Family Home Evening Activity #2/Lesson B, Earthquake Preparedness

Family Home Evening Preparedness Activity

Lesson B.

Summary

Earthquake Drill

Feeling the effects of an earthquake is truly an unsettling experience. As we carefully prepare for this possibility, it will help to relieve stress and uncertainty for our families. When we practice safe behaviors for an earthquake beforehand, we increase the odds that we and our children will act appropriately when the real quake strikes.

· Prior to Family Home Evening

There is much excellent material in this lesson which should be taught. Select those that are most crucial according to the ages of your family members. You might need to purchase extra batteries, a tool for shutting off the gas, or supplies if you will be demonstrating how to set up an emergency toilet.

· Activity

1. After dinner, turn off the lights and tell the family you are having an earthquake drill. Talk each other through the “quake”, moving to safe areas, and reassuring each other as you would do if the quake were real.

2. When the quake is over, tell family that you are left without power and ask children what they would do if you were not at home. Have them find the emergency supplies.

3. Pretend you smell gas and teach older children how to turn off gas, water, and power. Help them secure the house. Talk about any pets you might have and how to help them through an emergency.

4. Take emergency supplies and packs to car and travel to your area evacuation site. Discuss the things you did during drill, the proper use of items in packs, and what you will do next.

· Follow Up

This drill could be repeated on a smaller scale when you are driving in a car or in other locations such as the store, church, office, or other places family frequents.

Earthquake Drill

Just before dinner, turn off every light in the house except the kitchen light. When dinner is over, turn off the kitchen light as well. At the same moment, tell your children you are having an earthquake drill. Talk each other through the “quake,” explaining to the children the need to take cover under the table or in the doorway and reassuring them, just like you would do if the quake were real.

After two or three minutes, tell your children that the imaginary earthquake is over but that it has left you with no electricity. Ask the children to show you what they would do if they were at home without you. Ask them to find where you keep your emergency supplies-- as well as flashlights and extra batteries.

Then pretend that you can smell gas, and teach the older children how to turn off the gas, water, and power before evacuating from the house. Secure the house, take your emergency supplies/packs, and get into the car (or designated mode of transportation).

Go to your designated meeting place (or make believe the nearest safe place to go is a local park), travel there and unload your emergency packs. Discuss the things you did during your earthquake drill, the proper use of each item in your packs, and what you will do next.

Suggestion: Keep an emergency notebook in the pocket of your emergency pack/kit. In this notebook record the names, birth dates, medical needs, and other pertinent information for each member of the family. On another page list telephone numbers of extended family members and friends, including the number of the designated contact person living outside your geographic area. On another page keep an inventory of everything in your emergency pack/kit and basic instructions on how to use some of the items. Also, if applicable, list simple games and activities to help you and your children pass the time.

During the Quake

Try to stay calm and reassure others.

Indoors

• Stay inside until the shaking stops and you're sure it's safe to exit.

· DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON! Then WAIT 30 SEC. That way, anything that is going to fall will do so, while you are still safe, under cover.

• Move only a few steps to a nearby safe place.
• Take cover under or next to a heavy desk, bed, or table.

· Absolutely avoid doorways. The doors can swing back and forth with enough force to injure you. Also, other people may be panicked, try to get out through the doorway that you are blocking. This can get you seriously hurt.

• Stay away from glass windows and doors.
• Move away from bookcases, ceiling fixtures, or china cupboards.
• Try to keep your children with you.
• Never take an elevator
• If you are in bed, hold on, stay there, protect your head with a pillow.
• If you are in a crowded store, do not rush for a doorway since hundreds may have the same idea. If you must leave the building, choose your exit as carefully as possible.

Outdoors

• Find a clear spot away from buildings, trees, and power lines.
• Drop to the ground until the shaking stops.

In A Car

• Slow down and drive to a clear place (as described above).
• Turn on emergency flashers on and slow to a stop. Do not stop on overpasses, underpasses, or bridges. Be careful of overhead hazards such as power lines or falling building debris.
• Turn off the ignition and set the parking brake.
• Stay inside the car until the shaking stops. A car is a fairly safe place to be.

PETS: During and after

• Don't try to hold your pet during a quake. Animals instinctively want to hide when their safety is threatened. If you get in their way, even the nicest pets may hurt you.
• Watch animals closely. Leash dogs and place them in a fenced yard.
• Pets may not be allowed into shelters for health and space reasons. Prepare an emergency pen for pets in the home that includes a 3-day supply of dry food and a large container of water.
• If you can't find your pet or must leave it at home after a quake, leave fresh water in non-spill containers such as bathtubs and sinks. Leave plenty of low-fat dry food, which deteriorates more slowly and is less tasty so pets won't try to eat it all at once. Leave a note indicating that you have a pet, where you will be, and the date.

AFTER THE QUAKE

Personal Safety

• Expect aftershocks. Although most of these are smaller than the main shock, some may be large enough to cause more damage. Each time you feel one, DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON!
• Check yourself for injuries. Protect yourself by wearing long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes, work gloves and a hard hat.
• Listen to a car radio or a wind-up or battery-operated radio or television for the latest emergency information, damage reports and instructions.
• Check others for injuries. Give first aid where appropriate. Do not move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.
• Implement your Neighborhood Response Teams as planned. Help your neighbors who may require special assistance--infants, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
• Don’t wander or drive around outside to see the damage; you may hamper rescue. Keep the streets clear for passage of emergency vehicles.
• Cooperate fully with public safety officials. Respond to requests for help from police, fire fighters, civil defense and relief organizations.
• Do not go into damaged areas unless your help has been requested. Stay away from damaged buildings. Aftershocks can collapse them.
• Do not touch downed power lines or objects touched by the downed wires.
• Stay away from beaches and waterfront areas. Not all quakes cause tidal waves/tsunamis, but many do. If you are near the ocean or tidal inlet following an earthquake, be alert for tidal waves. Move inland.
• Do not eat or drink anything from open containers near shattered glass. Strain liquids through a clean handkerchief or cloth if you think broken glass may be in them.

· Kent, Covington, King County do not have Neighborhood Response Teams, they use Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). CERT usually has a higher degree of training.

· Power lines do not need to be arching and sparking to be live. You do not need to physically touch a live power line to be electrocuted by it.

· Large enclosed or partially enclosed bodies of water may experience a seiche (a large displacement of water) after an earthquake. A seiche is not a tsunami, but can be very destructive.

· Simple cord-line telephone will work during a power outage after an earthquake

· Aftershocks may occur repeatedly after an earthquake.

· 2 faults that are capable of catastrophic devastation in the Puget Sound area:

· 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone quake (http://www.crew.org/)

· 6.7 or greater shallow earthquake along the Seattle Fault Zone (http://seattlescenario.eeri.org/documents/EQScenarioFullBook.pdf)

Home Safety

• Inspect your home for damage. Immediately clean up spilled medicines, drugs, and other potentially harmful materials. Get everyone out if your home is unsafe.
• Use the telephone only for emergencies. Check to make sure the receiver has not been shaken off the hook and is tying up the line.
• Locate your fire extinguisher and look for and extinguish small fires.
• Gas: Check your gas line: If there is a gas line into your home or building, turn off burners and pilot lights. Check for gas leaks. Do not light candles, matches, or lighters until you determine there is no leak. Do not operate electrical switches or appliances if you suspect a gas leak. They can create sparks which can ignite gas from broken lines. If you smell gas or hear blowing or hissing noise, open a window, get out of the house and stay out. Turn off the gas at the outside main
• valve if you can and call the gas company. **Remember, only a professional can turn the gas back on.
• Electricity: Check your electrical lines and fuse box: Electric lines can cause fire. Shut off all electrical power if there is damage to your house wiring. Look for electrical system damage. Turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker if you see sparks, broken or frayed wires, or if smell hot insulation. If you would have to step in water to get to the fuse box or circuit breaker, call an electrician first for advice.
• Water: Check for sewage and water line damage. If there is a major leak or you suspect the public water system is contaminated, turn off the main water valve in your home in order to preserve the water inside the pipes and prevent contamination from the public water source.
• Drinking Water: If water pipes are damaged, do not use any water until it is clarified and disinfected using one of the recommended methods (boiling, distilling or adding bleach or iodine). If water is off, you can get emergency water from water heaters, toilet tanks, melted ice cubes, and canned vegetables.
• Report damage to the appropriate utility companies and follow their instructions.

To report a power outage contact ___________________________________________

To report a natural gas leak contact ___________________________________________

To report a propane gas leak contact ___________________________________________

To report a water main leak contact ____________________________________________

· Sewage: If a toilet or faucet line is broken, only turn off the water under the sink and/or toilet. Do not flush toilets until you know that sewer lines are unbroken. If you suspect sewage lines are damaged, avoid using the toilets, set up an emergency toilet and contact a plumber.

How to Set Up an Emergency Toilet for safely collecting and handling human waste until normal sewage operations are restored.

►Convert a flush toilet or make an emergency toilet from a pail

►Line the inside of a toilet bowl, 5 gallon pail, or another appropriately sized waste container with two heavy-duty plastic garbage bags.

►Place kitty litter, fireplace ashes, or sawdust into the bottom of the bags.

►Locate the toilet away from food preparation or eating areas.

►Locate toilet at least 100 feet away from water bodies such as lakes, rivers, streams, and at least 100 feet downhill or away from any drinking water source (well or spring), home, or apartment

►Provide a place next to the emergency toilet to wash hands that offers soap, running water, and paper towels, anti-microbial hand wipes or waterless hand cleaner.

►Keep doors and covers closed when the toilet is not in use to keep out insects and animals and to prevent injury.

►Always supervise small children when they are using the emergency toilet.

►At the end of each day, the bagged waste should be securely tied and removed to a protected location such as a garage, basement, outbuilding, and so on, until a safe disposal option is available.

Note: During a declared emergency, these bags may be included with the regular garbage if a public announcement has been made that allows this method of disposal.