Resolve To Be More Emergency Ready in 2012--Use Technology to Support Your Planning

January 12, 2012. COAT affiliate TDI's Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) has sent out a reminder to everyone to resolve to be more ready for disasters in 2012.  They report that 2011 had more billion-dollar natural disasters than any year on record, according to the National Climatic Data Center. For instance, storms like Hurricane Irene, spring tornadoes that brought devastation from Wisconsin to Texas and many remember being shaken here in the Washington DC area during the August earthquake. TDI notes that there were at least 97 major disasters declared in 2011. So you are encouraged to think about the basic needs that you, your family, your service animal and other supports will need in advance of any emergency. Think and develop an emergency readiness plan that addresses:

• how will you communicate with others (use template communications plan here)
• what supplies you need to keep in your home, car or office.
• be informed about the types of hazards and risks in your area and what specifically you may need to do to get ready for them.
• Make a family emergency plan, so you know how you would communicate with and find your loved ones if a disaster hit.  For example, think about how you would reach your kids at school or your spouse at work. If you had to evacuate, where would you go.
• Include in your planning what essential medicines and assistive technologies you would need (for instance, in a public shelter) or if sheltering in place at home or in your car or van. Thinking these through in advance could make a big difference in how you are treated by others in an emergency situation and may facilitate your survival.
• Build an emergency supply kit – for both at home and in the car – that includes water, food and first aid supplies, blankets, flashlight with batteries -- to help you survive if you lose power or get stranded in your car.  This is especially important for dealing with icy roads and snowstorms during the winter.
• Consider what happened during the last emergency and how you could have been better prepared (for example, why not put the phone number on your cell phone of the electric utility to report outage; put a cozy blanket, gallon of water in a strong container and playing cards in your car for when you are stuck in a 3-hour traffic jam; add some things to your readiness kit like baby wipes, copy of prescription order, etc.)
• Become more involved - be an advocate and educator for safety and emergency preparedness within your community. Contact your state's emergency planning agency and offer to help. Don't take "no" for answer -- you have disability expertise they need!

Using modern-day technology can help individuals and families prepare, adapt and recover from disruptions brought on by emergencies or disasters. For instance:

• Learn how to send updates via text and internet from your mobile phone to your contacts and via social channels in case voice communications like your wireless or wireline phone are not available (see FCC tips here)
• Store your important documents such as personal and financial records in the cloud (i.e., through an online backup service) or in a secure and remote area or flash or jump drive that you can keep readily available so they can be accessed from anywhere (for instance, a flood or fire could sweep away your computer records that include your resume, banking information, passport numbers, etc. that you might need for full recoverery from an event)
• Explore the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) website and use any resources there, or
• Use the tools on the federal government's Ready.gov website.

History also shows us that it will be your immediate neighbors, local response personnel and local non-profit agencies that will be there when an emergency event occurs so be sure to know who these folks are. Consider working with them on a volunteer (or paid) basis so they better respond to people with disabilities.

So this year, as you think about New Year’s resolutions, why not make a pledge to Resolve to be Ready. Learn and use the tools on the FEMA website here. Even if you don't do all the things suggested, remember that any planning is better than none at all!