Family Home Evening Activity #1 Coping with Power Outage

Coping with a Power Outage/ FHE

Parents should be familiar with all the information in this activity. They can share the information according to the ages and attention span of family members.
Prior to Family Home Evening
Before having your family home evening, have a brief discussion with your family regarding power outages they might have experienced. Talk about items that would come in handy in a power outage kit. Make any important suggestions they might miss, using the materials needed section of the outline. Assemble the kit and let everyone know where it is.
Activity

Run the evening blackout activity with the family, including dinner, clean-up, and other evening activities. Try to incorporate as many of the activities the family would normally face during the course of a blackout.
1. Get necessary items from power outage kit.

2. Check around to find the source of the problem. Talk family through inside and outside options.

3. Evening meal preparation. Work together to decide menu and prepare the food.

4. Clean up after the meal, discussing water issues.

5. Follow through on evening activities such as homework, scriptures, and plan some fun activities as well.
* Follow Up

Evaluate the activity with your family and decide what changes need to be made in your family preparation for a power outage. It would also be an appropriate time to discuss what needs to be done after the power is back on.

Coping with a Power Outage
Everyone experiences power interruptions from time to time. Many of these outages come at times of weather extremes or accompany various disasters. When the power is out, safety becomes a major concern. This activity will help your family be prepared to deal with power failures that result in loss of light and heat.

Materials Needed

Prepare a power outage kit, or better yet, make it part of your disaster preparedness kit. Consider having glow sticks, flashlights with extra batteries, a wind-up/battery-powered radio with extra batteries, and a wind-up/battery-powered clock as part of the kit. Also include fuses (if you have a fuse box that requires fuse replacements) and make sure you have food requiring no refrigeration or cooking such as crackers, canned meats, fruits, dried meats, fish, juices, and stored water. Include some cash in your power-outage kit because if the outage is widespread ATMs may be inoperable.

Activity

Decide on an evening when your family can practice coping with a blackout. Parents might want to plan the evening together and then surprise the rest of the family. Before dinner, announce that in a few minutes you will be turning out the lights. Tell everyone that for a specified amount of time they will not be allowed to turn on the lights again because tonight your family will be learning what to do during a blackout.

Have everyone follow these steps:
1. Don’t panic and don’t walk around in the dark. You can get hurt if you wander about in the dark, especially if you are outside or in a strange place.



2. Get the flashlight, batteries, glow sticks (or candles and matches as a last resort). If you must use candles for light, keep in mind they can cause a fire.

3. Check the inside of your home to see if the problem originates there:

► Check the fuse box or circuit breaker box.
► Find the replacement fuses and make sure all family members know how to replace them. If your home is run from breaker switches, check them for malfunctioning circuits.
► Turn off appliances before replacing fuses or resetting circuits.
4. If you find the problem does not originate from these sources, look out the window to see if other lights are off in the neighborhood.

► If power is out in the neighborhood, contact the power company to report the outage.

► Turn off the main circuit breaker in your house. Note: Always turn off individual circuits before turning off the main circuit breaker.

► Turn on your battery-powered or wind-up radio for information.

► Disconnect all electrical heaters and appliances to reduce the initial demand and protect the motors from possible low voltage damage. When power is restored, plug them in slowly, one by one, to prevent an overload.

► Leave one light switch in the on position to alert you when services are restored.
► Use your telephone only for serious emergency needs to avoid jamming the lines.
► Unplug computers and other voltage sensitive equipment to protect them against possible surges when the power is restored.

5. Discuss how best to prepare your evening meal. Since you have no electricity, you must prepare food that requires no cooking. Also, you must prepare your meal from food storage or from food on hand. The water you will be drinking must also be supplied from your food storage. (Use purification tablets if necessary.) Use your creativity.

6. Clean up after the meal and remember to conserve water. Only use water from your food storage to wash the dishes, clean up the kitchen, brush teeth and prepare for bed.
7. Then plan some activities that will keep family members from feeling frightened or anxious.

Following are a few suggestions you may wish to use:
Create shadow pictures, tell stories, whistle or hum songs and play ¡°Name That Tune,¡± play games, or create an add-on story: the first person starts with the background, the next person adds the characters, the next states what they do, the next creates a problem, the next complicates that problem, and finally the last person solves the problem and concludes the story. You can also complete homework, if applicable, and read scriptures together before going to bed.
Some things to keep in mind during a blackout:

1. If someone in the home depends upon electrical medical equipment:

► Register life-sustaining equipment with your utility company or fire department and ask them about what services are available to you in the event of a blackout.
► Consider purchasing a generator and remember, when installing generators, it is very important to follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully.
► If there is a power outage, contact the police or fire department immediately, or take the patient to the hospital as soon as possible.

If you have a medical device that requires electricity, consider purchasing a generator that is appropriate for sensitive electronics, such as the Honda EU-1000 and 2000.

2. Even in a power shortage some appliances remain in service. While gas furnaces cannot heat homes when there is no electricity, gas water heaters still make hot water. A gas oven will not work, but a gas range-top will. Water will keep hot in your water heater's tank for up to 3 days.

3. You can flush a toilet during power outages but turn off the water supply to the toilet first. Prolonged power outages can disrupt water service. After flushing, pour water into the toilet tank (not bowl) before flushing again. Toilet tanks hold several gallons of water, so have extra water for that purpose (perhaps by filling the bathtub).

4. Telephone lines are separate from electrical lines. So, to access the phone lines have a corded telephone available because even if the phone lines are available your cordless phones won’t work since they require electricity.

5. Most burglar alarm systems have battery backups.

6. Make sure you have an alternate heat source and supply of fuel:

► Never use a charcoal barbeque inside the home.

► If you use a kerosene heater, gas lantern or gas stove inside the house, maintain ventilation to avoid a buildup of toxic fumes.
► If you have a fireplace or a wood-burning stove, be sure you always have adequate firewood and kindling on hand to weather a prolonged blackout.

Close all doors, windows, and curtains, even doors between rooms. This will help your home retain heat in cold weather.

7. If you own an electric garage door opener, learn how to open the door without power.

8. If possible, stay at home and limit driving. Traffic lights can be affected by power

outages increasing traffic congestion and creating hazardous driving conditions.

9. Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed. If the door remains closed, a fully loaded freezer can keep foods frozen for two days; a half-full freezer about one day. If you think the power will be out for several days, try to find some ice to pack inside your refrigerator. Remember to keep your raw foods separate from your ready-to-eat foods.

10. If you use candles or anything with a flame for light during a power outage, have a type ABC fire extinguisher on-hand and know how to use it. There is a corresponding increase to residential house fires and power outages.

11) Regional power outages will create secondary disasters such as problems with water, sewage, communications and life safety for the infirm and elderly. Availability of resources such as gasoline may also be disrupted,

12) If you use camping items, such as lanterns and stoves, remember to have plenty of ventilation to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

13) Fuel storage is difficult. Make sure to consult with local government officials and the EPA to ensure you are in compliance with laws.

14) Small amounts of fuel (as for generators) can be stored for a year or two, using stabilizing additives purchased at auto stores or hardware stores.

15) Generators are usually best stored when allowed to run until empty of gas, so any fuel left in them does not spoil and damage the engine.

What you should know about food safety:

Foods are categorized into groups. They may be:

1) Potentially hazardous,

2) Non-hazardous, but quality (not safety) could be affected from changes in temperature, or
3) Safe.

1) Potentially hazardous foods are the most important. These include meats, fish, poultry, dairy products, eggs and egg products, soft cheeses, cooked beans, cooked rice, cooked potatoes, cooked pasta, potato/pasta/macaroni salads, custards, puddings, and so on.
2) Some foods may not be hazardous but the quality may be affected by increases in temperature. These foods include salad dressings, mayonnaise, butter, margarine, produce, hard cheeses, etc.
3) Some foods are safe. These are carbonated beverages, unopened bottled juices, ketchup, mustard, relishes, jams, peanut butter, barbecue sauce, and so on. When do I save and when do I throw out food?

Refrigerated foods should be safe as long as the power is out no more than a few hours and the refrigerator/freezer doors have been kept closed. Potentially hazardous foods should be discarded if they warm up above 41¨¬ F. WHEN IN DOUBT . . . THROW IT OUT!

Frozen foods that remain frozen are not a risk. If potentially hazardous foods are thawed, but are still cold or have ice crystals on them, you should use them as soon as
possible. If potentially hazardous foods are thawed and are warmer than 41o F, you should discard them. How do I know if the food is unsafe to eat?
You cannot rely on appearance or odor. Never taste food to determine its safety. Some foods may look and smell fine; however, if they have been warm too long, they may contain food poisoning bacteria in quantities that could make you sick. If possible, use a thermometer to check the temperature of the foods. If potentially hazardous foods are found to be colder than 41¨¬ F, then they should be considered safe. WHEN IN DOUBT . . . THROW IT OUT!
Check Your Home for After Effects of Loss of Power
Just because the electricity has come back on doesn't mean you should immediately resume normal activities.
* Turn Off Your Generator
Once you are sure that electrical power has returned completely, turn off your generator and store it properly for the next time it is needed.
* Turn on Appliances Slowly
Restore power to individual parts of your home slowly to avoid overloading the grid and contributing to yet another power outage. Check all pilot lights and turn on only critical appliances and electrical equipment.
* Check Your Security System
If you are using an electricity-powered security system, including electric gates and garage-door openers, alarms, cameras, and lights, insure that everything is functioning properly once electric power is restored.
* Check on Neighbors
Check on your neighbors and offer any assistance they may require in getting their home back in order, especially after a power outage or blackout of several hours.
* Inspect Your Food
If you were away from home or asleep during all or part of the power outage, try to determine how long the power was off so you can deal with perishable foods accordingly. If the power was off for more than a 2-4 hours, it may be necessary to throw out some refrigerated and frozen food items. Allow time for refrigerators to reach the proper temperature of less than 41¨¬ F before restocking. Restock with fresh foods, as necessary.
* Replenish Emergency Kit
Make a shopping list for any emergency kit items that were used, including food, batteries, and first aid items. Replenish and store your emergency kit for future use.
* Examine Your Trees
After severe weather, even if power has been restored, fallen tree limbs or
uprooted trees may still threaten power lines around your home. Do not attempt to remove tree limbs on or near power lines yourself. Contact your utility company.


* Reset Televisions and Clocks
It may be necessary to reprogram your television. When resetting clocks don't forget the clock on your VCR/DVD, oven/microwave, and clocks or timers on your thermostat and security or landscape lig