Seminar info
Jw ... I provide disaster preparedness seminars... can not tell how many people I have meet over the years with needed information who also thought no one really wants to know what I think.
I would like to see an outline of subject matter you cover in your seminars. Here is what we covered in ours: our ppt. resentation may be downloaded at
W4AVA.ORG
OBJECTIVES:
Why teach "survival" in the city?
Catastrophes vs. disasters
This is about your SURVIVAL, not volunteering
Priorities for human survival
Break-out sessions:
Shelter construction
Fire making
Signaling
Equipment and supplies
Social implications of disasters
Personal security concerns
Disaster V. Catastrophe
Disasters are short term
"Make do for 3-4 days until help arrives…"
Catastrophic events are long term
Katrina-scale hurricane, tsunami, earthquake
Major terror attack, nuclear detonation, dirty bomb
No help is coming soon, "you are on your own"
Why?
Complete loss of civil infrastructure
Minimal or no police, fire or EMS response
No electricity, municipal water, communications
Transport of fuel / food is severely impaired
Public safety agencies will be overwhelmed
Recovery is long term (over 30 days)
Situational awareness, basic knowledge and
a "survivor's mindset" enable you to cope effectively
STOP Calm down, and size up your situation…
THINK Anticipate which hazards are most likely
Take stock of materials and resources around you
OBSERVE Orient yourself to your surroundings
PLAN Select equipment and supplies appropriately
ACT! Execute your plan, evaluate progress, adjust, "party on."
PREPAREDNESS
Have an evacuation kit ready at all times
Don't presume that a disaster will be short-term
Pack essentials first, then consider comfort items
In real emergences, forget last-minute purchases
Plan for more supplies than you "think" you may need
Inspect / renew your supplies each spring and fall
Provide entertainment for young children.
FIRST AID AND SANITATION
Maintain personal and family health
Prompt treatment reduces infection risk
Sanitation reduces risk of disease vectors
Water borne illnesses, diarrhea
Major cause of dehydration
Increases your survivability!
The "Stay or Evacuate" Decision
If evacuation is not mandatory, the same safety rules
for entering a structure apply to using your home as shelter
DO NOT OCCUPY IF:
There is structural damage
(6 sides of the "box" are not plumb)
Utilities cannot be controlled
Structure was damaged in a fire
DO NOT occupy a floor that has been flooded,
micotoxins from molds are respiratory hazard!
Sheltering at Home During an Emergency
For using a building without working utilities as shelter
Exhaust - candles, camp stoves, lanterns, generators,
heaters, charcoal grills, all generate carbon monoxide
and must not be used indoors!
Open flame - above ignition sources
must never be left unattended!
Fuel - most of the above require flammable fuels
to operate, which must be stored outdoors.
Use Fire Marshal approved fuel containers
Improvised Emergency Shelters
As in all real estate, most important is location:
Avoid low spots with poor drainage
Seek a gently sloped area so that surface water drains away
Sheltered from prevailing winds
Away from bodies of water (attracts insects and animals)
Insulated from direct contact with ground, rock,
or concrete, which conducts away body heat.
Avoid as shelter:
Areas around downed utility lines
In or near culverts
Within the "collapse zone" of a damaged building
(maintain 2:1 ratio of distance away to building height)
Improvised Shelters:
Sheds
Tents
Tarps
Vehicles
Emergency Shelter Materials:
Salvage building materials from debris or
from damaged structures only when it can be done safely
TYVEK building wrap
Plastic sheeting
Roofing paper and shingles
Siding, plywood
Chain link fence
Lumber
Carpeting
Wire, rope, and fasteners
Build Your Shelter In Layers
Structural framing: lumber, plywood, fencing, metal
Fasteners: reinforce structural connections with nails, wire or rope ties, wooden spikes
Water and wind proofing: TYVEK, plastic sheeting, tarp, shingles, roofing paper
Insulation: drywall, leaves, tree branches, carpeting, (may also be used as ballast to hold water/wind proofing layer in place)
FIRE:
Maintains body temperature
Great morale booster
Deters wild animals and insects
Boils water
Cooks food
Used as day (smoke)
or night (light) signal
FIRE MAKING METHODS
Matches or lighter
Flint and steel (Doan Machinery Corp. Fire Starter)
Use cotton ball and petroleum jelly as tinder
Battery and steel wool
Fresnel lens
WATER SUPPLY
Minimum for drinking
1 gallon per person, per day
More water is needed for
Cooking and food preparation
Personal hygiene, sanitation and decontamination
Store a two week supply as minimum
Food grade containers with screw caps
Away from direct sunlight
EMERGENCY WATER SOURCES
Captive water in household hot water tank and interior plumbing is OK
Filter cloudy water to remove particulates, using an EPA-rated filter
with a pore size ≤ 1 micron, then:
Disinfect with Clorox (6% sodium hypochlorite) add 8 drops of Chlorox
bleach per gallon if clear, 16 drops if cloudy, let water stand 15 minutes before use
Or boil vigorously for 15 minutes
Store potable water in clean containers.
All natural sources (from springs, ponds, rivers or streams)
must be boiled or chemically disinfected.
Chemical disinfection or boiling - Kills bacteria and viruses
Doesn't remove particulates or chemical pollutants
Filtration - Coffee filters, etc. remove gross particulates only
EPA-rated filters (pore size smaller than 1 micron) are needed
to remove bacteria, viruses and Giardia cysts, but don't remove chemical pollutants.
Distillation is the most effective method.
FOOD
Lowest of the seven survival priorities
Need is mostly mental, because we are used to eating regularly
Healthy people will do OK without food for a week or more, if they are well hydrated
Balanced nutrition is a important health factor for elderly and infants.
SHELF LIFE OF FOOD STORED IN THE HOME
Food in a refrigerator is safe for a day after the power goes off,
either use it in 24 hours or throw it away
Frozen food is safe if there are still ice crystals,
once thawed, cook and consume it within 24 hours
Next use non-perishables and dry staples
Canned foods are best for long term storage
(up to 4 years) but are heavy to transport and bulky to store
Dry packaged foods are easiest to transport
Choose foods requiring minimal preparation
Eat at least one balanced meal daily
Include nutritional supplements in supplies
Drink enough water.
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
Folding utility knife or multi-tool
Scout type, Leatherman®, Swiss Army or Mil-K-818
Manual can opener, if not on utility knife
Sturdy fixed blade, such as 5" Mil. Aircrew Survival Knife
For chopping, digging, or as pry bar
Shovel, Gerber field spade or similar
Hand saw, #7947 Fiskars Woodzig Pruning Saw, folding 10"
Axe
ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES
Each person should have their own backpack of personal essentials
Flashlight
Portable radio
Extra batteries
First Aid Kit, (containing a first aid manual)
Personal medications and sanitation supplies
Cooking and eating utensils
Wool blanket or sleeping bag for each person
Sturdy shoes and extra socks
Rain gear
Change of warm clothing and underwear
Items for special needs, care of infants
Evacuate or Stay? - Do you have a plan?
Where will you go? Is it safe to travel?
Can you REALLY get there?
Do you have enough resources to make it work?
Warn friends not to invite others to come and evacuate with them
They'll overwhelm your limited resources!
Never allow family members to be separated
Even if it means waiting for later rescue and/or evacuation
Lessons from Hurricane Katrina - When help arrives, you may get it
"…….whether you want it or not."
Don't believe that all rescuers will respect your property
Relief workers from other States often don't know local laws
Relief organizations have their own bureaucratic requirements that may conflict with your needs
Expect frustration over lack of communication and empathy by rescuers and local/State government.
COURSE SUMMARY:
Positive attitude - Stop Think Observe Plan
First Aid / Sanitation - Maintain proper hygiene, preserve family health, prevent illness or injury
Shelter - Protection from environmental hazards - use Time, Distance, Shielding
Signaling / Communication- be heard / seen
Fire - Warmth, light, food prep, water sterilization
Water - Prevent water-borne illnesses through filtration, chemical sterilization, boiling or distillation
Food - Eat at least one balanced meal daily, drink enough water, include nutritional supplements
Equipment- Flashlight, knife, saw, axe, shovel
Planning - Prepare a Kit, Make A Plan!
Ready.gov - Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed.
