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What We Can Do to Save Our Lives
Online
Brochure
 pdf
This
information was developed by the Rochester-Monroe County
Chapter, American Red Cross.
Dear
Friends,
We are a group of older adults who
experienced a two-week power outage when a massive ice storm
hit the Greater Rochester, New York, area. We were unprepared
for such a disaster. If we had only taken a few simple steps
to prepare ourselves for such an event, we could have
eliminated many of the hardships we had to
endure.
We are just like many of you. Some
of us are in good health but aren't quite a agile as we used
to be; some of us have hearing or vision problems; others use
a cane or wheelchair. Whatever our limitations, however, we
need to be prepared. We can be
prepared.
For six months we have researched
and discussed disasters and preparedness with the American Red
Cross. To avoid getting caught unprepared, we urge you to
immediately review the enclosed information and fill in the
appropriate local emergency numbers. Be sure to keep this
helpful reference tool in a handy place for quick
reference.
Sincerely,
Vi,
Melvin Q., Julia L., Nancy C., Marion V., Jam, Dorothy M.,
Janet H., Fran, Roger H., Mary S., and
LaVinia
TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY
Prepare NOW for a sudden
emergency
Learn how to protect yourself and cope with
disaster by planning ahead.
Even if you have physical
limitations, you can still protect yourself.
Disaster
can strike quickly and without warning!
Local
officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a
disaster, but they cannot reach everyone right
away.
Take responsibility--Save your
life!
Keep in touch with your neighbors and look out
for each other.
Knowing What to Do Is Your Best
Protection And Your Responsibility.
Every day some
part of the country is affected by one or more of the
following emergencies:
Hurricanes
Earthquakes
Winter
Storms
Tornadoes
Thunderstorms
Flooding
Toxic
Spills
Fires
Which
three are most likely to happen in your
area?
Preparing for a disaster that is most
likely to happen in your area will help you be prepared for
any disaster. Remember anything can happen at any
time.
See the section, "For More Information," at
the end of this document to obtain information on potential
disasters that can happen in your
area.
NOTIFICATION
How You May
Be Notified Of A Possible Emergency
NOAA weather
radio.
These special radios provide the earliest
warning with an alarm that will alert you in case of
anticipated bad weather. To learn more, call your local
National Weather Service office.
Commercial radio
and television stations.
Know your designed
Emergency Alert System stations (EAS).
My EAS Radio Station
is:
My EAS Television Station:
Door to door
warning from local emergency officials.
Strictly
follow their instructions!
Be aware of anyone in
your neighborhood who may need special help. If available,
take advantage of advance registration systems in your area
for those who need help.
FAMILY DISASTER PLAN
Plan Ahead!!!
The next time
disaster strikes, you may not have much time to act. Prepare
now for a sudden emergency. By planning ahead you can
avoid waiting in long lines for critical supplies, such as
food, water and medicine. Remember to review your plan
regularly.
Use the following checklist to get
started:
Your Disaster Checklist
-
Assemble a disaster supplies
kit.
-
Arrange for someone to check on
you.
-
Plan
and practice the best escape routes from your
home.
-
Plan
for transportation if you need to evacuate to a Red Cross
shelter.
-
Find
the safe places in your home for each type of
emergency.
-
Have
a plan to signal the need for help.
-
Post
emergency phone numbers near the phone.
-
If
you have home health care service, plan ahead with your
agency for emergency procedures.
-
Teach
those who may need to assist you in an emergency how to
operate necessary equipment.
-
Be
sure they will be able to reach you.
-
Medical Emergency Supplies
-
For
your safety and comfort, you need to have emergency supplies
packed and ready in one place before disaster
hits.
-
You
should assemble enough supplies to last for at least three
days.
-
Assemble the supplies you would need in an
evacuation, both medical and general
supplies.
-
Store
them in an easy-to-carry container, such as a backpack of
duffel bag.
-
Be
sure your bag has an ID tag.
-
Label
any equipment, such as wheelchairs, canes or walkers, that
you would need.
FOR YOUR MEDICAL NEEDS
-
First-aid kit
-
Prescription medicines, list of medications
including dosage, list of any allergies
-
Extra
eyeglasses and hearing-aid batteries
-
Extra
wheelchair batteries, oxygen
-
List
of the style and serial numbers of medical devices such as
pacemakers
-
Medical insurance and Medicare
cards
-
List
of doctors and relatives or friends who should be notified
if you are injured
-
Any
other items you may need
GENERAL DISASTER SUPPLIES
-
Battery-powered radio and flashlight with extra
batteries for each
-
Change of clothing, rain gear, and sturdy
shoes
-
Blanket or sleeping bag
-
Extra
set of keys
-
Cash,
credit cards, change for the pay phone
-
Personal hygiene supplies
-
Phone
numbers of local and non-local relatives or
friends
-
Insurance agent's name and
number
-
Other
items you want to include
It may
not be necessary to evacuate, or you may be ordered to stay in
your home. If this happens, you will need in addition to the
above items:
-
Water supply: one gallon per day per person.
Remember, plan for at least 3 days. Store water in sealed,
unbreakable containers that you are able to handle. Identify
the storage date and replace every six months.
-
Non-perishable food supply--including any special
foods you require. Choose foods that are easy to store
and carry, nutritious and ready-to-eat. Rotate them
regularly. See section, "For More Information".
-
Manual can opener you are able to
use.
-
Non-perishable food for any pets.
SHELTER IN PLACE
In a chemical emergency, you may be told to
shelter in place. This means staying where you are and making
yourself as safe as possible until the emergency passes or you
are told to evacuate.
In this situation it is
safer to remain indoors than to go outside where the air is
unsafe to breathe.
If You are Told To Shelter In
Place
-
Close
all windows in your home.
-
Turn
off all fans, heating, and air conditioning
systems.
-
Close
the fireplace damper.
-
Go to
an above-ground room (not the basement) with the fewest
windows and doors.
-
Take
your Disaster Supplies Kit with you.
-
Wet
some towels and jam them in the crack under the doors. Tape
around doors, windows, exhaust fans or vents. Use plastic
garbage bags to cover windows, outlets and heat
registers.
-
If
you are told there is danger of explosion, close the window
shades, blinds or curtains. To avoid injury, stay away from
the windows.
-
Stay
in the room and listen to your radio until you are told all
is safe or you are told to evacuate.
RED CROSS SHELTERS
Red
Cross Shelters may be opened if
Be
Prepared to Go to a Shelter if. . .
-
Your
area is without electrical power.
-
There
is a chemical emergency affecting your
area.
-
Flood
water is rising.
-
Your
home has been severely damaged.
-
Police or other local officials tell you to
evacuate.
Services Provided at a Red Cross
Shelter
-
Food.
-
Temporary shelter.
-
Basic
First Aid.
To
Learn About Red Cross Shelters Serving Your
Area
-
Listen to your battery-powered
radio.
-
Check
with your local Red Cross chapter. In
Mower
County, call (507)
437-4589.
All
American Red Cross emergency services are provided free of
charge.
If You Need To Evacuate
-
Coordinate with your home care provider for
evacuation procedures.
-
Try
to car pool if possible.
-
If
you must have assistance for special transportation call the
American Red Cross or your local officials.
-
Wear
appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes.
-
Take
your Disaster Supplies Kit.
-
Lock
your home.
-
Use
the travel routes specified or special assistance provided
by local officials. Don't take any short cuts, they may be
unsafe.
-
Notify shelter authorities of any need you may
have. They will do their best to accommodate you and make
you comfortable.
If You
Are Sure You Have Enough Time...
-
Shut
off water, gas, and electricity if instructed to do so and
if you know how. Gas must be turned back on by a
professional.
-
Let
others know when you left and where you are
going.
-
Make
arrangements for pets. Animals other than working animals
may not be allowed in public shelters.
RESIDENTIAL FIRES
One emergency we could all face at any time
is a home fire. A home fire could be a special challenge for
one with physical limitations. However, there are some things
we can do to improve our safety:
Before a
Fire
-
Plan
two escape routes out of each room. If you cannot use
stairways, make special arrangements for help in advance.
Never use elevators.
-
Sleep
with the bedroom door closed. This gives you extra minutes
of protection from toxic fumes and fire.
-
Test
your smoke detector battery regularly, and as a reminder,
change batteries on the same day each year. Vacuum it
occasionally to remove dust.
In Case
Of Fire
-
Remain calm.
-
Drop
to the floor and crawl. Most fire fatalities are due to
breathing toxic fumes and smoke. The cleanest air is near
the floor. Breathing toxic fumes and smoke is more dangerous
than the risk of injury in getting to the floor
quickly.
-
Feel
any door before you open it. If it is hot, find another way
out.
-
If
your smoke detector goes off, never waste time to get
dressed or collect valuables or pets. Get out of the house
immediately.
-
Do
not try to fight the fire! Call for help from a neighbor's
phone.
-
Never
go back into a burning building for any
reason.
-
If
your clothes catch on fire, drop to the floor and roll to
suffocate the fire. Keep rolling (running from the fire only
"fans" the flames and makes it worse).
-
If
you are in a wheelchair or cannot get out of your house,
stay by the window near the floor. If you are able, signal
the need to help.
GRANDCHILDREN'S SAFETY
It is estimated that 3.4 million children
live in a household headed by grandparents. And, many children
visit their grandparents often. The following safety advice
for children can help grandparents prepare a safe environment
at home for children:
-
Store
matches and lighters up high, away from
children.
-
Move
cleaning chemicals like cleansers, soap, drain cleaner, and
other poisons to high cupboards OR install a child-proof
lock if you must keep these items in low
cabinets.
-
Store
prescription medicines and over-the-counter drugs like
aspirin, cough medicines, and stomachache remedies in a
cabinet out of reach of children.
-
If
children are playing outside or in a pool when skies grow
dark or you hear thunder, ask them to come indoors right
away. Install plastic covers over all exposed
electrical outlets.
Children Can Help
Grandparents, too:
Have children test each smoke
detector in your home to make sure it is working by using a
broom handle to push the test button. See that the battery is
changed in each detector that doesn't work.
Ask
children to draw a floor plan of your home and show two ways
out of every room in case of fire.
SUMMARY AND REMINDERS
-
Take
responsibility by planning now.
-
Listen for information on radio and TV about
hazardous weather and other events, and heed the advice of
local officials. Leave right away if told to do
so.
-
In
some communities, people who need help or transportation
during an evacuation are asked to register that need with
their local government.
-
Call
your local emergency management office for information and
suggestions about what to do during an
evacuation.
-
Gather essential supplies, and be sure to keep
a copy of your eyeglass prescription, list of medications
and their dosage, and other important papers to take with
you if you have to leave your home.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
If you would like more information on
disaster planning or on the disasters likely to happen in your
area, the following information is available here at our
chapter.
The
following may be ordered free from the U.S. Fire
Administration
FEMA/U.S. Fire Administration
P.O. Box
2012
Jessup, MD 20794-2012
NOAA
Weather Radio information from
The
following may be ordered from the Federal Emergency Management
Agency
FEMA
P.O. Box 2012
Jessup, MD
20794-2012
-
Preparedness for People with Disabilities
(earthquake), Pub. # FEMA-75
-
Hurricane Awareness-Action Guidelines for Senior
Citizens, Item #8-0440
Or,
consult FEMA.
Emergency information
may also be obtained from your utility
company.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Local emergency
services
number:_______________________
Ambulance:___________________________________________
Nearest
relative:_______________________________________
Local
contact:_________________________________________
Out
of state
contact:____________________________________
Doctors:______________________________________________
Local
Red Cross
Chapter:_______________________________
Insurance
Agent:_______________________________________
Other:_________________________________________________
Medications
List With Dosage
Production of this information was funded by a
grant from the Special Projects Fund of the American National
Red Cross to the Rochester-Monroe County Chapter of the
American Red Cross and was developed in cooperation
with:
Monroe County Office of Emergency
Preparedness
Monroe County Community Home Health
Agency
Monroe County Office for the Aging
Visiting Nurse
Service
Catholic Family Center
Rochester Gas and
Electric
Rochester Telephone
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