Preparing for Emergencies

MDA’s Health Care Services had an interesting article on emergency preparedness that everyone should read whether disabled or not. Several of the links mentioned in the article are shown below.

The federal government has a website with additional information on different types of emergencies and services available for your area. The link to the website is: Disability.gov's Emergency Preparedness Section.
 
The MDA has put together a good checklist for people who have neuromuscular diseases. Not every item applies to those of us living with Kennedy’s Disease, but many apply to anyone with special needs or considerations. The checklist can be downloaded (PDF) at this link: PDF Checklist.
 
Another good link to always have bookmarked is the National Weather Service.  You can zoom in on your area and receive the most current updates and forecasts along with other helpful information.

If you must evacuate your residence and need MDA services, or information about local groups offering emergency assistance, you can reach the MDA by calling (800) 572-1717 or emailing healthcareservices@mdausa.org. They will connect you to the MDA office serving the area in which you've sought shelter.

As the Boy Scouts always say, BE PREPARED.

A “what-if” I hope you never have to experience

Up until a couple of years ago, I wouldn’t have even considered the need for the below information. Since then, however, we had a series of tornados come through our area and one came within a couple of hundred yards of the house. Dozens of homes were damaged and several were destroyed on our road back in March 2011. Many neighbors ended up in emergency shelters.

We also had a forest fire that came very close to our house. With all this happening, we now feel more vulnerable.

• What if we lost our home?
• What if our home was damaged to the point we couldn’t safely live there?
• What if we were forced to evacuate our home?
• What if we lost power or other services (water and gas) for more than a day or two?

Since these occurrences, we have been doing a little more ‘what-if’ planning. Two questions, however, were not resolved.

1. What if we were forced to evacuate our home?
2. How would we manage with my disability? 

MDA’s Quest Magazine has an interesting article on this subject.

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How To Get Personal Care Assistance in Emergency Shelters

 
A new federal program provides personal care aides for individuals with disabilities stranded in emergency shelters during a declared disaster
 

Article Highlights:

• The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has contracted with two national agencies to provide personal assistance services (PAS) in emergency shelters to individuals with accessibility and functional needs. Federal services are only available if the president has declared a state of emergency or disaster.
• Personal care assistance in shelters also may be available through local and state programs. The emergency shelter manager is the key contact for all special needs services.
• Services include assistance with eating, toileting, bathing, grooming and dressing, and assistance with catheters, injections and respiratory needs.

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I would encourage you to read the article, print out a copy, and keep it in your emergency information file. I hope you never need it, but just in case … have a plan.

In case of an emergency, have a plan

The tornado that struck our town and barely missed us this week brought to mind the need for having an emergency plan and a backup plan.  I have tackled portions of this subject in several articles, but today’s article will discuss what we have learned this week.



Emergency File

First, however, I recommend that you read the article where I discussed having an “Emergency File.”  Having all your important documents and information in one place can be a timesaver and one resource for most of your information needs.

Emergency Plan - Preparation and Practice

I found that even though we were somewhat prepared, when the time came and we started scrambling, we did not think of everything.  Even though we had about thirty minutes, that is very little time when it comes to thinking about what needs to be done ‘just in case’ your house becomes a victim of Mother Nature.



1.  Loss of Services

Over 119,000 homes were without power for almost two days.  Approximately 50,000 homes are still without power today.  It could be another week before everyone’s power is restored.  The entire city is also without drinkable water.  Roads are closed and people are prohibited from entering and occasionally from leaving these areas.

We thought that a couple of gallons of water would be enough for most situations, now we realize that we need that much per person per day.

• Without electricity, what happens to your cell phones and more importantly, your wheelchair or scooter (if you have one).  They both need charging. 
  • How do you get in touch with family and friends as well as emergency services if your phone runs out of juice?
  • Flashlights and batteries are also needed.  Do you have enough to last several days and possibly up to a week?
  • If you plan ahead and buy a backup emergency generator, can your wife or you hook it up safely when needed?
• You cannot cook or microwave and your refrigerated/frozen foods do not last long. 
  • Do you have enough ice chests? 
  • Do you have food that does not require cooking? 
  • Do you have enough pet food to take care of your critters?

2.  Evacuation Plan and Backup Plan

• Should you stay or leave?  When we heard the news of the impending tornado strike, we did not even consider leaving.  With 190 mph winds, we should have been packing up and leaving for someplace safe. 
  • Where should should go?  Do you have family or friends in the area? 
  • What happens if the primary routes are blocked?
  • What do you need to take with you?  For example:  important documents (wills, financial information, etc.), emergency papers, contact information, the computer, medications, pet food and supplies, tallette, etc.
  • Do you have a list of important contacts with their telephone numbers in case you have to evacuate?
  • Where is the nearest evacuation center or shelter?
  • If you are handicapped, what else do you need to take to ease the transition to temporary housing (hotel, shelter, family or friend’s house, etc.)?

3.  Medical Emergencies

• What if medical services cannot reach you?
  • Do you have a fully stocked first aid kit?
  • Do you have a supply of prescription medications that will last for up to a week?

4.  Practice makes perfect

• At least annually, conduct a fire drill, a tornado (or hurricane) drill and an evacuation drill.  It is important to have everyone in the family participate. 
  • Do you have a checklist of what to take with you or what to protect (carry into the basement or interior closet, for example)?  Everyone should have their own checklist and responsibilities.
  • How long does it take to fully prepare for the emergency or evacuation?  This will give you a needed minimum timeline to work from.
• After conducting the drill, sit down with the family and review what went well and what needs to be improved or changed.

I could go on, but this is just meant to get you thinking of what needs to be done to fully prepare for an emergency.  What am I forgetting?

IMPORTANT:

Don’t assume anything!