Be prepared for the next big one! September is National Preparedness Month.
We all face potential disasters. There are tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, fires. California periodically has huge fires, but by far our greatest worry is about earthquakes. We have been told that there will be a 7 point or greater earthquake on the Hayward Fault in the near future.
The recent Napa earthquake on August 24, 2014 was a reminder that an earthquake could happen at any time. Earthquakes do not give any notice that they are coming. So we must plan to mitigate any damage or loss of life from an earthquake now.
What can we do to prepare for the next big one?
The first thing you should do is make a plan.
Prior to a major disaster make a family plan designating a place to
meet in case your home is not safe. Make a disaster kit. When there is a
major disaster first responders will be busy and may not be able to
help everyone. We must be able to take care of ourselves for 72 hours
and possibly longer. Make your homes safe to withstand a disaster. Designate an out-of-town family member or friend as a contact.
Have essential items for family members that will last at least 72
hours or longer. At the very least you should have a first aid kit, water
and food for all family members for a week, a manual can opener,
eating and cooking utensils, a change of clothing for each family
members, copies of important documents, a personal kit for each family member with medicine, toothpaste, toothbrush. This is a very basic list.
Finally, you should get involved and trained.
The most important thing you should do is become involved and trained. If you are an Alameda resident or work in Alameda you can receive free disaster preparedness training sponsored by the Alameda Fire Department and become a Community Emergency Response Team member. The 6 week training will begin on September 24 at 9:00 pm. Call 510-337-2129 now for more information.
CERT training includes personal preparedness and hazard mitigation, two classes of disaster medical, fire suppression and hazardous material awareness and mitigation, terrorism response and disaster search techniques and completion exercise.
Alameda is a wonderful island community, with its tree lined streets, friendly neighborhoods, great schools and lovely architecture. I write about interesting and fun things to do in Alameda and issue affecting Alamedans in my Living in Alameda blog. If you would like more information about Alameda please visit my Facebook page Living in Alameda.
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