Opinion: Time to create family disaster plan
By Tracy Franklin
As part of the city’s initiative to increase communications, we will be offering a 12-part monthly series during 2013 highlighting emergency preparedness. Use these tools to prepare yourself for an emergency. More information is available in the city’s website.
Create a Family Disaster Plan
Your family needs a plan that tells everyone where to meet if you have to evacuate; who you’ve identified as an out-of-state family contact; how to get emergency information in your community; and how to take care of your family pets.
When preparing for an emergency, plan on having enough supplies to get you and your family through at least the first 72 hours. After a major emergency, there’s a good chance that traditional emergency response teams will be too busy to take care of you and your family. You need to prepare your home and neighborhood.
• Stock up on at least a three-day supply of food, water, clothes, medical supplies and other necessary equipment for everyone in your family.
• Make sure everyone knows where to find them.
• Decide where and when to reunite your family should you are apart when a disaster strikes.
• Choose a person outside the immediate area to contact if family members are separated. Long distance phone service will probably be restored sooner than local service. Do not use the phone immediately after a major emergency.
• Know the policies of the school or daycare center your children attend. Make plans to have someone pick them up if you are unable to get to them.
• If you have a family member who does not speak English, prepare an emergency card written in English indicating that person’s identification, address and any special needs such as medication or allergies. Tell that person to keep the card with him/her at all times.
• Conduct Earthquake: Duck, Cover and Hold drills every six months with your family.
• Practice Stop, Drop and Roll drills for fire, as well as emergency exit drills in the house regularly.
• Know the safest place in each room because it will be difficult to move from one room to another during an earthquake or explosion.
• Locate the shutoff valves for water, gas and electricity. Learn how to shut off the valves before an emergency. If you have any questions, call your utility company. Remember not to shut off utility valves unless directed to do so by your utility company.
• Make copies of vital records and keep them in a safe deposit box in another city or state. Make sure your originals are stored safely.
• Before a major emergency occurs, call your local Red Cross chapter and Office of Emergency Services to find out about their plans for emergency shelters and temporary medical centers in case of a disaster.
• Establish all the possible ways to exit your house. Keep those areas clear.
• Know the locations of the nearest fire and police stations.
• Take photos and/or videos of your valuables. Make copies and keep them with a friend or relative in another city or state.
• Include your babysitter and other household help in your plans.
• Keep an extra pair of eyeglasses and house and car keys on hand.
• Keep extra cash and change. If electricity is out, you will not be able to use an ATM.
Important numbers
American Red Cross (South Lake Tahoe) (916) 933.7070
El Dorado County Sherriff’s Department (530) 573.3000
Barton Memorial Hospital (530) 541.3420
El Dorado County Snow Removal (530) 573.3180
California Department of Insurance 800.927.HELP
Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (530) 577.2273
California Highway Patrol (530) 577.1001
Lake Valley Fire Department (530) 577.3737
South Lake Tahoe Snow Removal (530) 542.6030
Road Conditions California 800.427.ROAD
Douglas County Sherriff’s Department (775) 782.9900
Road Conditions Nevada 877.687.6237
El Dorado County Animal Control (530) 577.1766
Social Security Office (Placerville) (530) 626.8421
El Dorado County Health Department (530) 573.3155
South Lake Tahoe Fire Department (530) 542.6160
El Dorado County Jail (530) 573.3031
South Lake Tahoe Police Department (530) 542.6100.
Tracy Franklin is the public information officer for South Lake Tahoe.
Why is the city spending money on this? This is almost as bad as the mayor of New York telling his constituents not to touch a live power line if it is lying on the ground.
Emergency preparedness is important and worth a few dollars of city money to fund such a project to inform the public.
Case in point. In the early 80’s the power and naturual gas both went out
at about the same time. Lasted almost a week to my recollction.
My new neighbors, an elderly woman and her adult son had just moved in next door to me from So. Calif.They were totally unprepared for something like this. No heat and no lights!
They had no firewood to stay warm with, no candles, flashhlights or a way to cook food. I brought them over some fire wood, a coleman stove, some candles and wool blankets.
They moved out shortly after that ordeal as Tahoe wasn’t there cup of tea.
So yes, being prepared for… whatever, can make things much better. Get to know your neighbors, as you help them, they’ll help you.
As a resident of SLT you will have to spend a few bucks to buy up some supplies but it’s money well spent.
Take Care, Old Long Skiis
OLS- I do it without any help from the city. It’s get back to defining what the city or any governement group should do. It should be those things I can’t do for myself.
Even though I know most of this info, it’s good to have it reinforced annually. If the power goes out, we’ll have no heat because our gas fireplace requires electricity to start it. This article reminds me to work out a solution and get it done. Also, nice to have the list of phone numbers in one place. I’m printing them to have handy.
Emergency preparedness is all about education on what to do if something threatening happens. Fire, flood, earthquake, big storms and many other things that can happen without warning.
Many people are clueless about the weather such as the cold front we experienced a couple of weeks ago. Lots of frozen pipes around town flooding homes and causing damage to the casinos as well. The plumbers liked it as did some construction workers!
Sure most of this stuff is common sense which unfortunately some people are severely lacking.
Probably the people that most need this information will be the least likely to read it. Then when the “stuff” hits the
the fan they will be running around like their heads are on fire, “help me, help me”. I think it’s a worthwhile program even if it only helps a few. OLS