Archive for STAT 5MM

5-Minute Message: Drop, Cover, and Hold On Revisited

You probably know about (and hopefully have practiced) the recommended protective action for earthquake safety: Drop, Cover, and Hold On.

 

The basics are:
DROP to the floor: it’s safer to sit than to fall or to be thrown to the ground.
Take COVER under sturdy furniture: to help protect yourself from falling hazards (the most likely danger) during an earthquake.
HOLD ON to whatever you get under: because during shaking, furniture can “walk” away.

 

Telling people to do these actions is a small step; getting people to physically practice them is a huge step. If people can’t or won’t take these actions, discuss ways that they can make their environment safer, and have them practice simple ways to protect their head and neck.

 

Everyone should know how to take basic steps to keep themselves safe!

 

Tip: When practicing Drop, Cover, and Hold On remember that proper position is head down, eyes closed, and face turned away from the hazards. Ignore those pictures showing people with their heads up, eyes open, smiling for the cameras!

July 26th, 2010 | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

5-Minute Message: Shelter-in-Place (SIP)

Depending on the emergency situation, sometimes the safest choice is to stay where you are and protect yourself.  Everyone should know how to “Shelter-in-Place” or make their current location a safe haven. Here are the first key steps to master (notice that they are helpful for many situations):

1) SHELTER by going indoors.

2) SHUT doors and windows.

3) LISTEN for information (TV, radio, internet, etc.)

If there is an airborne hazard or other danger and you have to stay where you are for several hours, you’ll need some supplies: food and water; emergency radio; critical medications and a phone to communicate. Other Shelter-in-Place  protective actions include choosing an internal room, closing vents, sealing off cracks, turning off motors, fans, etc.

Remember: With a little creativity, most spaces can be turned into a temporary shelter!

Tip: Download this Shelter-in-Place checklist and make it available to your team.

July 19th, 2010 | Category: 2010, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

5-Minute Message: Evacuation Checklist

Many emergencies cause the need to evacuate. Creating a checklist in advance can help you evacuate more smoothly. Some items to include:

  • Pre-designated and clearly labeled “Rally Point” (and back-up location) — where everyone will meet.
  • Maps identifying exits and routes to Rally Points.
  • People assigned to check that everyone heard the evacuation message and is able to comply.
  • Reminder to perform a headcount before leaving, and again after reaching the rally point safely.  If evacuating from a meeting, use sign-in sheets to help account for people.
  • Person (and backup) tasked to grab the agency go-kit (also note go-kit location!)

Remember to leave a note telling people where you’ve gone, the time you left, and the route you plan to take – so your friends, family, and loved ones will not worry.

Tip: Know how long it takes to evacuate everyone from your agency – timed from when you get the message to evacuate to when the last person is safely at the Rally Point.

July 12th, 2010 | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

5-Minute Message: Flexing Your Communications Muscles

Communications are at the heart of successfully responding to emergencies.  It’s likely that you have more methods available than you have considered.  Your communication tools will serve you better if you take the time to test and practice them with a “Communications Flex”.
A simple CommFlex could be sending out a request for response over normally used channels: phone, e-mail, social media, or anything else familiar to your normal routine.  Ask people to confirm, so you can learn response times and rates.  This insight can help you make informed planning decisions as well as showing you what to improve.
In an advanced exercise, you could update contact information, practice phone trees, test whether your message is understood, or use less familiar communication channels.
The more diverse and the more you understand your tools, the better!
Tip: Don’t forget that some of the older ways of communicating are some of the most resilient. See if you have anyone on your team who is a HAM radio operator, and bring them into your CommFlex. Two radio associations you can refer to for more information:

July 2nd, 2010 | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

5-Minute Message: Free Tools – Human Help

Many preparedness programs flounder because there is no one available to provide leadership, expertise, or there simply isn’t a warm body to get things done.  Experienced people know that “free” volunteers aren’t free: It takes time, commitment, and some tangible resources to recruit, train, and maintain volunteers.

However, current trends are making free human help more accessible and valuable, including:

  • Retiring Baby Boomers  –thousands, every month, looking to remain active.
  • Internships/apprenticeships – needed by students, graduates, job-seekers, workforce returnees, etc.
  • Corporate volunteers – companies continue to seek long- and short-term volunteer opportunities for their employees to engage in local communities.

Volunteer Centers are great places to start your quest for free human help for your preparedness projects; several communities have also created job opportunities with Stimulus Dollars; and there are many online sites that make posting an opening easy!

Tip: The Taproot Foundation offers a wide variety of service grants at no cost to nonprofits.

June 28th, 2010 | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

5-Minute Message: Free Tools – Business Cards

Many people need to have their emergency information in small, portable, useful pieces, and few tools are as small, portable, and useful as a business card filled with relevant emergency response information. Take advantage of multiple free online offers and create a business card to support your team!  Some helpful types of emergency response cards:
•    Checklist of response procedures
•    Agency emergency call-down list
•    First Aid or CPR instructions
•    Local numbers for police, fire, emergency services
•    Map of your assets, resources, evacuation points, alternate sites, and other locations
•    Your disaster mission statement
Many of the online offers are limited to 250 cards, and some give greatly reduced prices for larger orders.  Remember to get feedback from your team on what type of card would be most appreciated!

Tip: Sample a few different free offers to find the best company for your needs.

June 21st, 2010 | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

5-Minute Message: Free Tools – Graphics

One simple way to make your preparedness resources more interesting, memorable and user-friendly is to use pictures, graphics, and other visually captivating enhancements. The good news is that there are many online resources and several of them are FREE!

Pick an important tool to share with your team — perhaps something as simple as your emergency contact list. Good formatting will go a long way in making it highly useable, but adding a few graphics or icons can make it even more intuitive and memorable. Be sure to avoid scary pictures (they tend to make people LESS likely to take action) and don’t go overboard with so many images that the message is buried.

Encourage your team to review your safety and preparedness information with an eye toward improving them with some art and free graphics.

Tip: The site http://www.freegraphics.com/ has reviewed several free graphics sites and doesn’t use pop up ads. Many free sites make their money from ads, so please use caution and make sure your virus protection software is up to date – just in case.

June 14th, 2010 | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

5-Minute Message: Free Tools – Online Calendars

One of the best tools to help your preparedness and safety planning is also useful on an everyday basis, and has the extra benefits of being highly accessible and FREE! It’s an online calendar. Like other online tools, there are a multitude of choices, ranging from simple, blank calendar templates, to online shared calendars with multiple functions and the ability to integrate with your email and other computer programs.
Create a preparedness calendar for your team! Some great things to include:
  • Emergency drills, exercises, field trips, and preparedness recognition events
  • Reminders to change batteries, check smoke detectors, recharge fire extinguishers, rotate supplies, etc.
  • Important seminars, trainings, and conferences
  • Renewals of safety-related certifications/licenses – First Aid, CPR, Ham radio, etc.
Done well, calendars can help you achieve goals and fulfill your commitment to safety.
Tip: Put the CESA (California Emergency Services Association) Conference on your calendar and register now! Amanda Ripley is the keynote speaker, and early registrants have a chance to win a new iPad!

June 7th, 2010 | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

5-Minute Message: Water Cooler Talk

The major disasters and tragedies that lead the headlines typically become popular topics of conversation around workplace water coolers. All too often, talk about the latest oil spill, earthquake, tornado, or hurricane ends with an overall feeling of frustration or upset.  Help your team turn these frequent experiences into positive preparations by asking them to: generate possible solutions to the problem; list what could have been done to prevent the situation; and share what they should do if something similar were to happen at or near your office.
Turn these moments of potentially disempowered trauma-sharing into productive, low-stress, teachable moments. This daily practice will help reinforce correct behaviors and help your team to stay positive in the face of emergencies.
Tip: Make sure your water cooler, or wherever people congregate, has lots of preparedness information posted nearby.

May 28th, 2010 | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

5-Minute Message: Clean Sweep

Here’s great news for people looking to maintain a cleaner, more orderly office space: a clean and junk-free environment is a vital element in proactive preparedness and safety.
Whether it’s old paper files, no-longer-used computer hardware, or items leftover from past projects or events — they take up space and they can be safety hazards in earthquakes, fires, evacuations, etc.  Empower your best office neat-nics to do Clean Sweep surveys of your office.  Some things to look for:
• Is there clear space under desks or tables to Drop, Cover, and Hold On in emergencies?
• Do you have old electronics (anything with a plug) you can recycle or toss?
• Can you scan or recycle old paper files to create more free space?
Make your office a junk and clutter-free environment, it keeps everyone safer!
Tip:  Emergency exits (and the paths leading to them) are only “clear” if all people can move through them quickly — even during confusing, high-stress situations.

May 25th, 2010 | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

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