Private Home Care

- Private group -
Tue, 10/09/2018 - 8:24am

Private Home Care, Inc. would like to share with you some information we received from Waldo County EMA, all about Disaster Preparedness.

Disaster Preparedness

Hazard – Dangerous event that could lead to an Emergency or Disaster

Disease outbreak, wild fire, flood, tropical storm, tornado, earthquakes, winter storms, cyber-attacks, hazardous material release, power outages and terrorism or war.

Disaster – Dangerous event causing significant human and economic loss requiring a crisis response beyond local resources.

Prepare to care for yourself and your family for at least 1 week

Basic Needs:

Food – Stock up on nonperishable foods your family likes, canned, dried, instant. (full checklist attached)

Water – Estimate 1 gallon per person per day and water for pets.

Tools – Propane stove with fuel, trash bags, am/fm battery operated radio with batteries, toilet paper. Buy a little at a time and store separately. (full checklist attached)

Shelter – If your home is unheated, you may need to relocate to an emergency shelter in your area.

Warmth – wood, propane or kerosene stoves and heaters and generators. Be sure all are installed by professionals and operated according to instructions. CO monitors should always be present in the home. Close off unused rooms.

Sanitation – Basic handwashing critical to help prevent the spread of illness. Alcohol based hand sanitizer, baby wipes (never bath using hand sanitizer), extra toothpaste and toothbrushes, sanitary wipes for kitchen and surfaces, baking soda for cleaning, bleach (for purifying water, and cleaning). (full checklist attached)

First Aid – Separate First Aid Kit should set aside for disasters. Everyone, including children should be familiar with basic first aid. (full checklist attached)

Medications – Stock up on any prescription and over the counter medications you may need. (full checklist attached)

Electro-Dependent Medical Equipment – Discuss with provider before disaster. Extra batteries and oxygen bottles are short-term solutions only.

Finances – Always have a few hundred dollars cash on hand in case of disaster. No power means that ATMs will not be functional.

Safeguarding Valuable Personal Records – Portable Fireproof/waterproof document container (full checklist attached)

Back-up Power - Generators

InformationOnly call 911 in the event of a medical emergency. Never call 911 to get disaster information. Call Town Offices, Waldo County EMA 338-3870, 511 for road conditions, and 211 for shelter & disaster assistance information. Local radio stations (always have a battery-operated radio ready), NOAA weather alert radio, scanners, CB, HAM Radios.

Report – Requests for housing, fuel, food, and any property damage.

Communication – Check up on family, friends and neighbors. Especially the elderly and those with children. Keep contact lists with a designated out-of-area contact (for relaying messages). Family Service Radios, CBs, (HAM) Radios (need FCC License) may be options for communication.

Reasons to Evacuate – Prolonged power outages/loss of heat, hazardous material release/spill, forest fires, and fire, wind or water damage.

Self Defense – You are your first line of defense during a disaster against scammers, theft, and violence. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, only hire contractors you know or have good references for, be familiar with self-defense against physical violence.

Volunteer – Emergency Management and Civil Defense Programs rely almost entirely on volunteers. Volunteer with your town: Emergency operations centers, with disaster logistics, damage reporting, phone/radio communications, warming/mass feeding centers, public info/outreach, check in individuals with electro-dependent medical devices, and transporting people to emergency shelter. Volunteer within your County: Amateur radio emergency service teams, shelter management teams, pet shelter teams, disaster logistics teams, volunteer management teams and security teams.

Local governments and public safety departments are not staffed for disasters. Be prepared, you are the first line of defense for your family and friends. Assume you will be without power, and be prepared for at least 7 days and 1 month is even better.

                                                                        Information from the Waldo County EMA


We hope this information helps you to set up your home and to be more prepared for whatever comes next. 




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