What’s the plan?

2 Oct 2019

In these geographically uncertain times, and actually, anytime it is a good idea to have a family or a personal plan at hand, in case of a natural – or a man-made disaster. It seems like every day there are new disasters unfolding, at what appears to be an unprecedented rate. Certainly much faster than I have ever seen in my years on this 3rd rock from the sun.

New Zealand experiences thousands of earthquakes every year. Most are either very deep or centered well offshore, and cause little damage or injury. But a large and shallow quake

could happen any time and can be followed by aftershocks that continue for a long time. As we in NZ have witnessed with Christchurch, and the more recent Kaikoura quake. But NZ is not the only country to have quakes or other forms of natural disasters, such as a volcanic eruption, or even man-made ones.

Because of this, it is always a good habit to have a plan for when a disaster might strike. Always! Now! I am not saying this to create fear in anyone, or to say that a quake or other disaster is going to strike any minute now. But, it is only a matter of time, before the Hikurangi fault slips, or some other – perhaps currently unknown fault ruptures, and we have another major disaster on hand. We may not even get much, if any warning if that happens, and we can never rely on others to come to our aid. We need to be able to take care of ourselves, first and foremost. Then, to be able to help our neighbours and anyone else who may be in need. You can’t help others until you take care of your own needs first. That is not selfish, that is a reality.

So in this document, which will be rather lengthy, I am going to give you some basic ideas to consider, and a list of things you will need for a bug-out-bag, which is a bag or container that you can pick up and carry with you, should you need to evacuate for whatever reason.

PREPARATION

Preparation is the key to being able to give yourself and your loved ones a greater chance of survival in any disaster. I am going to focus on quakes here, as this is the highest risk for a natural disaster here in New Zealand specifically, but of course, these preparations can be used anywhere in the world, for most sorts of disasters.

Here are some tips to help you all.

Put together a family survival plan. Create an emergency plan for your family in case of a natural disaster. Include household information, out-of-town contacts, and school, workplace, and childcare contact information and emergency contingencies. Add your evacuation routes and shelter plans as well.
Discuss how to prepare and respond to most likely disasters. Consider scenarios for the events that are most likely to happen in your area. Make sure everyone in your family knows how to react to different disasters, including tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, fires, winter storms, and power outages. Pinpoint the safest spots in your home for each type of disaster. For example, make an emergency plan for a flood if you live near a waterway, or an emergency plan for an earthquake if you live in a country that is quake prone, as New Zealand is.
Make a basic bug out bag, for every member of the family is is capable of carrying one. I will give instructions on what sort of things to include in that later on.
Determine the best evacuation routes. Identify all the entries and exits in your home and plan how you will evacuate your home (by car or by foot, for instance). Determine where you will go in the event that you cannot remain in your home or even in your region. Then, map out several routes for getting out of your city and state or region. Be sure to brief all your family members about evacuation strategies and exit plans. It’s important to have multiple options in case roadways are damaged during a disaster.
You and your family should pick two locations to go to for safety in the event of an emergency. Choose one out-of-town person as an emergency contact and create a list of emergency contacts that can be kept in a safe, readily available place. Choose one location in your neighborhood or close to your home as well as one that is located out of town. Plan to meet at the closest location in the event of an emergency, and keep the out-of-town location as a backup in case a disaster prevents you from meeting at the primary location.
Identify 3 ways to get warnings. Sirens are generally insufficient warnings for natural disasters. However, in case of a power outage, you cannot rely solely on your television or landline phone for warnings, either. Sign up to receive emergency alerts from your local government by text message or email. You should also have a battery-operated AM/FM radio (and extra batteries) on hand as well
Decide how family members will communicate. Come up with a communication plan in case you are separated in the event of a disaster.You may want to provide each member of the family with a prepaid cell phone and charger, for instance. Make a contact card for each member of the family so they have all the phone numbers and addresses they may need. Text messages are more reliable than phone calls during emergencies. Make sure children know how to operate a cell phone and send a text message. (but also be aware the cell phone towers may have been destroyed in the disaster).
Have a emergency evacuation process sorted out for your household. How to leave the house, where to meet outside of the house, before evacuating elsewhere.
Practice on a regular basis – both evacuating your home, or dwelling, and evacuating to your designated family meeting area. Time yourselves, and see how quickly and efficiently you all can do this. Remember, the more you practice, the more efficient you all will become, and when (not if), a natural disaster does strike, you all will know precisely what you all need to do, where you need to go, what you need to take. And, so will be far less likely to panic or to do something silly that may jeopardize your safety, or the safety of your loved ones.
Locate the mains for your gas (if you have it) and water coming to your home, so in an emergency you can locate them quickly and shut them off asap following a disaster.
Gather Insurance and other important Documents into one readily accessible place. Your home insurance documents and other important papers should be part of your bug out kit and readily available in the event of a disaster because you will need that proof for claims and assistance. Know what your policy will cover, if you have one.
Decide what you will do with your pets. Pets are family, so it is important to include them in your emergency plans.
Keep Flashlights and Extra Batteries in Dry Areas. Store them in containers to make sure they will work if need be.
Have an Emergency Car Kit / bug out bag. Having an emergency kit in your car is smart. You could get stranded or stuck away from home in a disaster, and your kit could be a life-saver.

BUG OUT BAGS

Bug out bags, can make the difference in a real emergency to you and your family surviving until some form of help can reach your area.

You absolutely cannot count on the government or military coming to your aid, for days, possibly longer, if at all (depending on where you live).

Here are some items that you should look at including:

Bug out bag items

Plastic container with a tight-fitting lid or a waterproof duffel bag This will hold your kit.
General First Aid Kit. Bandages, antiseptic wipes, aspirin and non-aspirin pain relievers, gauze, small scissors, antacid, laxatives, anti-diarrhea medication.
Large tarp (if possible or plastic sheeting)
Rope or tarp tie-downs
Flashlights One per family member is best, plus extra batteries.
Battery-operated radio and extra batteries
Plastic garbage bags
Light sticks or candles and matches.
Blankets One per family member (those tinfoil emergency blankets work really well and take up little space). Sleeping bags are a good alternative.
Whistles One per family member, to help locate each other.
List of important phone numbers, and addresses.
Important papers. A copy of your insurance policies, health insurance cards, your IDs, government benefit eligibility documents, etc.
Cash, Include small bills. ( if you are able to do this – don’t stress if you can’t)
Adapter for car cigarette lighter to recharge cell phone
Personal items Toilet tissue, toothbrushes, toothpaste and denture needs, feminine hygiene items, paper towels, hand wipes. If you have a baby in the house, include a supply of nappies, wipes, formula, and any other special needs.
Paper and pencils
Non-electric can opener
Food Two days worth of packaged meats, fruit and vegetables, canned or bottled juice, energy/high- protein bars. Baby food and pet food, if necessary. Check dates and replace expired items every six months.
Have a three-day supply of water. Allow 3 litres per person per day. If you have been warned of severe weather and have sufficient time, fill sinks, tubs and buckets with water. This water can be used for hygiene and the water in your kit can be saved for consumption. Ceramic water filters or purification tablets, such as those used by campers, are also great for emergency water purification. Replace water supply every 12 months.
Prescription medications and other medical needs.
Large plastic rubbish bags.

I think that I have covered most things that would be really important to have in a bug out bag…. But it is also important to have emergency supplies in your household at all times, in case of non-evacuations emergencies.

I have always had emergency supplies from the time I started earning my own money. I would buy one or two extra items a week with my groceries and made sure I rotated my supplies on a regular basis. If you do this, you will find that your supplies will grow remarkably quickly. Get items when they are on special – multiple buys for a cheaper price, keep half for regular use, and half for emergency supplies.

If you get one or two items per pay, it is not going to break your bank and you have the piece of mind, knowing that you are preparing your family.

EMERGENCY TOILET

One last thing. No one likes to be caught short, and in the case of an emergency situation it is so important to know that you can do your business in a safe and hygienic manner. Especially important in a disaster, when it is most likely that the sewage and water mains are broken. So what you need are only three things.

A ten litre plastic storage bin
Large plastic rubbish bags
A pool noodle.
Simply line the bucket with the rubbish bag. Making sure it well over hangs the sides of the storage bin.
Cut the pool noodle down the center and fit it around the edge of the top of the bucket, over top of the plastic bag. Cutting it to fit the circumference. of the top of the bucket.
You can remove the wire handle and thread a roll of toilet paper through it for a handy toilet roll holder.
And there you have a reasonably comfortable and hygienic container for doing your business in.