Below are 3 Actions you should take to be prepared in emergencies.

Get a Kit.

Have at least three days of supplies in an easy to carry evacuation kit with additional supplies on hand.  Remember to check your kit and replace the stock every six months.

Your kit should include:

• Map
• Food
• Flashlight
• Medications
• Radio
• Tools
• Personal items
• Sanitary supplies
• Money
• Contact information
• Pet supplies

For a detailed list of items you should include in your disaster kit, click here to download and print a checklist

Store your disaster supplies in sturdy yet easy-to-carry containers, in a place that is easily accessible. Keep a smaller version of the kit in your vehicle. If you become stranded or are not able to return home, having some items with you will help you be more comfortable until help arrives.

Make a Plan.

Planning ahead will help you have the best possible response to disaster.

Talk. Discuss with your family the disasters that can happen where you live. Establish responsibilities for each member of your household and plan to work together as a team. Designate alternates in case someone is absent. If a family member is in the military, also plan for how you would respond if they are deployed. Include the local military base resources that may be available.

Plan. Choose two places to meet after a disaster:

• Right outside your home, in case of a sudden emergency, such as a fire.
• Outside your neighborhood, in case you cannot return home or are asked to evacuate your neighborhood.

Learn. Each adult in your household should learn how and when to turn off utilities such as electricity, water and gas. Ask your local fire department to show you how to use a fire extinguisher.

Tell everyone in the household where emergency information and supplies are kept. Make copies of the information for everyone to carry with them. Keep the information updated.

Practice evacuating your home twice a year. Drive your planned evacuation route and plot alternate routes on a map in case main roads are impassable or gridlocked.

Include your pets. If you must evacuate, take your animals with you. If it is not safe for you to remain, it is not safe for them.

Be Informed.

Know what may happen and how you can help.

Learn what disasters or emergencies may occur where you live, work and play.

Identify how local authorities will notify you during a disaster and how you will get important information.

Learn what you can do to prepare for disasters by contacting your local Red Cross chapter to ask about first aid, CPR and disaster training.

Share what you have learned with your family, household and neighbors and encourage them to be informed too.

What’s in your wallet? Be sure to include an American Red Cross Emergency Contact Card. (Download and print a contact card)

Join other members of your community through the American Red Cross in taking these first steps. You never know how many people your actions will affect, how many lives you might change.

What’s your risk?

Begin with an analysis of the hazards of the area.  Is your school threatened by tornadoes?  Earthquakes?  Is emergency assistance close at hand or would you have to wait for help if the entire community has been impacted? Do you think you will need tools for clearing debris?  Remember that any school in the country could be locked down due to an intruder or gunfire in the area, so all schools should be prepared to have their students stuck inside the building for many hours.  Similarly, all schools face the potential of a hazardous materials spill nearby, requiring the school to shelter-in-place with doors and windows closed and heating systems off.  Adjust the supplies for extreme heat or cold temperatures.  If your plan includes Search & Rescue teams for light search and rescue following an earthquake, tornado or other damaging event, stock supplies for the number of teams assigned.

Create a team

Choose a “safety captain” for the school, who will oversee all emergency preparedness efforts.  Assign a team to help.  Determine who will make decisions about building safety, medical care and when to send students home.

Budget

Adjust the list, prioritizing for limited budget and storage space, if necessary.  Develop a plan to phase in the supplies.  Contact local service clubs and vendors for assistance.

How Much to Store

Make some planning assumptions.  Do most of your students’ families live nearby or do some of them commute long distances?  Some schools could be cut off for days if a bridge or the main highway is blocked.  If you determine that most of your students could be picked up in most emergencies within a day, then begin by stocking supplies for one day.  Some schools plan that half their student body will be picked up by parents within one day, half the remainder within a day, and the remainder within another day; these schools stock supplies for 100% for day one, 50% for day two, plus 25% for day three.  Other schools stock supplies for 3 days, the recommendation of many emergency management agencies.  Remember to factor in the number of staff and other adults who may be on campus.

Storage

Determine where to store emergency supplies.  Every classroom should have some supplies and there should be a cache of supplies for the whole school.  Many schools in California and other states threatened by earthquakes use outdoor storage, anticipating the possibility of having to care for students outside the buildings.  They use an existing building or a cargo container, also called a land-sea container, purchased used and installed near the emergency assembly area.  Schools with limited budgets and/or temperature extremes may opt to store their supplies in various caches throughout the school facility, primarily in locked closets or classrooms.  Many schools stock supplies in (new) trash barrels on wheels.  Do not store water in the barrels because it may leak and destroy everything else.  Make sure that there are keys to ensure access to the supplies during an emergency, including access by programs such as day care and after-school events.  Plan an annual inventory, replacing water and other items with limited shelf life as necessary.

Individual Kits

Some schools ask students to bring in their own kits, sometimes called “comfort kits.” (These “comfort kits” should not be confused with Red Cross “comfort kits”—consisting mostly of toiletries—to people who have been affected by disasters.)  Student-assembled comfort kits typically include a little food, some water, a space blanket or large plastic trash bag, a non-toxic chemical emergency light stick and a letter or photograph from home.  These kits can be helpful, but require a great deal of time and supervision to assemble and check when they are brought to school.  Sometimes parents include perishable items by mistake, and some parents do not send anything at all.  The school will need a plan to make sure that each student has a kit.  Vendors sell expensive individual kits as well, with much of the value in the packaging.

Recommended Supplies

The following lists address classroom kits, supplies for the whole school and Search & Rescue gear.

Classroom Kit

• Leather Work gloves
• Latex gloves: 6 pairs
• Safety goggles: 1 pair
• Small First Aid kit
• Pressure dressings: 3
• Crow bar
• Space blankets: 3
• Tarp or ground cover
• Student accounting forms (blank)
• Student emergency cards
• Buddy classroom list
• Pens, paper
• Whistle
• Student activities
• Duct Tape: 2 rolls (for sealing doors and windows)
• Scissors
• Suitable container for supplies (5-gallon bucket or backpack)
• Drinking water and cups (stored separately)
• Toilet supplies (large bucket, used as container for supplies and toilet when needed, with 100 plastic bags, toilet paper, and hand washing supplies)
• Portable radio, batteries or other communication system
• Flashlight, batteries
• Push broom (if classroom includes wheel chairs)

Supplies for the Whole School

• Water
  • ½ gallon per person per day times three days, with small paper cups
• First Aid
  • Compress, 4 x 4″: 1000 per 500 students
  • Compress, 8 x 10″: 150 per 500 students
  • Elastic bandage: 2-inch: 12 per campus; 4-inch: 12 per campus
  • Triangular bandage: 24 per campus
  • Cardboard splints: 24 each, small, medium, large
  • Butterfly bandages: 50 per campus
  • Water in small sealed containers: 100 (for flushing wounds, etc.)
  • Hydrogen peroxide: 10 pints per campus
  • Bleach, 1 small bottle
  • Plastic basket or wire basket stretchers or backboards: 1.5/100 students
  • Scissors (paramedic): 4 per campus
  • Tweezers: 3 assorted per campus
  • Triage tags: 50 per 500 students
  • Latex gloves: 100 per 500 students
  • Oval eye patch: 50 per campus
  • Tapes: 1″ cloth: 50 rolls per campus; 2″ cloth: 24 per campus
  • Dust masks: 25 per 100 students
  • Disposable blanket: 10 per 100 students
  • First Aid books: 2 standard and 2 advanced per campus
  • Space blankets: 1 per student and staff
  • Heavy duty rubber gloves: 4 pairs
• Sanitation Supplies (if not supplied in the classroom kits)
  • 1 toilet kit per 100 students/staff, to include:
  • 1 portable toilet, privacy shelter, 20 rolls toilet paper, 300 wet wipes, 300 plastic bags with ties, 10 large plastic trash bags
  • Soap and water, in addition to the wet wipes, is strongly advised.
• Tools per Campus
  • Barrier tape, 3″ x 1000″: 3 rolls
  • Pry bar
  • Pick ax
  • Sledge hammer
  • Shovel
  • Pliers
  • Bolt cutters
  • Hammer
  • Screwdrivers
  • Utility knife
  • Broom
  • Utility shut off wrench: 1 per utility
• Other Supplies
  • Folding tables, 3′ x 6′: 3-4
  • Chairs: 12-16
  • Identification vests for staff, preferably color-coded per school plan
  • Clipboards with emergency job descriptions
  • Office supplies: pens, paper, etc.
  • Signs for student request and release
  • Alphabetical dividers for request gate
  • Copies of all necessary forms
  • Cable to connect car battery for emergency power
• Food
  • The bulk of stored food should be easy to serve, non-perishable and not need refrigeration or heating after opening. Food is generally considered a low priority item, except for those with diabetes and certain other specific medical conditions. One method used by schools is to purchase food at the beginning of the school year and donate it to charity at the end of the year. A supply of granola bars, power bars, or similar food which is easy to distribute, may be helpful. Some schools store hard candy, primarily for its comfort value.

Search & Rescue Equipment

Adjust the number of S&R teams according to the size and complexity of the campus. Teams must consist of a minimum of two persons. Training on how to do light Search & Rescue is required—contact your local fire department for information on whether such training is offered in your community.

• Protective Gear per S&R Team Member
  • Hard hat, OSHA approved
  • Identification vest
  • Leather work gloves
  • Safety Goggles
  • Dust mask
  • Flash light, extra batteries
  • Duffel or tote bag to carry equipment
• Gear per S&R Team
  • Backpack with First Aid supplies
  • Master keys

For even more resources, and information about the Ready Rating Program, go to the PrepareLA site.

Drawn from lists created by the California Senate Select Committee on the Northridge Earthquake, Task Force on Education, August 1994

PREPARE! You are the EPICENTER of Change.

Get a KIT • Make a PLAN • Be INFORMED • Take a CLASS • VOLUNTEER  

From March 3-31, an interactive exhibit called “PREPARE! You Are the Epicenter of Change” will be on display in the Good Works Space at Fred Segal in Santa Monica. As part of the promotion of National Red Cross month, the exhibit focuses on how preparedness begins with the individual, who then creates the change needed to help others — including family members, friends, businesses and even pets.

 Southern California residents are no strangers to the constant threat of disaster. The Los Angeles region represents over 25% of the national risk for earthquakes, yet over 60% of people have not taken any preparedness steps. With the help of the Good Works Space, “a storefront devoted to three things we could all use a little more of these days, inspiration, self-expression and contemplation,” people who view the exhibit will leave more prepared then when they arrived.

Partnering with BARKCODE, the exhibit will focuson utilizing SCANLIFE technology as a means to promote preparedness and demonstrate an innovative new way to help prepare your pets in a disaster. SCANLIFE technology uses a 2-Dimensional Code that can be directed to a specific web page that can provide “real time” emergency information. Throughout the exhibit will be 2-D codes that link visitors to different preparedness sites giving them the infomration they need to get prepared. When used to strengthen your disaster planning for pets, BarkCode provides “On the Spot Identification with the ability to help the pet home even if the owner cannot be reached using your Spartphone to scan the ID tag without having to take them to a vet or shelter.”  

Members of the public can purchase disaster kitsand gift cards for Red Cross training classes. The exhibit is open March 3-31, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.  For more information please contact Hilary Anderson at: andersonh@arcla.org or (310) 445-2676.

The Good Works Space is located at Zero Minus Plus, a store in the Fred Segal Center at:
500 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA 90401-2406

About 600 fires a year are started by ignition of Christmas trees. The months of December, January and February are bad months for house fires, including those associated with holiday celebrations. More than 40 percent of home fires occur during this three-month period, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

The 1.2 million volunteers in the American Red Cross’ 921 chapters respond to 67,000 disasters a year – one disaster every 8 minutes. Major disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and floods get the headlines but every single holiday fire comes down to a single, terrible moment for the victims.

During December, January and February, the majority of the responses by the Red Cross are for fires. Red Cross volunteers help victims of these fires find temporary shelter, provide them with vouchers for food and clothing and provide other needed assistance.

The American Red Cross cautions people to be extra careful during the holidays when it comes to fire prevention. Decorating trees and homes and cooking holiday meals can be happy and joyous times if a few common-sense precautions are taken:

1. Decorate Christmas trees only with laboratory-approved lights.
2. Unplug Christmas tree lights when leaving home or going to bed.
3. Do not decorate metal trees with lights.
4. Do not decorate trees with candles.
5. Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible material.
6. Place trees away from heat sources and exits.
7. Water trees daily.
8. Make sure chimneys are inspected before the holidays and cleaned if necessary.
9. Keep space heaters at least three feet away from bedding, clothing, furniture, drapes and anything else combustible.Use equipment that is approved for indoor use. Turn space heaters off if you are not available to monitor this equipment. Remember at all times children anywhere near space heaters
   must be supervised at all times.
10. Don’t wear loose-fitting clothing when cooking to avoid ignition by stove burners. 

Preparedness Research Findings

 Is Your Business Prepared?

• 15-40 percent of businesses fail following a natural or manmade disaster.¹
• 94 percent of small business owners believe a disaster could seriously disrupt their business within the next two years.²
• 51 percent of Americans have experienced at least one emergency situation where they lost utilities for at least three days, had to evacuate and could not return home, could not communicate with family members or had to provide first aid to others.³

 Are Your Employees Ready?

• Only 2 in 10 Americans feel prepared for a catastrophic event.⁴
• Close to 60 percent of Americans are wholly unprepared for a disaster of any kind.⁴
• 54 percent of Americans don’t prepare because they believe a disaster will not affect them.⁵
• Only 1 in 10 American households has taken the appropriate preparedness steps: a family emergency plan, an emergency supply kit and training in First Aid and CPR/AED.⁴
• 82 percent of Americans agree “If someone could make it easy for me to be prepared, I’d do it”.⁴

Emergencies Are Inevitable.  

When you start to develop your disaster plan, consider three subjects: human resources, physical resources and business continuity. Think about how a disaster could affect your employees, customers and workplace.  Think about how you could continue doing business if the area around your facility is closed or streets are impassible.  Think about what you would need to serve your customers even if your facility is closed.  Here are some suggestions you may want to consider:

Develop a Plan

• Keep phone lists of your key employees and customers with you and provide copies to key staff members.
• If you have a voicemail system at your office, designate one remote number on which you can record messages for employees.  Provide the number to all employees.
• Arrange for programmable call forwarding for your main business line(s). Then, if you can’t get to the office, you can call in and reprogram the phones to ring elsewhere.
• If you may not be able to get to your business quickly after an emergency, leave keys and alarm code(s) with a trusted employee or friend who is closer.
• Install emergency lights that turn on when the power goes out. They are inexpensive and widely available at building supply retailers.
• Back up computer data frequently throughout the business day.  Keep a backup tape off site.
• Use UL-listed surge protectors and battery backup systems. They will add protection for sensitive equipment and help prevent a computer crash if the power goes out.
• Purchase a NOAA Weather Radio with a tone alert feature.  Keep it on and when the warning signal sounds, listen for information about possible severe weather and protective actions to take.
• Stock a minimum supply of the goods, materials and equipment you would need for business continuity.
• Consult with your insurance agent about special precautions to take for disasters that may directly impact your business.  Remember, most policies do not cover earthquake and flood damage. Protect valuable property and equipment with special riders. Discuss business continuity insurance with your agent.

Flashlights with extra batteries
First aid kit
Tools
Food and water for employees and customers to use during a period of unexpected confinement at your business.

Reduce Potential Damage

Prevent or reduce disaster damage in your facility by taking precautions, such as:

• Bolting tall bookcases or display cases to wall studs.
• Protecting breakable objects by securing them to a stand or shelf using hook and loop fasteners.
• Moving large objects that could fall and break or injure someone to lower shelves.
• Installing latches to keep drawers and cabinets from flying open and dumping their contents.
• Using closed screw eyes and wire to securely attach framed pictures and mirrors to walls.
• Using plumber’s tape or strap iron to wrap around a hot water heater to secure it to wall studs.

You should also consider having a professional install:

• Flexible connectors to appliances and equipment fueled by natural gas.
• Shutters that you can close to protect windows from damage caused by debris blown by a hurricane, tornado or severe storm.
• Automatic fire sprinklers.

Protect Your Employees, Customers and Business

Designate one employee from each work shift to be the safety coordinator. This person will make all decisions relating to employee and customer safety and to the safety of the business itself. Safety coordinators should know how to contact the owner or operator at all times.

Everyone in your facility should know how to prepare for a disaster and what to do if a disaster occurs.

You may also want to get a copy of the Emergency Management Guide for Business and Industry from http://redcrossla.org/preparedness/files/2009/02/emergency-management-guide-for-business-and-industry.pdf