Are you ready?

Just how prepared is the entire nation for an emergency like a terrorist attack? And how prepared are you and your family for an emergency in your community, like a power outage, major weather conditions, or a natural ? We live in the Seattle area and just had our power out for a week. I hope that you will find this information helpful should you ever have to encounter what we just went through. Imagine 4 kids and no power. Thank goodness we had wood, and a gas water heater and a gas stove. First Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit: Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation Food, at least a three-day ((((or more)))) supply of non-perishable food Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both Flashlight and extra batteries Fire wood or generator First aid kit Whistle to signal for help Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food) Local maps Second Aware of local government’s emergency or disaster plan One of the important first steps in preparedness is to familiarize yourself with your local community’s emergency or disaster plan. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other state and local government agencies are working hard to protect and prepare our nation for emergencies. This website makes it easy to find appropriate plans and other information simply by clicking on your state on a map. Your neighborhood library is also an excellent resource. The reference section usually has a copy of your city and state plan, or library staff can help you locate it. State Offices and Agencies of Emergency Management are a great resource and have easy links to find plans. You can also download plans directly from state (many of these sites also have links to cities) and city websites. In addition, many states have developed plans for a specific response to a Pandemic Flu outbreak. View your state’s Pandemic Flu plan and make sure you know what to do. Know How To Find The Emergency Broadcast Channel On The Radio “This is a test. This is a test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test…” You will occasionally hear or see these words on your local broadcast station, satellite radio, Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), or cable system. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is designed to provide the President with a means to address the American people in the event of a national emergency. Beginning in 1963, the President permitted state and local emergency information to be transmitted using the system. Since then, local emergency management personnel have used the EAS to relay local emergency messages via broadcast stations, cable, and wireless cable systems. In 2005, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) expanded the EAS rules to require EAS participation by digital television (DTV) broadcasters, digital cable television providers, digital broadcast radio, Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS), and DBS systems. Your city or state emergency plan usually has information about how to find the emergency alert and broadcast channel. You may also want to familiarize yourself with your state’s Emergency Alert System plan. The National Weather Service at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration has a site that links to information regarding weather warning and watches, including warnings by state. It’s worth checking out. Seen Or Heard Any Messages That Encourage Preparedness (in the last 30 days) Recently, many websites have been created to help spread the message and encourage preparation and preparedness. Whether you are looking for specific information about what to do in your area, or something more broad like what should be in a "Go" kit, these sites are good places to start: The American Red Cross Ready.gov Ready Kids Ready Business PandemicFlu.gov Many major cities, including Boston, Chicago, Harris County, TX, Los Angeles, Miami-Dade, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. have created special public service announcements and public education efforts to encourage people to prepare. At the national level, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with The Advertising Council, has sponsored public service advertisements that educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to all kinds of emergencies. The campaign — which includes radio, television and print efforts — asks individuals to do three key things to prepare for the unexpected: get an emergency supply kit, make a family emergency plan, and be informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses The Ad Council has declared the PSA effort one of the most successful campaigns in its more than 60-year history. Since its launch the campaign has generated more than $466 million in donated media support. Prepared a Disaster Supply Kit Most experts agree that when preparing for a possible emergency situation — and thinking about what to have in a disaster supply kit — it’s best to think first about the basics of survival: fresh water, food, clean air and warmth. So every emergency supply kit should include (among other items): dog food, cat food… What happens to your pets if you have to leave your home???? Let me know our thoughts or suggestions?? Happy Holidays Also, just so you know we got our power on this last tuesday and some people here in Seattle are still without power. The gas stations lost power so there was only one gas station that had gas. Yeah can you say GENERATOR… It was amazing how quickly Seattle crumbled… The gas line was two hrs long… and some waited longer or had to walk home… We also ran out of wood. Make sure you have a generator or firewood stocked up. Don’t use prop tanks inside it kills…