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Preparing for Emergencies
- Emergency Checklist
- Fire Safety
- Home Hazard Hunt
- If You Need to Evacuate
- People with Mobility Challenges
- Prepare a Car Kit
- Prepare a Disaster Supplies Kit
- Meet with household members or your personal care attendant. Discuss the dangers of fire, severe weather, earthquakes and other emergencies that might occur in your community
- Determine what you will need to do for each type of emergency
- For example, most people head for a basement when there is a tornado warning but most basements are not wheelchair accessible. Determine in advance what your alternative shelter will be and how you will get there.
- Post emergency telephone numbers near telephones and teach your children how and when to call for help
- Learn what to do in case of power outages and personal injuries. Know how to connect or start a back-up powder supply for essential medical equipment
- If you or someone in your household uses a wheelchair, make more than one exit from your home wheelchair-accessible in case the primary exit is blocked in a disaster
- Teach those who may need to assist you in an emergency how to operate necessary equipment
- Arrange for a relative or neighbor to check on you in an emergency
- Learn how to turn off the water, gas, and electricity at main valves or switches
- Plan and practice how to escape from your home in an emergency
- Consider getting a medical alert system that will allow you to call for help if you are immobilized in an emergency
- If you live in an apartment, ask the management to identify and mark accessible exits
- Learn your community's evacuation routes
- Listen to a battery-operated radio for emergency information
- Pick one out-of-state and one local friend or relative for family members to call if separated by disaster
- Pick two meeting places:
- A place near your home in case of fire
- A place outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home after a disaster
- Keep family records in a watertight, fire-proof container
- Consider installing home sprinklers.
- Feel the bottom of the door with the palm of your hand. If it is hot, find another way out.
- If there is a fire, do not try to fight the fire. Get out fast. Do not stop for pets or possessions. Call the fire department after you are outside. Never go back into a burning building.
- Install smoke detectors. Clean and test smoke detectors once a month. Change batteries at least once a year.
- Plan two escape routes out of each room. If you cannot use the stairways, make special arrangements for help in advance. Never use the elevators.
In a disaster, anything that can move, fall, break or cause a fire is a potential hazard.
- Fasten shelves securely to the wall - Place large, heavy objects on lower shelves or the floor
- Hang pictures and mirrors away from beds - Bolt large pictures or mirrors to the wall
- Have chimneys, flue pipes, vents connectors, and gas vents cleaned and repaired by a professional
- Keep the shut-off switch for oxygen equipment near your bed or chair so you can get to it quickly if there is a fire
- Repair cracks in ceilings or foundations - Brace overhead light fixtures
- Repair defective electrical wiring, smell for leaky gas connections - If you smell gas, turn the gas off and call a professional to repair it
- Secure water heater by strapping it to a nearby wall
- Store weed killers, pesticides, and flammable products away from heat sources
- If you are sure you have time:
- Let others know when you left and where you are going.
- Make arrangements for pets. Animals other than service animals may not be allowed in public shelters.
- Shut off water, gas and electricity if instructed to do so.
- Listen to a battery-powered radio for the location of emergency shelters. Know in advance the location of wheelchair accessible shelters. Follow instructions of local officials.
- Lock your house.
- Take your Disaster Supplies Kit.
- Use travel routes specified or special assistance provided by local officials.
- Wear appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes.
For the millions of Americans with mobility problems, emergencies such as fires and floods present a special challenge. Protecting yourself and your family when disaster strikes requires planning ahead. This checklist will help you get started. Discuss these ideas with your family, friends or a personal care attendant and prepare an emergency plan. Post the plan where everyone will see it.
Include:
- Air Pump
- Battery-Powered Radio
- Blanket and First Aid Kit
- Booster Cables
- Bottled Water
- Fire Extinguisher (5 Pound, A-B-C Type)
- Flares
- Flashlight with Extra Batteries
- Maps
- Nonperishable foods such as granola bars, raisins, and cookies
- Shovel
- Tire Repair Kit
Assemble supplies you might need in an evacuation. Store them in an easy to carry container such as a backpack or duffle bag. Include:
- A battery-powered radio, flashlight and plenty of extra batteries for them
- Blankets or sleeping bags
- A change of clothing, rain gear and sturdy shoes
- An extra set of car keys
- Extra wheelchair batteries, oxygen, medication, catheters, food for guide or service dogs or other special equipment you might need
- A first aid kit, prescription medicines and an extra pair of glasses
- If you have a baby include extra diapers and other infant care items
- A list of family physicians and the relative or friend who should be notified if you are injured
- A list of the style and serial numbers of medical devices such as pacemakers
- A supply of non-perishable food and a non-electric can opener plus any special foods you require
- A supply of water (one gallon per person per day) Store water in sealed, unbreakable containers Identify the storage date and replace every six months
Also be sure to store back-up equipment such as a manual wheelchair at your neighbor's home, school or your workplace.
Contact Us
For more information or presentations on a number of topics contact us at 402-441-7441.