FORT WAYNE – Sometimes preparing for an emergency is as simple as filling a bathtub – literally.
September is Preparedness Month in Indiana and nationally, and local emergency management and public safety officials are encouraging area residents to take steps to improve their self-reliance in emergencies.
Katherine Mac Aulay, chief operations officer at the American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana, said the most common area that she sees lacking in an emergency is an adequate water supply. her organization recommends a three-day supply of a gallon a day for every person in a home.
Part of preparedness includes paying attention to weather events that come with some advance notice, such as a winter storm that could knock out power. In those cases, homeowners can fill up a clean bathtub with water – water that would then be available for bathing or for pets to drink in case the normal water supply fails, Mac Aulay said.
The Red Cross said its polls show the majority of Americans think it is a good idea to get prepared for disasters and other emergencies, but only 7 percent of the population has taken the necessary steps to do so.
When the Fort Wayne area faced long power outages and dangerous cold during the December 2008 ice storm, many people who showed up seeking the Red Cross’ help were lacking sufficient food and water.
That storm prompted many local residents to buy generators or stock emergency kits, after the fact, the same way Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks of 9/11 acted as catalysts for people to think of their own readiness.
But those kind of events only jolt people from their complacency for so long, usually about six months, Mac Aulay said.
“As we drift away from an event happening, we get lax,” she said.
In emergency management-textbook-speak, the time immediately after a disaster is “the window of opportunity,” said Bernie Beier, Fort Wayne-Allen County Homeland Security director.
It’s the best time to push people to prepare themselves, of course. but Beier also believes in beating the drum of preparedness even on a beautiful day; he spent Friday morning observing a group of residents learning basic disaster-response skills.
What Beier calls an attitude of preparedness involves more than assembling a disaster kit, he said. It involves getting to know neighbors, donating blood, learning CPR and other realistic steps.
But a disaster kit is a good place to start, he said.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security, citing a national study last year by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Citizen Corps, said too few people have stocked disaster supplies and that most supplies are incomplete.
The most essential items missing are a flashlight, first aid kit and a portable radio. Many emergency-response agencies, including the American Red Cross, stock pre-assembled emergency kits that can be customized by families, and they also provide lists for people wishing to make their own kits.
The study also found that one of the most common reasons people fail to prepare is that they rely too heavily on emergency responders.
“There’s a lot of things individuals and families can do for themselves and should do for themselves,” Beier said. “It’s our collective responsibility to take care of ourselves and each other first.”
Related posts:
- Red Cross provides materials, info for emergency kits – Fort Polk …
- Red Cross provides materials, info for emergency kits – Fort Polk …
- Fort Bend County ESD #4 and Fulshear – Simonton Fire Department …
- Red Cross to host hurricane prepardness event for military …
- WAVY TV 10 Hurricane Preparedness Day | Emergency Food Supply Kits …
