Since September 7, 2006, I have posted 117 blogs devoted to Emergency Preparedness. An additional 15 blogs, using different categories, were posted prior to that date. As I reviewed these earlier blogs, I discovered that I wouldn’t have to compose new ones in order to deliver the primary message of being “Ready and Prepared” for a major natural disaster, such as an earthquake in the Bay Area.
This week’s blog will focus on “Are You and Your Neighbors Ready. (Originally posted 10/26/2012). Although the content of the text is a few years old, the message is just as significant today, as it was in 2012. Please read it and stay tuned for what you’re supposed to do “Before, During, and After an Eathquake.”
The following text has been copied from CEPS reports –
“The California Earthquake Preparedness Survey (CEPS) was conducted by the UCLA School of Public Health and Survey Research Center for the State of California. The objective was to provide baseline data describing how prepared California households are for earthquakes and where they get their information about preparedness and mitigation. Telephone interviews were conducted with a representative sample of 2,081 households in California between June 26 and December 18, 2008. The sample was stratified into: the ten northern California counties at greatest risk of earthquakes, the six southern California counties at greatest risk, and the remaining 42 lower-risk counties.”
Study Reveals Californians Need to Increase Earthquake Preparedness Efforts – Sacramento, Calif., March 5, 2010
State and Local Agencies are Better Prepared Today, but Weakest Link is Citizen Preparedness
* A majority of Californians have taken initial steps toward earthquake preparedness but more than 60 percent of Californians have not done enough to make their homes safer and guard their personal finances in preparation for an inevitable, large-scale earthquake, according to a recent California Earthquake Preparedness Survey.
* Although state and local public safety and emergency management agencies are better prepared than ever before, California residents have focused on easy preparedness activities such as collecting supplies and making back-up copies of important documents but they have not done more difficult and expensive activities such as securing the contents of their home or purchasing earthquake insurance, according to the survey.
Key findings of the survey were:
* Fewer than 20 percent of households have structurally reinforced their homes or had their homes inspected for earthquake resistance.
* Only 40 percent keep the recommended minimum of three gallons of water stored per person.
* Fewer than 20 percent of California households have purchased earthquake insurance.
* More than 80 percent of households have first aid kits, flashlights and batteries in their house but only 40 percent of Californians have made family disaster plans. (End of copied text.)
Now What? Start by building a kit!
BUILD A KIT
A disaster supplies kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.
Try to assemble your kit well in advance of an emergency. You may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you. You will probably not have time to search for the supplies you need or shop for them.
You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it might take days.
Additionally, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days or even a week, or longer. Your supplies kit should contain items to help you manage during these outages.