The month of March ushers in Spring and the Vernal Equinox. That means it’s a perfect time for a vitally important (but often dismissed) aspect of preparedness and safety: cleaning! Make the following part of your 2010 Spring cleaning:

• Ensure emergency exits are clear and that paths leading to them are unobstructed.
• Get rid of dangerous items you don’t need, e.g., old paint or chemicals, expired food, hazardous materials no longer needed.
• Store combustible and/or flammable items in a safe manner – away from sources of heat, flame, or sparks, etc.
• Clear safe spaces under desks, tables and counters, where people will go to Drop, Cover, and Hold On in earthquakes and other emergencies.

Tip: Recycle or dispose of all hazardous materials properly! Being green and environmentally conscious is itself a preparedness action!

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March 1st, 2010 | Tags: Earthquake, Preparedness, recycle, Safety, spring cleaning | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

Late April holds many significant disaster anniversaries: the 1906 San Francisco earthquake; the 1912 sinking of the Titanic; the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant incident; the 1999 Columbine High School shootings; and now the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech. With the intense disaster coverage by media and emergency services agencies, it’s easy to understand why many people are simply inured to disaster-threat messages, and why they often hear emergency preparedness messengers as the harbingers of doom. We need to find a way to speak about preparedness that will make a difference. Practice sharing your preparedness message without relying on the threat of impending disasters to motivate action. When you can articulate your message from a variety of perspectives, it can be welcomed and actually heard.

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April 30th, 2007 | Tags: Earthquake, message, Preparedness | Category: 2007, STAT | Leave a comment

October 17th is the anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake – a great opportunity to remind the public to DROP to the ground, take COVER under a sturdy table, and HOLD on till the shaking stops. Though this has been advised for several years, many people still defer to the long-outdated command to stand in a doorway. Standing in doorways was advised in the US before modern codes and material standards were commonplace. The door frame used to be one of the strongest parts of the structure – at a time when buildings were made of materials like adobe. Now engineers, experience, and evidence all support that doorway standing in earthquakes is dangerous.

Make sure your education helps your audience to unlearn this outdated guidance.

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October 16th, 2006 | Tags: doorway, Earthquake, loma prieta | Category: 2006, STAT | Leave a comment

On May 22, 1960, an earthquake (the largest recorded on a seismograph) measuring 9.5 on the Richter scale struck Chile. Named after American seismologist Charles Francis Richter, the scale reflects ground shaking and the energy released. The Richter scale is logarithmic, so each number represents ten times the number below. Thus a “5″ is ten times greater than a “4″ and it releases more that 30 times the amount of energy. The Modified Mercalli Scale, named after Italian volcanologist Giuseppe Mercalli, reflects the level of damage caused by an earthquake. Expressed in Roman numerals, a”I” indicates that people do not even feel the quake, and a “XII” indicates catastrophic destruction.

Help the people in your circle of influence become more informed participants in public preparedness conversations by sharing these distinctions.

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May 22nd, 2006 | Tags: Earthquake, Preparedness | Category: 2006, STAT | Leave a comment

The 100 year anniversary of the 1906 earthquake provides myriad photo opportunities for capturing “Drop, Cover and Hold” in action. However, these photos often capture people in misleading poses, smiling for the camera, rather than demonstrating proper technique. Remember, proper DCH positioning includes:

• eyes closed
• head down
• protecting head and neck

Be sure the people in your circle of influence are doing it right!

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April 17th, 2006 | Tags: Earthquake | Category: 2006, STAT | Leave a comment

The 100th anniversary of the April 18th, 1906, San Francisco earthquake is a golden opportunity to share your related messages with interested audiences. Use emails, newsletters, press releases, letters to the editor, and word of mouth to spread your message. Some interesting angles:

• How has the community you serve changed since the 1906 earthquake?
• If the same size earthquake happened today, how would your business be affected?
• What are the top 5 items on your preparedness wish list?

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April 3rd, 2006 | Tags: community, Earthquake | Category: 2006, STAT | Leave a comment

Like the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, Hurricane Katrina underscores the need for emergency preparedness and disaster response efforts to address the socio-economic, religious and cultural make up of our communities. Below are three helpful resources for finding information on who lives in your community.

http://www.adherents.com/

http://www.bls.gov/bls/demographics.htm

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html

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September 26th, 2005 | Tags: Earthquake, hurricane katrina | Category: 2005, STAT | Leave a comment

Prevent small, fragile or dangerous objects from becoming projectiles. Earthquake Putty, also known as Museum Wax, will secure such items to shelves and counters without damaging the item or the shelf. Museum Wax is available at hardware and specialty stores.

Items to Secure:

• Art objects
• Figurines and collectibles
• Awards and trophies
• Small photo frames
• Desk accessories and knick-knacks
• Breakable objects

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May 16th, 2005 | Tags: Earthquake | Category: 2005, STAT | Leave a comment