Preparing for disaster is everyone's job | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Preparing for disaster is everyone's job | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper

Posted on: Friday, October 27, 2006

COMMENTARY
Preparing for disaster is everyone's job

By Coralie Chun Matayoshi

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For details on emergency kits, visit www.hawaiiredcross.org, or call 739-8128.

The American Red Cross, Hawai'i State Chapter also offers classes on lifesaving techniques. Call 739-8123, ext. 8127 or 8132; or to become a red Cross disaster volunteer, call 739-8147.

To make a donation to the Red Cross, visit www.hawaiiredcross.org, or call 739-8133.

Vivid images and memories of the recent earthquake should serve as stark reminders of the need to be prepared before a disaster strikes. In the past week, we have witnessed people panicking as they emptied stores of items such as food, water, ice, and batteries. We were lucky that the damage was not more widespread or prolonged. This was a real wakeup call, and now is the time for every individual and family to take the necessary steps to get ready for the next inevitable disaster.

The Red Cross recommends three key steps to be better prepared:

Get an emergency kit. When a disaster strikes your community, you may not have access to food, water, electricity and other essential supplies for days, or even weeks. A disaster supplies kit for your home should include a minimum three-day supply of water (one gallon of water per person, per day); minimum three-day supply of non-perishable food items (canned goods, nuts, dried fruit, and peanut butter are good choices) and manual can opener; flashlight and radio (preferably hand-crank ones with extra batteries); first-aid kit and manual; and tools (crowbar, knife, screwdriver, wrench to turn off utilities or escape). You also should have important papers — photocopies of identification, credit cards, insurance policies — contact information and area maps. For a complete list of what your kit should contain, or to purchase ready-made disaster survival kits for your office, home, or car visit the American Red Cross, Hawai'i State Chapter online at www.hawaiiredcross.org.

Have a plan. Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate, or confine you to your home. Talk to your family members about different kinds of disasters and what to do. Choose two places to meet after a disaster: right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency like a fire; and outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home safely or are asked to evacuate your neighborhood.

Identify an out-of-town contact so that family members can call this person and tell them where they are and if they are alright. It is often easier to reach a long-distance number when local lines are down. Have contact information for all family members for home, work, and school.

Learn how and when to turn off utilities such as electricity, water, and gas. Know how to use a fire extinguisher. Plan at least two escape routes from each room in your home, as well as safe places in your home for each type of disaster. Develop a contingency plan for family members with special needs. Prepare a list of family, friends, veterinarians, and "pet-friendly" hotels that could shelter your pet in an emergency. Ask about your children's school disaster plan. Determine the locations of your nearest evacuation shelters. Practice evacuating your home at least once a year. Drive your planned evacuation route and plot alternative routes on a map in case main roads are impassable or gridlocked.

Be Informed. It is important for you to learn about what disasters or emergencies may occur where you live, work and play. Get vital lifesaving training such as First Aid and CPR/AED so that you can care for a loved one in an emergency or help when someone in your neighborhood or workplace is sick or injured.

The American Red Cross is a nonprofit humanitarian organization whose mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering. In Hawai'i, we do this by coming to the aid of disaster victims at least two times per week, teaching 36,000 people per year how to save lives, providing emergency communication between deployed soldiers and their loved ones, and offering international tracing services for families torn apart by war or disaster. All Red Cross assistance to disaster victims is free. The Red Cross is not a government agency and depends on the generosity of Hawai'i's people to provide these critical services to the community.

Coralie Chun Matayoshi is CEO of the American Red Cross, Hawai'i State Chapter.

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