Homer, Alaska - Oped - In 2009, resolve to be ready 12/31/08

Story last updated at 7:35 PM on Wednesday, December 31, 2008

In 2009, resolve to be ready

I can hear you now: "Not another article about another New Year's resolution I should make."

Well, sort of. But this one is easy, I promise. Statistics tell us that about half of us make New Year's resolutions (what they don't tell us is how many of us actually keep those resolutions). Whether you've got the goal-setting bug or would just like to set one goal that you can actually keep, consider making 2009 "The Year You Become Ready."

"Ready for what?" you ask. Ready to take care of yourself and your family in an emergency. There are numerous resources to help you get your disaster plan, disaster kit, emergency supplies and first aid supplies together. The Red Cross has been asking us all for decades to get some first aid training under our belts. Our local Kenai Peninsula Citizen Corps offers free, ongoing training in disaster preparedness from a household and community perspective. Every fire department in America continually reminds us to check our smoke alarms and know how to exit the house safely in case of fire.

So now it's time to put the finishing touches on your preparedness. Just one of these per month will get you ready by the end of 2009 (and then you're on your own for 2010's New Year's resolutions):

1. Make a family disaster plan, including out of state emergency contacts, two evacuation routes from your home and a place to meet up again.

2. Put together a family disaster kit, including water, non-perishable food, flashlights with batteries, an emergency radio, matches, medications and any special needs (glasses, baby food, etc.).

3. Take a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course to gain disaster preparation and response skills.

4. Check your house for earthquake readiness: earthquake strapping for the hot water heater, heavy shelves or furniture should be secured to walls and everyone in the house should know how to turn off the gas if it is leaking.

5. Test smoke alarms monthly and have emergency ladders for quick exits from upper floor bedrooms.

6. Assemble a shelter-in-place kit, including plastic sheeting, flashlight with batteries, duct tape and an emergency radio.

7. Become first aid and CPR certified.

8.Make a winter survival kit for your car. Many of us have been stuck on the highway waiting for the remains of an avalanche to be cleared. Flashlights, food, water and a warm sleeping bag can make a big difference.

9. Take steps to minimize your property's risk of wildfire: reduce and remove dead trees and brush, keep a minimum of 30 feet of cleared land around your house as a buffer and keep firewood and other highly flammable materials stacked outside your 30-foot perimeter.

10. Learn about the potential for various disaster events in your area: flooding, wildfire, volcanic ash, chemical release, winter storms, tsunami or earthquake. Acquaint yourself with the basic preparedness steps for each that apply.

11. Utilize the Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) program to contact neighbors and make a plan in case your area is ever temporarily cut off from assistance in a disaster. Contact Glenda Landua at 262-2098 for MYN information and materials.

12. Take a little time to check out the following resources for more detailed information on disaster and emergency preparedness:

The Kenai Peninsula Citizen Corps: www.kpvolunteers.org, 262-2098;

Kenai Peninsula Local Emergency Planning Committee: www.borough.kenai.ak.us/emergency/LEPC/lepchome.htm;

FEMA and American Red Cross preparedness information, including information on preparing family disaster plans and family disaster kits: www.borough.kenai.ak.us/emergency/prepared/emergency.htm;

The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Web site: www.ak-prepared.com/; and

www.ready.gov.

Kimberly Lorentzen writes for the Kenai Peninsula Citizen Corps at the Borough Office of Emergency Management.

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