactive, but it can be contaminated by
radioactive fallout. It is unsafe to drink water that contains radioactive
fallout.)
Distillation involves boiling water
and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed
vapor will not include salt and other impurities. To distill, fill a pot
halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot's lid so that the
cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the
cup is not dangling into the water) and boil the water for 20 minutes.
The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.
To make a fallout filter, punch holes
in the bottom of a large bucket, and put a layer of gravel in the bucket
about 1-1/2 inches high. Cover the gravel with a towel cut in a circle
slightly larger than the bucket. Cover soil with a towel, place the filter
over a large container, and pour contaminated water through. Then, disinfect
the filtered water using one of the methods described above. Change the
soil in your filter after every 50 quarts of water.
Family Disaster Supply Kit
It's 2:00 a.m. and a flash flood
forces you to evacuate your home--fast. There's no time to gather food
from the kitchen, fill bottles with water, grab a first-aid kit from the
closet and snatch a flashlight and a portable radio from the bedroom. You
need to have these items packed and ready in one place before disaster
hits.
Pack at least a three-day supply
of food and water, and store it in a handy place. Choose foods that are
easy to carry, nutritious and ready-to-eat. In addition, pack these emergency
items:
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Medical supplies and first aid manual
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Hygiene supplies
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Portable radio, flashlights and extra
batteries
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Shovel and other useful tools
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Money and matches in a waterproof container
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Fire extinguisher
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Blanket and extra clothing
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Infant and small children's needs (if
appropriate)
FOOD: PREPARING AN EMERGENCY SOTCKPILE
If activity is reduced, healthy people
can survive on half their usual food intake for an extended period and
without any food for many days. Food, unlike water, may be rationed safely,
except for children and pregnant women.
If your water supply is limited,
try to avoid foods that are high in fat and protein, and don't stock salty
foods, since they will make you thirsty. Try to eat salt-free crackers,
whole grain cereals and canned foods with high liquid content.
You don't need to go out and buy
unfamiliar foods to prepare an emergency food supply. You can use the canned
foods, dry mixes and other staples on your cupboard shelves. In fact, familiar
foods are important. They can lift morale and give a feeling of security
in time of stress. Also, canned foods won't require cooking, water or special
preparation. Following are recommended short-term and long-term food storage
plans.
Storage Tips
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Keep food in the driest and coolest
spot in the house--a dark area if possible.
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Keep food covered at all times.
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Open food boxes or cans carefully so
that you can close them tightly after each use.
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Wrap cookies and crackers in plastic
bags, and keep them in tight containers.
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Empty opened packages of sugar, dried
fruits and nuts into screw-top jars or air-tight cans to protect them from
pests.
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Inspect all food containers for signs
of spoilage before use.
Short-Term Food Supplies
Even though it is unlikely that an
emergency would cut off your food supply for two weeks, you should prepare
a supply that will last that long. A two-week supply can relieve a great
deal of inconvenience and uncertainty until services are restored.
The easiest way to develop a two-week
stockpile is to increase the amount of basic foods you normally keep on
your shelves. Remember to compensate for the amount you eat from other
sources (such as restaurants) during an average two-week period.
You may already have a two-week supply
of food on hand. Keeping it fresh is simple. Just rotate your supply once
or twice a year.
Special Considerations to Keep in
Mind
As you stock food, take into account
your family's unique needs and tastes. Try to include foods that they will
enjoy and that are also high in calories and nutrition. Foods that require
no refrigeration, preparation or cooking are best.
Individuals with special diets and
allergies will need particular attention, as will babies, toddlers and
the elderly. Nursing mothers may need liquid formula, in case they are
unable to nurse. Canned dietetic foods, juices and soups may be helpful
for the ill or elderly.
Make sure you have a can opener and
disposable utensils. And don't forget nonperishable foods for your pets.
How to Store Your Short-Term Stockpile
Keep canned foods in a dry place
where the temperature is fairly cool--not above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and
not below freezing. To protect boxed foods from pests and extend their
shelf life, store the boxes in tightly closed cans or metal containers.
Rotate your food supply. Use foods
before they go bad, and replace them with fresh supplies, dated with ink
or marker. Place new items at the back of the storage area and older ones
in front.
Your emergency food supply should
be of the highest quality possible. Inspect your reserves periodically
to make sure there are no broken seals or dented containers.
How to Cook if the Power Goes Out
For emergency cooking you can use
a fireplace, or a charcoal grill or camp stove outdoors only. You can also
heat food with candle warmers, chafing dishes and fondue pots. Canned food
can be eaten right out of the can. If you heat it in the can, be sure to
open the can and remove the label first.
Long-Term Food Supplies
In the unlikely event of a military
attack or some other national disaster, you may need long-term emergency
food supplies. The best approach is to store large amounts of staples along
with a variety of canned and dried foods. Bulk quantities of wheat, corn,
beans and salt are inexpensive and have nearly unlimited shelf life. If
necessary, you could survive for years on small daily amounts of these
staples. Stock the following amounts per person, per month: Wheat--20 pounds
Powdered Milk(for babies and infants)*--
20 pounds
Corn--20 pounds
Iodized Salt--1 pound
Soybeans--10 pounds
Vitamin C**--15 grams
* Buy in nitrogen-packed cans
** Rotate every two years
Storage and Preparation of Food Supplies
Store wheat, corn and beans in sealed
cans or plastic buckets. Buy powdered milk in nitrogen-packed cans. And
leave salt and vitamin C in their original packages.
If these staples comprise your entire
menu, you must eat all of them together to stay healthy. To avoid serious
digestive problems, you'll need to grind the corn and wheat into flour
and cook them, as well as boil the beans, before eating. Many health food
stores sell hand-cranked grain mills or can tell you where you can get
one. Make sure you buy one that can grind corn. If you are caught without
a mill, you can grind your grain by filling a large can with whole grain
one inch deep, holding the can on the ground between your feet and pounding
the grain with a pipe.
Nutrition Tips
In a crisis, it will be vital that
you maintain your strength. So remember:
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Eat at least one well-balanced meal
each day.
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Drink enough liquid to enable your body
to function properly (two quarts a day).
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Take in enough calories to enable you
to do any necessary work.
-
Include vitamin, mineral and protein
supplements in your stockpile to assure adequate nutrition.
Shelf Life of Foods for Storage
Here are some general guidelines
for rotating common emergency foods.
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Use within six months:
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Powdered milk (boxed)
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Dried fruit (in metal container)
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Dry, crisp crackers (in metal container)
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Potatoes
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Use within one year:
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Canned condensed meat and vegetable
soups
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Canned fruits, fruit juices and vegetables
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Ready-to-eat cereals and uncooked instant
cereals (in metal containers)
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Peanut butter
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Jelly
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Hard candy, chocolate bars and canned
nuts
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May be stored indefinitely (in proper
containers and conditions):
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Wheat
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Vegetable oils
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Corn
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Baking powder
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Soybeans
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Instant coffee, tea
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Vitamin C
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and cocoa
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Salt
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Noncarbonated soft drinks
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White rice
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Bouillon products
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Dry pasta
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Powdered milk (in nitrogen-packed cans)
Ways to Supplement Your Long-Term Stockpile
The above staples offer a limited
menu, but you can supplement them with commercially packed air-dried or
freeze-dried foods and supermarket goods. Rice, popcorn and varieties of
beans are nutritious and long-lasting. The more supplements you include,
the more expensive your stockpile will be.
Following is an easy approach to
long-term food storage:
-
Buy a supply of the bulk staples listed
above.
-
Build up your everyday stock of canned
goods until you have a two-week to one-month surplus. Rotate it periodically
to maintain a supply of common foods that will not require special preparation,
water or cooking.
-
From a sporting or camping equipment
store, buy commercially packaged, freeze-dried or air-dried foods. Although
costly, this will be your best form of stored meat, so buy accordingly.
If the Electricity Goes Off... FIRST,
use perishable food and foods from the refrigerator.
THEN use the foods from the freezer.
To minimize the number of times you open the freezer door, post a list
of freezer contents on it. In a well-filled, well-insulated freezer, foods
will usually still have ice crystals in their centers (meaning foods are
safe to eat) for at least three days.
FINALLY, begin to use non-perishable
foods and staples.
