Terrorism—Preparing for the Unexpected
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Devastating acts, such as the terrorist attacks on
the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, have left
many concerned about the possibility of future
incidents in the United States and their potential
impact. They have raised uncertainty about what might
happen next, increasing stress levels. Nevertheless,
there are things you can do to prepare for the
unexpected and reduce the stress that you may feel now
and later should another emergency arise. Taking
preparatory action can reassure you and your children
that you can exert a measure of control even in the
face of such events.
What You Can Do to Prepare
Finding out what can happen is the first step. Once
you have determined the events possible and their
potential in your community, it is important that you
discuss them with your family or household. Develop a
disaster plan together.
1. Create an
emergency communications plan.
Choose an out-of-town contact your family or household
will call or e-mail to check on each other should a
disaster occur. Your selected contact should live far
enough away that they would be unlikely to be directly
affected by the same event, and they should know they
are the chosen contact. Make sure every household
member has that contact's, and each other's, e-mail
addresses and telephone numbers (home, work, pager and
cell). Leave these contact numbers at your children's
schools, if you have children, and at your workplace.
Your family should know that if telephones are not
working, they need to be patient and try again later
or try e-mail. Many people flood the telephone lines
when emergencies happen but e-mail can sometimes get
through when calls don't.
2. Establish a
meeting place.
Having a predetermined meeting place away from your
home will save time and minimize confusion should your
home be affected or the area evacuated. You may even
want to make arrangements to stay with a family member
or friend in case of an emergency. Be sure to include
any pets in these plans, since pets are not permitted
in shelters and some hotels will not accept them.
3. Assemble a
disaster supplies kit.
If you need to evacuate your home or are asked to
"shelter in place," having some essential
supplies on hand will make you and your family more
comfortable. Prepare a disaster supplies kit in an
easy-to-carry container such as a duffel bag or small
plastic trash can. Include "special needs"
items for any member of your household (infant formula
or items for people with disabilities or older
people), first aid supplies (including prescription
medications), a change of clothing for each household
member, a sleeping bag or bedroll for each, a battery
powered radio or television and extra batteries, food,
bottled water and tools. It is also a good idea to
include some cash and copies of important family
documents (birth certificates, passports and licenses)
in your kit.
Copies of essential documents-like powers of
attorney, birth and marriage certificates, insurance
policies, life insurance beneficiary designations and
a copy of your will-should also be kept in a safe
location outside your home. A safe deposit box or the
home of a friend or family member who lives out of
town is a good choice.
For more complete instructions, ask your local Red
Cross chapter for the brochure titled Your
Family Disaster Supplies Kit (stock number A4463).
4. Check on the
school emergency plan of any school-age children you
may have.
You need to know if they will they keep children at
school until a parent or designated adult can pick
them up or send them home on their own. Be sure that
the school has updated information about how to reach
parents and responsible caregivers to arrange for
pickup. And, ask what type of authorization the school
may require to release a child to someone you
designate, if you are not able to pick up your child.
During times of emergency the school telephones may be
overwhelmed with calls.
For more information on putting together a disaster
plan, request a copy of the brochure titled Your
Family Disaster Plan (A4466) from your local
American Red Cross chapter. You may also want to
request a copy of Before
Disaster Strikes . . . How to Make Sure You're
Financially Prepared (A5075) for specific
information on what you can do now to protect your
assets.
If Disaster Strikes
- Remain calm and be patient.
- Follow the advice of local emergency officials.
- Listen to your radio or television for news and
instructions.
- If the disaster occurs near you, check for
injuries. Give first aid and get help for
seriously injured people.
- If the disaster occurs near your home while you
are there, check for damage using a flashlight. Do
not light matches or candles or turn on electrical
switches. Check for fires, fire hazards and other
household hazards. Sniff for gas leaks, starting
at the water heater. If you smell gas or suspect a
leak, turn off the main gas valve, open windows,
and get everyone outside quickly.
- Shut off any other damaged utilities.
- Confine or secure your pets.
- Call your family contact—do not use the
telephone again unless it is a life-threatening
emergency.
- Check on your neighbors, especially those who
are elderly or disabled.
A Word on What Could
Happen
As we learned from the events of September 11, 2001,
the following things can happen after a terrorist
attack:
- There can be significant numbers of casualties
and/or damage to buildings and the infrastructure.
So employers need up-to-date information about any
medical needs you may have and on how to contact
your designated beneficiaries.
- Heavy law enforcement involvement at local,
state and federal levels follows a terrorist
attack due to the event's criminal nature.
- Health and mental health resources in the
affected communities can be strained to their
limits, maybe even overwhelmed.
- Extensive media coverage, strong public fear
and international implications and consequences
can continue for a prolonged period.
- Workplaces and schools may be closed, and there
may be restrictions on domestic and international
travel.
- You and your family or household may have to
evacuate an area, avoiding roads blocked for your
safety.
- Clean-up may take many months.
Evacuation
If local authorities ask you to leave your home, they
have a good reason to make this request, and you
should heed the advice immediately. Listen to your
radio or television and follow the instructions of
local emergency officials and keep these simple tips
in mind-
1.
Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and sturdy
shoes so you can be protected as much as possible.
2.
Take your disaster supplies kit.
3.
Take your pets with you; do not leave them
behind. Because pets are not permitted in public
shelters, follow your plan to go to a relative's or
friend's home, or find a "pet-friendly"
hotel.
4.
Lock your home.
5.
Use travel routes specified by local
authorities—don't use shortcuts because certain
areas may be impassable or dangerous.
6.
Stay away from downed power lines.
Listen to local
authorities.
Your local authorities will provide you with the most
accurate information specific to an event in your
area. Staying tuned to local radio and television, and
following their instructions is your safest choice.
If you're sure you have time:
- Call your family contact to tell them where you
are going and when you expect to arrive.
- Shut off water and electricity before leaving,
if instructed to do so. Leave natural gas service
ON unless local officials advise you otherwise.
You may need gas for heating and cooking, and only
a professional can restore gas service in your
home once it's been turned off. In a disaster
situation it could take weeks for a professional
to respond.
Shelter in place
If you are advised by local officials to "shelter
in place," what they mean is for you to remain
inside your home or office and protect yourself there.
Close and lock all windows and exterior doors. Turn
off all fans, heating and air conditioning systems.
Close the fireplace damper. Get your disaster supplies
kit, and make sure the radio is working. Go to an
interior room without windows that's above ground
level. In the case of a chemical threat, an
above-ground location is preferable because some
chemicals are heavier than air, and may seep into
basements even if the windows are closed. Using duct
tape, seal all cracks around the door and any vents
into the room. Keep listening to your radio or
television until you are told all is safe or you are
told to evacuate. Local officials may call for
evacuation in specific areas at greatest risk in your
community.
Additional Positive Steps You Can Take
Raw, unedited footage of terrorism events and
people's reaction to those events can be very
upsetting, especially to children. We do not recommend
that children watch television news reports about such
events, especially if the news reports show images
over and over again about the same incident. Young
children do not realize that it is repeated video
footage, and think the event is happening again and
again. Adults may also need to give themselves a break
from watching disturbing footage. However, listening
to local radio and television reports will provide you
with the most accurate information from responsible
governmental authorities on what's happening and what
actions you will need to take. So you may want to make
some arrangements to take turns listening to the news
with other adult members of your household.
Another useful preparation includes learning some
basic first aid. To enroll in a first aid and AED/CPR
course, contact your local American Red Cross chapter.
In an emergency situation, you need to tend to your
own well-being first and then consider first aid for
others immediately around you, including possibly
assisting injured people to evacuate a building if
necessary.
People who may have come into contact with a
biological or chemical agent may need to go through a
decontamination procedure and receive medical
attention. Listen to the advice of local officials on
the radio or television to determine what steps you
will need to take to protect yourself and your family.
As emergency services will likely be overwhelmed, only
call 9-1-1 about life-threatening emergencies.
First Aid Primer
If you encounter someone who is injured, apply the
emergency action steps: Check-Call-Care. Check
the scene to make sure it is safe for you to approach.
Then check the victim for unconsciousness and
life-threatening conditions. Someone who has a
life-threatening condition, such as not breathing or
severe bleeding, requires immediate care by trained
responders and may require treatment by medical
professionals. Call out for help. There are
some steps that you can take, however, to care
for someone who is hurt, but whose injuries are not
life threatening.
Control Bleeding
- Cover the wound with a dressing, and press
firmly against the wound (direct pressure).
- Elevate the injured area above the level of the
heart if you do not suspect that the victim has a
broken bone.
- Cover the dressing with a roller bandage.
- If the bleeding does not stop:
- Apply
additional dressings and bandages.
- Use
a pressure point to squeeze the artery against
the bone.
- Provide care for shock.
Care for Shock
- Keep the victim from getting chilled or
overheated.
- Elevate the legs about 12 inches (if broken
bones are not suspected).
- Do not give food or drink to the victim.
Tend Burns
- Stop the burning by cooling the burn with large
amounts of water.
- Cover the burn with dry, clean dressings or
cloth.
Care for Injuries to Muscles, Bones and Joints
- Rest the injured part.
- Apply ice or a cold pack to control swelling
and reduce pain.
- Avoid any movement or activity that causes
pain.
- If you must move the victim because the scene
is becoming unsafe, try to immobilize the injured
part to keep it from moving.
Be Aware of Biological/Radiological Exposure
- Listen to local radio and television
reports for the most accurate information from
responsible governmental and medical authorities
on what's happening and what actions you will need
to take. The Web sites referenced at the end of
this brochure can give you more information on how
to protect yourself from exposure to biological or
radiological hazards.
Reduce Any Care Risks
The risk of getting a disease while giving first aid
is extremely rare. However, to reduce the risk even
further:
- Avoid direct contact with blood and other
body fluids.
- Use protective equipment, such as
disposable gloves and breathing barriers.
- Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and
water immediately after giving care.
It is important to be prepared for an emergency and
to know how to give emergency care.
More Information
All of these recommendations make good sense,
regardless of the potential problem. For more
information on how to get ready for disaster and be
safe when disaster strikes, or to register for a first
aid and AED/CPR course, please contact the Wyoming
Valley Chapter.
For information about your community's specific
plans for response to disasters and other emergencies,
contact your local office of emergency management.
For information on what a business can do to
protect its employees and customers as well as develop
business continuity plans, you may want to get a copy
of the Emergency Management Guide for Business and
Industry and/or Preparing Your Business for the
Unthinkable from your local American Red Cross
chapter or see http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared
For more information about the specific effects of
chemical or biological agents, the following Web sites
may be helpful:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.bt.cdc.gov
U.S. Department of Energy:
www.energy.gov
U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services: www.hhs.gov
Federal Emergency
Management Agency: www.fema.gov
Environmental Protection
Agency: www.epa.gov/swercepp
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