Disaster Preparedness - 5 Top Tips For Earthquake Survival

By Wayne Bennett

The recent earthquakes in Haiti remind us that we must be prepared. This impoverished country had little to no preparedness in place. We must take steps to become more self reliant and capable of taking care of our own families in an emergency.

I have been involved professionally in emergency response since 1982. In that time I have responded to thousands of emergencies. Mostly of the daily 9-1-1 nature. Some were of a catastrophic nature, including large earthquakes, wild fires and floods. I have also been training the public in disaster preparedness since 1987. What I have come away with is a pattern of unpreparedness by civilians. This led me to create this list of the top 5 things one should do to prepare in the order of importance.

1. "Real" First Aid Kit - This is number one because injuries don't and can't wait. They must be addressed immediately. You must have a kit that can handle problems even when you do not have immediate access to 9-1-1. A "Real" first aid kit is a kit that is more than a owie or boo, boo kit. More than just band-aids and wipes. What you need is a kit with at least CPR barrier mask, trauma dressings, multiple 4x4 gauze dressings, gauze rolls, paramedic scissors, a real splint (not popsicle sticks), sterile water, burn dressing, etc. This is a kit that can manage serious and minor injuries. The ability to stabilize and sterilize can be lifesaving when outside sources become limited or unavailable.
   
   
2. Utility shutoff tool - The ability to control your gas and water meters is extremely important to minimize property damage and risk to life safety. To reduce the risk of fire and explosions immediately following an earthquake is critical. Always check the gas meter dials to determine a leak. As most leaks will be in the walls or attic of the home and you may not smell gas til it is to late. Look for a non-sparking metal tool that will turn off both your gas and water meters.
   
   
3. Fire Extinguisher - Since all fires start small, having an extinguisher handy is a great advantage for preserving life and property. Purchase an ABC dry chemical extinguisher. This type will extinguish all three classes of fire (ordinary combustibles, flammable liquids and electrical. Keep a fire extinguisher in the home and car. Periodically check the gauge for pressure.
   
   
4. Water storage - Even though you may not need water in the next hour. It will become critical to your families survival in the following hours and days. This not something you can get later. Store enough Water - a minimum of one gallon per person per day for 7-14 days for drinking and hygiene. Store tap water in approved barrels and treat with "Water Preserver" for five-year storage. Keep "Water Purification Tablets" on hand to treat any untreated or questionable water. One tablet will treat one quart of water. Never store water in old bleach bottles, milk type plastic containers (as they are made from breathable plastic) in the garage because any fumes from vehicles, paints, solvents, pesticides will contaminate your supply.
   
   
5. Car Survival Kit - Since we take our cars everywhere, place one in each family members car. You will always be prepared. Store a 3-day food bar, sterile water pouches, medical, warmth (thermal blanket) and lightsticks and flashlight in your kit.

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Wayne Bennett is a twenty five year fire captain in southern California. He is also the owner of Survival Skills & Co. a business specializing in Disaster Response training for Schools and Businesses. He has trained over 20,000 persons since 1991 how to save lives in his one day "Disaster Survival Skills" workshops. His company also provides realistic kits and supplies for disaster preparedness. His company provides NIMS training, CPR & First Aid classes. He is a FEMA CERT instructor, American Heart Assoc. Instructor, National Safety Council training center. His training includes Urban Search and Rescue training, Swift water rescue, Ice rescue, High/low angle rope rescue, CSTI earthquake management, etc.


Visit his website at http://www.disastersurvivalskills.com


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Bennett

How Could You Use Wilderness Survival During An Urban Disaster?

Many people who go off into the woods for hiking, camping, and backpacking trips learn a variety of wilderness survival skills. These are very important if you get lost in the woods. They help you become more comfortable so that you can last until you are found again. Realistically, this rarely happens to anyone. It's more likely that you are in a local disaster in your city that will make you need to rely upon these skills if it is severe enough. These could be caused by wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and other weather related events. Luckily, your wilderness survival skills should help you in this type of urban disaster.

Knowing where you can get water can be an important skill as well. Hopefully you already have a few days water on hand just in case anything happens. But if the disaster were to last more than a week, you will need to know where to find water. There are many skills like using plastic bags over plants or a simple solar sill that will let you get water even in your backyard that you can then purify and drink.

Be sure that you have some basic skills in first aid as well. If there is something major going on in your area where people have been hurt, you won't be able to see a doctor for basic injuries. At the very least focus on pain control and avoiding infections. First aid can only do so much but it can prevent further problems when done correctly.

One of the more important skills that you should be able to do is build fire. This can be important during a city disaster because it's useful for warmth and for purifying water. It's also a backup plan for cooking. If you don't know how to properly build a fire, you may want to learn this skill.

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