The Together We Prepare campaign
challenges people to take five proactive steps to help them make their
families and neighborhoods safer. Americans are urged to make a plan,
build a kit, get trained, volunteer and give blood as the integral
components of the Red Cross program. "In the new and unsettling
world of nonspecific terrorist threats and heightened military alerts,
empowering Americans to take practical steps to prepare for emergencies
and disasters before they happen is more important than ever,"
Marsha J. Evans, President CEO of the American Red Cross proclaimed at
the launch of the Together We Prepare" campaign.
Make a Plan
Planning ahead is the first step to a calmer and more assured
disaster response.
Talk. Discuss with your family the disasters that can happen
where you live. Establish responsibilities for each member of your
household and plan to work together as a team. Designate alternates in
case someone is absent.
Plan. Choose two places to meet after a disaster: o Right outside
your home, in case of a sudden emergency such as a fire. o Outside your
neighborhood, in case you cannot return home or are asked to evacuate
your neighborhood.
Learn. Each adult in your household should learn how and when to
turn off utilities such as electricity, water and gas. Ask someone at
the fire department to show you how to use the fire extinguisher you
store in your home.
Check supplies. Review your disaster supplies and replace water
and food every six months. (More information on disaster supplies
appears in the following section.)
Tell. Let everyone in the household know where emergency contact
information is kept. Make copies for everyone to carry with them. Be
sure to include an out-of-town contact. It may be easier to call out of
the area if local phone lines are overloaded or out of service. Keep the
information updated. |
click here for an Emergency Contact Card |
Practice. Practice evacuating your home twice a year. Drive your
planned evacuation route and plot alternate routes on a map in case main
roads are impassable or gridlocked. Practice earthquake, tornado and
fire drills at home, school and work.
Build a Kit
What you have on hand when a disaster happens can make a big
difference. Plan to store enough supplies for everyone in your household
for at least three days.
- Water. Have at least one
gallon per person per day.
- Food. Pack non-perishable,
high-protein items, including energy bars, ready-to-eat soup, peanut
butter, etc. Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation
or cooking and little or no water.
- Flashlight. Include extra
batteries.
- First aid kit. Pack a
reference guide.
- Medications. Don't forget
prescription and non-prescription items.
- Battery-operated radio.
Include extra batteries.
- Tools. Assemble a wrench to
turn off gas if necessary, a manual can opener, a screwdriver,
hammer, pliers, a knife, duct tape, plastic sheeting and garbage
bags and ties.
- Clothing. Provide a change of
clothes for everyone, including sturdy shoes and gloves.
- Personal items. Remember
eyeglasses or contact lenses and solution; copies of important
papers, including identification cards, insurance policies, birth
certificates, passports, etc.; and comfort items such as toys and
books.
- Sanitary supplies. You'll
want toilet paper, towelettes, feminine supplies, personal hygiene
items, bleach, etc.
- Money. Have cash. (ATMs and
credit cards won't work if power is out.)
- Contact information. Carry a
current list of family phone numbers and e-mail addresses, including
someone out of the area who may be easier to reach if local phone
lines are out of service or overloaded.
- Pet supplies. Include food,
water, leash, litter box or plastic bags, tags, any medications and
vaccination information.
- Map. Consider marking an
evacuation route on it from your local area. Include any necessary
items for infants, seniors and people with disabilities in your kit.
Store your disaster supplies in a sturdy but easy-tocarry container.
A large covered trash container, overnight backpack or duffel bag
will work. Keep a smaller version of the kit in your vehicle. If you
become stranded or are not able to return home, having some items
with you will help you be more comfortable until help arrives.
Please click here
for more information
Get Trained
Learning simple first aid techniques can give you the skills and
confidence to help anyone in your home, your neighborhood and at work. When
a major disaster occurs, your community can change in an instant. Loved
ones can be hurt and emergency response can be delayed. Make sure that
at least one member of your household is trained in first aid and CPR
and in how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). The three
steps below can help you to react well in an emergency:
- Check the scene for safety and the
victim for life-threatening conditions.
- Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency
number and request professional assistance.
- Care for the victim if you can reach
the person safely. Community Disaster Education presentations can
provide you with more information on how to prepare for disasters.
Please click
here to see current Claremont Red Cross Course Listings
Volunteer
Few Americans are untouched by Red Cross services-all made possible
by volunteers, people like you. Our communities need our help. There are
so many needs and so many ways to serve.
More than one million Americans serve their communities. They come from
all walks of life and backgrounds and are of all ages. Red Cross
volunteers help people in emergencies; they teach first aid classes;
organize blood drives; and translate so that non-English speakers can
receive Red Cross services. They connect members of the armed forces
stationed overseas with their families. Our vital community services are
made possible by people like you.
Please click
here to see current Volunteer opportunities....and to sign up!
Give Blood
Blood is needed in times of emergency, but the ongoing need is also
great.
Every two seconds someone needs a blood transfusion -cancer patients,
accident victims, premature infants, people with chronic diseases. Your
blood donation means so much to individuals who need it and you can help
make a difference. Giving blood doesn't take much time. During times of
crisis and every day, each blood donation has the power to help save as
many as three lives. But whole blood only has a shelf life of 42 days.
That is why it is so important to be a regular and frequent donor.
America needs to have an adequate blood supply available at all times to
meet any of the challenges we might face.
Please
click here to learn more about the blood donation process
Call 1-800-GIVE LIFE
(1-800-448-3543) or visit www.givelife.org
and make an appointment to donate blood today.
For more "readiness"
information visit the Red
Cross's national website or log onto the Department of Homeland
Security's "Ready Campaign" site at www.ready.gov
or call 1-800-BE-READY.
