EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS VIDEO GALLERY

• Keep freezers and refrigerators closed.
• Use a generator, but ONLY outdoors and away from windows.
• Do not use a gas stove or oven to heat your home.
• Disconnect appliances and electronics to avoid damage from electrical surges.
• Have alternate plans for refrigerating medicines or using power-dependent medical devices.
• Check with local officials about heating and cooling locations open near you.

• Learn to recognize the signs of heat illness.
• Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device. Fans create air flow and a false sense of comfort, but do not reduce body temperature or prevent heat-related illnesses.
• Identify places in your community where you can go to get cool such as libraries and shopping malls or contact your local health department to find a cooling center in your area.

• Cover windows with drapes or shades.
• Weather-strip doors and windows.
• Use window reflectors specifically designed to reflect heat back outside.
• Add insulation to keep the heat out.
• Use a powered attic ventilator, or attic fan, to regulate the heat level of a building’s attic by clearing out hot air.
• Install window air conditioners and insulate around them.

• Never ration drinking water unless ordered to do so by authorities. Drink the amount you need today and try to find more for tomorrow. Minimize the amount of water your body needs by reducing activity and staying cool.
• Drink water that you know is not contaminated first. If necessary, suspicious water, such as cloudy water from regular faucets or water from streams or ponds, can be used after it has been treated. If water treatment is not possible put off drinking suspicious water as long as possible but do not become dehydrated.
• Do not drink carbonated or caffeinated beverages instead of drinking water. Caffeinated drinks and alcohol dehydrate the body which increases the need for drinking water.
• Buy commercially bottled water and store it in the sealed original container in cool, dark place.

• Sewage collection and treatment systems will be partially or fully out of service for many months following a large earthquake.  

• Methods for handling sanitation must be simple, cheap, and effectively protect public health by limiting exposure to the waste.

• No single sanitation method is right for every situation – there must be several options to handle a variety of situations.

• While portable toilets work well in small events, the number required for this scenario far outreaches the initial availability. Additionally, they require frequent servicing (cleaning and emptying), which would be very challenging.

• Within 30 days of the initial disaster, local governments should be in a position to provide further messaging and instructions regarding human waste. 

Communication Plan Tips

• Review and update your Family Emergency Communication Plan at least once a year, or whenever your info changes.
• Consider which of your emergency contacts should also have a copy of this plan.
• Practice! Have each person practice calling or texting the out-of-town contact , practice sending a group text.
• Program “ICE” (in case of emergency) numbers into your phone and family members’ phones.
• Create a contact card for each member of the family: • Keep these cards in a purse, wallet or child’s backpack. • Include an emergency contact name and number, an out-of-town contact name and number, a neighborhood meeting place, and any other important information.
• Teach children how and when to call 911 for help.
• Make sure everyone in your family knows how to send a text message. Texts can often get around network disruptions when phone calls cannot.
• Subscribe to emergency alert services. Many communities have systems that will send out text messages and emails with the latest information during a disaster. Visit your local emergency management website to sign up. In Oregon you can sign up for local alerts at the  website. https://oralert.gov/ and then you put in your zip code and enroll, with your cell number and email address.
• Create additional plans for more specific situations, such as how to shelter-in-place, a Family Fire Safety Plan, or plans for any natural disasters common in your area that could require an evacuation.

If you stay home, do it safely

If your family and pets must wait out a storm or other disaster at home, identify a safe area of your home where you can all stay together. Put your emergency supplies in that room in advance, including your pet’s crate and supplies. Have any medications and a supply of pet food and water inside watertight containers, along with your other emergency supplies. If there is an open fireplace, vent, pet door or similar opening in the house, close it off with plastic sheeting and strong tape.

Close off or eliminate unsafe nooks and crannies where frightened cats may try to hide.

Move dangerous items such as tools or toxic products that have been stored in the area.

Bring your pets indoors as soon as local authorities say trouble is on the way. Keep dogs on leashes and cats in carriers, and make sure they are wearing identification.

Follow local news outlets online or listen to the radio periodically, and don’t come out until you know it’s safe.

• Basic Disaster Supplies Kit

  To assemble your kit store items in airtight plastic bags and put your entire disaster supplies kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag.

  A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

  • Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation)
  • Food (at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food)
  • Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
  • Flashlight
  • First aid kit
  • Extra batteries
  • Whistle (to signal for help)
  • Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)
  • Plastic sheeting and duct tape (to shelter in place)
  • Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)
  • Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities)
  • Manual can opener (for food)
  • Local maps
  • Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery

  Additional Emergency Supplies

  • Masks (for everyone ages 2 and above), soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes to disinfect surfaces
  • Prescription medications. About half of all Americans take a prescription medicine every day. An emergency can make it difficult for them to refill their prescription or to find an open pharmacy. Organize and protect your prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and vitamins to prepare for an emergency.
  • Non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication, antacids or laxatives
  • Prescription eyeglasses and contact lens solution
  • Infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream
  • Pet food and extra water for your pet
  • Cash or traveler’s checks
  • Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records saved electronically or in a waterproof, portable container
  • Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person
  • Complete change of clothing appropriate for your climate and sturdy shoes
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Matches in a waterproof container
  • Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
  • Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils
  • Paper and pencil
  • Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

Basic Emergency Car Kit
w/additional supplies

● A properly inflated spare tire, wheel wrench and tripod jack
● Jumper cables
● Tool kit and/or a multipurpose utility tool
● Flashlight and extra batteries
● Reflective triangles and brightly colored cloth to make your vehicle more visible
● Compass
● First aid kit with gauze, tape, bandages, antibiotic ointment, aspirin, a blanket, nonlatex gloves, scissors, hydrocortisone, thermometer, tweezers and instant cold compress
● Nonperishable, high-energy foods, such as unsalted nuts, dried fruits and hard candy
● Drinking water
● Reflective vest in case you need to walk to get help
● Car charger for your cell phone
● Fire extinguisher
● Duct tape
● Rain poncho
● Snow brush
● Shovel
● Windshield washer fluid
● Warm clothing
● Cat litter for traction
● Blankets