By Nick Diamantides, Staff Writer
According to a recent survey, 79 percent of the people in the United States do not have the basic supplies they would need if a disaster struck in their community. “This is atrocious,” said Margaret Arbini Madonna, Red Cross public support officer. “People are not listening to us.”
Arbini Madonna stressed that too many people are not heeding the lessons learned from the Hurricane Katrina disaster, during which a lot of suffering could have been avoided if people had simple disaster preparedness kits in their homes and cars.
“September is National Disaster Preparedness Month,” said Arbini Madonna. She explained that the Red Cross, governmental agencies and other private organizations are urging the public to take some simple steps that will ready them for earthquakes, fuel or chemical spills, fires, terrorist attacks, hurricanes and any other natural or man-made catastrophe.
“We tell people that at the bare minimum, they need to do three things,” she said. “They need to have disaster preparedness kits, they need to build an evacuation plan, and they need to learn CPR and basic first aid.”
She explained that disaster preparedness kits should be in three places: home, the car and the place of employment. The kits should include a supply of water, batteries, flashlights and light sticks, a small, battery-powered or windup radio, non perishable foods, a manual can opener, eating utensils, comfortable shoes, work gloves, a whistle to let rescuers know where you are, plastic bags to seal broken windows or serve as portable toilets, duct tape, toilet paper, blankets, soap, shampoo, hand sanitizers, toothbrushes, toothpaste and a first-aid kit with tweezers, scissors, bandages, over-the-counter pain relievers and topical antibiotics.
Other items might include food and water for pets, a supply of prescription medication, an extra set of prescription eyeglasses, printed copies of drug prescriptions, insurance papers and photo identification.
Arbini Madonna noted that preparedness kits placed in cars do not have to be as elaborate as the ones in homes and work places. “You just need to be able survive for a few days and walk comfortably,” she explained.
She also advises people to have some tools in their home kits, like wrenches for turning off the water and gas, a hammer, pliers, a knife and a screwdriver. “Obviously, all these things are not going to fit in a small kit, so we encourage people to keep them in a rolling box or trash can in a place where they can grab it quickly,” she said. “They might also want to have some extra bedding in those bigger kits–at Red Cross shelters all we have are cots and army blankets.”
The next important item in disaster preparedness is to have an evacuation plan. Every member of the household or place of employment should know several ways of exiting the building and where to meet after getting out. Family members and possibly employees should also have certain tasks to perform while exiting. “Kids, especially, need to have a job to do, like taking the dog or helping grandma out,” Arbini Madonna noted. “They panic less when they know what their job is.”
Evacuation plans should also include out-of-town contact phone numbers in case family members get separated or are in different locations when the disaster strikes. “You want to be able to find out where your loved ones are as soon as possible,” Arbini Madonna stressed. “You can click on the Red Cross Web site or phone 1-800-HELP NOW to find people during a disaster, but it’s much easier if you have pre-arranged phone numbers to call.”
The third thing the Red Cross is stressing this month is the need for everyone to have CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and first aid training.
During catastrophic events, because thousands of people might have severe injuries, it could take hours or days before firefighters and paramedics are able to get to your house. Knowing how to revive an unconscious person, stop bleeding or make a temporary splint for fractured bones could literally enable you to save the lives of your family members or neighbors.
“We have low-cost classes in CPR and first aid every single week,” Arbini Madonna noted. “You can find out which classes fit your schedule on our Web site or by phoning our local headquarters.”
The Red Cross has been presenting disaster preparedness seminars throughout the greater Long Beach area since August and providing free preparedness kits to low income residents.
Arbini Madonna stressed that there just are not enough emergency responders to help everyone in need immediately after a disaster strikes. “We need to have more people able to take care of themselves at least for a few days,” she said.
For more information visit www.redcross.org or phone (562) 490-4002.
