Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare
Health District Participates in September’s National Preparedness Month
Promoting ways that Spokane residents can Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare
For more information, contact Kim Papich, SRHD Public Information Officer (509) 324-1539 or kpapich@srhd.org
SPOKANE, Wash. – Sept. 2, 2014 – Even though it is impossible to predict natural disasters like fires, severe storms and other emergencies, Spokane residents can Be Disaster Aware and Take Action to Prepare, which is the theme for National Preparedness Month in September. Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) is joining in the event by focusing weekly on simple actions residents can take to prepare themselves and loved ones for the types of emergencies seen here in the Inland Northwest. Severe wind and fire storms, including multi-day power outages, this past summer are important reminders of why residents should take action to prepare, before disaster strikes.
###plocated here. And since SRHD staff know the importance of being prepared and want to reward residents for their own preparedness efforts, the health district is holding a drawing for a Life Gear Wings of Life backpack. To enter the drawing, all residents have to do is interact with the health district’s preparedness blog, i.e. pledge to prepare, submit a disaster story or helpful hint, upload a photo of their emergency kit, or simply just like a post. The winner will be announced on Sept. 30, 2014, which is also National Prepareathon! Day—an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and communities to prepare for specific hazards through drills, group discussions, and exercises.
Here is an overview of the health district’s weekly messages during National Preparedness Month:
Week 1: How to build an Emergency Kit
With recent wind, fire and power outage events occurring regionally, having a family disaster kit prepared ahead of time can help residents and their loved ones survive for a couple of days until the power is restored or responders can get to them. The health district will use the week of Sept. 2 – 5 to show residents how to pull an emergency kit together using many items found around the home. As one resident commented after the recent storms, “I wish I would have had some supplies all in one place where I could get to them easily because scrambling around the house in the dark proved to be a disaster in itself.”
Click here to learn more about water, food, first aid supplies, and other important pieces for your kit.
Week 2: How to Practice for an Emergency
During the week of Sept. 8-12, the health district is again teaming up with its partners at Spokane Department of Emergency Management (DEM) to enforce messages around practicing sheltering in place and accounting for pets. As part of DEM’s weekly prizes, the health district is donating a weather radio from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For more information go here.
Practicing and preparing for an emergency, before it actually happens, helps individuals’ and families’ decrease the chances of a negative outcome after a disaster. During week two, health district staff will encourage residents to walk through simple steps for what they might do in the following situations:
- Power outage Useful tips from SRHD web site
- House fire Useful tips from Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)
- Wildfires More info from FEMA
Week 3: During a Disaster
During the Carlton Complex fires, many residents received only two to three minutes of notice that they had to evacuate. During week three of National Preparedness Month, SRHD staff will encourage residents to imagine evacuating at a moment’s notice and pose questions to themselves around if they know what they would grab to take with them and what items in their household are irreplaceable. Here is a list of items to start with that residents should consider as part of their evacuation planning.
Week 4: How to Reconnect with Family After a Disaster
During the final week, Sept. 22-26, the health district will provide tips for residents on how to reconnect with each other after a disaster including designating a meeting location and creating a communication plan. It is important to make a plan now so that families will know what to do, how to find each other, and how to communicate in an emergency. Check out these FEMA tools to start a family emergency plan today:
Now in its 10th year, National Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort hosted by FEMA’s Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps, encouraging households, businesses and communities to prepare and plan for emergencies. Preparedness is a shared responsibility; it takes a whole community. Preparedness information and events are posted on the Ready Web site.
There are also many smart phone applications available that provide tools for disaster communication and preparedness, just search ‘preparedness’ when downloading applications. Also, become a fan of SRHD on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @spokanehealth for more communication advice for during and after a disaster. The health district also has a dedicated preparedness page on its Web site with more helpful information.