DATOS DELEGACIONALES EN ESTUDIANTES DE NIVEL MEDIO Y MEDIO SUPERIOR

“Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”

― Malcolm X

Often when facing an impending disaster the question becomes whether to evacuate or “Shelter-in-Place.” There is no real definitive answer, because it really all depends on the nature of the emergency, where you live, what your preparedness level is, and the make up of your family.

We have all seen the images on the news of the stalwart New Englanders, or laissez faire “Conchs” in Key West, who refuse to leave in the face of a Hurricane, even if they are in a mandatory evacuation zone. Sometimes they did they right thing, and other times – there were tragic results.

Before ultimately making the decision to stay or “Bug Out”, you must be thoroughly prepared to do either. That means making sure your In Home Preparedness Kit is ready, functional and accessible, and that your Go Bag is ready to “GO!”

Being prepared for a potential evacuation should be part of your risk assessment conducted in Chapter 2. You may immediately know that you live in a “Hurricane Evacuation Zone” or “Flood Zone” due to your proximity to the coastline or other bodies of water. If so, your local Emergency

Preparedness Agencies will have most likely already created and clearly marked designated evacuation routes. Be sure you are familiar with them.

Also be sure you have alternatives to the official routes, if they became too jammed up and impassible.

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You may recall that in our discussion of Home Preparedness it was recommended that if you know you live in such a zone, you have a

designated Emergency 4WD Vehicle. Be sure it is gassed up, in good repair, and ready to go at all times. If you live on a Barrier Island, or some other coastal area, with a single road access in and out, such as a bridge or causeway – when a storm is impending, you may want to consider parking your vehicle on the other side of the roadway in walking distance, where you can get to it to Bug Out, before the whether gets too bad, or the traffic too jammed up.

Remember if you’re going to leave there is a chance that traveling by roads under normal conditions may not be possible, especially the later you decide to evacuate. Communications, public transportation, streetlights, traffic signals, and other infrastructure that normally make traveling by road easy, may not be functioning.

As part of your evacuation plan you must be prepared to travel by foot if necessary. You should know your evacuation route before an emergency occurs. Drive it several times; looking for spots along the route for shelter or other facilities in the event that you may be forced to leave your vehicle and make your escape by foot.

If you do need to evacuate on foot, that means you will have to carry your Go Bag with you slung on your back. Traveling for miles in uncertain

conditions carrying a rucksack is not easy for someone untrained. Part of getting in “Survival Shape” should be to throw on your Go Bag, and go hiking with it a few times a week. This is not only great all around exercise, but it will help you to build up the strength and stamina to carry your pack when you must. This kind of training can be especially useful for younger family members. Practicing evacuations can be made into fun family adventures.

Stay or Bug Out?

In the absence of official evacuation orders from federal, state or local authorities, according to FEMA you should evacuate when there is an immediate risk such as:

 If you smell gas, smoke or see fire or otherwise fear for your safety,

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evacuate household occupants immediately. From a safe location, call 911 and report the incident.

If local officials issue general evacuation orders, use the evacuation routes and methods specified; carpool whenever possible - If time allows:

 Wear sturdy shoes, long-sleeve shirts and pants,

 Bring car keys, credit cards, road maps, cell phone, charger and important phone numbers;

 Bring your Go-bag;

 If you have a pet, make sure it is wearing a collar, bring it in a pet carrier labeled with your name and the pet’s name. Bring your pet’s Go-bag;

 Lock your home and shut off the water and electricity, but leave gas on unless instructed otherwise;

 Leave a note or tell a neighbor where you are going;

 If you are separated from other family members go to your prearranged meeting point;

 Once you arrive at a safe location, call your out-of-area emergency contact.

If you do choose to evacuate, it is best that you go to a prearranged friend or relative’s location out of the evacuation zone. However, if such a place is not available or inaccessible due to the circumstance of the emergency you may need to go to an Emergency Shelter.

Disaster Shelters

Immediately following a large disaster, suitable shelter sites will be selected from a pre-designated list based on areas of need and estimated numbers of displaced persons. Each site must be inspected for safety prior to being opened to the public. Therefore, it is not possible to say with advance

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certainty which sites will actually operate as disaster shelters. As soon as disaster sites have been formally designated, this list will be announced through local media to the public. If it is unsafe to shelter-in-place, and you do not have an alternative, evacuate to a designated emergency shelter.

If you do go to a Shelter:

 Tell your out-of area-contact where you are going;

 Take your Go-bag with you to the shelter;

 Initially, emergency shelters may not be able to provide basic supplies and materials. Consider bringing extra items (e.g. blanket, pillow, air mattress, towel, washcloth, diapers, food and supplies for infants.) Shelters can be very frightening to children, be sure to take along some favorite games, toys or books, and some favorite “comfort foods” or snacks;

 Provide for your pet: only service animals are allowed in most

“human” shelters. If you cannot make other plans for your pets, Animal Care and Control staff will be available at “human” shelters to help with pet sheltering needs.

Sheltering In Place

There are times when rather than giving a mandatory evacuation order, Civil Preparedness Agencies may in fact advise that you stay-put and “Shelter-in-Place.” This is usually when the disaster involves potential exposure to toxic materials.

According to the American Red Cross’s “Fact Sheet” on Sheltering in Place:

One of the instructions you may be given in an emergency where hazardous materials may have been released into the atmosphere is to shelter-in-place. This is a precaution aimed to keep you safe while remaining indoors.

Shelter-in-place means selecting a small, interior room, with few if any windows and taking refuge there. It does not mean sealing off your entire home or office building.

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Why You Might Need to Shelter-in-Place:

Chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants may be released accidentally or intentionally into the environment. Should this occur, information will be provided by local authorities on television and radio stations on how to protect you and your family. Because information will most likely be provided on television and radio, it is important to keep a TV or radio on, even during the workday. The important thing is for you to follow instructions of local authorities and know what to do if they advise you to shelter-in-place.

How to Shelter-in-Place

At Home:

 Close and lock all windows and exterior doors;

 If you are told there is danger of explosion, close the window shades, blinds, or curtains;

 Turn off all fans, heating and air conditioning systems. Close the fireplace damper;

 Get your Home Disaster Preparedness Kit and make sure all battery operated lights and radios are charged and working;

 Go to an interior room without windows that's above ground level. In the case of a chemical threat, an above-ground location is preferable because some chemicals are heavier than air, and may seep into basements even if the windows are closed;

 Bring your pets with you, and be sure to bring additional food and water supplies for them;

 It is ideal to have a hard-wired telephone in the room you select. Call your emergency contact and have the phone available if you need to report a life-threatening condition. Cellular telephone equipment may be overwhelmed or damaged during an emergency;

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 Use duct tape and plastic sheeting (heavier than food wrap) to seal all cracks around the door and any vents into the room;

 Keep listening to your radio or television until you are told all is safe or you are told to evacuate. Local officials may call for evacuation in specific areas at greatest risk in your community, so be sure to have your Go Bag with you in your sealed room.

At Work:

 Close the business. Bring everyone into the room(s). Shut and lock the door(s);

 If there are customers, clients, or visitors in the building, provide for their safety by asking them to stay – not leave. When authorities provide directions to shelter-in-place, they want everyone to take those steps now, where they are, and not drive or walk outdoors;

 Unless there is an imminent threat, ask employees, customers, clients, and visitors to call their emergency contact to let them know where they are and that they are safe;

 Turn on call-forwarding or alternative telephone answering systems or services. If the business has voice mail or an automated attendant, change the recording to indicate that the business is closed, and that staff and visitors are remaining in the building until authorities advise that it is safe to leave;

 Close and lock all windows, exterior doors, and any other openings to the outside;

 If you are told there is danger of explosion, close the window shades, blinds, or curtains;

 Have employees familiar with your building’s mechanical systems turn off all fans, heating and air conditioning systems;

 Some systems automatically provide for exchange of inside air with

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 outside air – these systems, in particular, need to be turned off, sealed, or disabled;

 Gather essential disaster supplies, such as nonperishable food, bottled water, battery-powered radios, first aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, duct tape, plastic sheeting, and plastic garbage bags;

 Select interior room(s) above the ground floor, with the fewest windows or vents. The room(s) should have adequate space for everyone to be able to sit in. Avoid overcrowding by selecting several rooms if necessary. Large storage closets, utility rooms, pantries, copy and conference rooms without exterior windows will work well.

Avoid selecting a room with mechanical equipment like ventilation blowers or pipes, because this equipment may not be able to be sealed from the outdoors;

 It is ideal to have a hard-wired telephone in the room(s) you select.

Call emergency contacts and have the phone available if you need to report a life-threatening condition. Cellular telephone equipment may be overwhelmed or damaged during an emergency;

 Use duct tape and plastic sheeting (heavier than food wrap) to seal all cracks around the door(s) and any vents into the room;

 Write down the names of everyone in the room, and call your

business’ designated emergency contact to report who is in the room with you, and their affiliation with your business (employee, visitor, client, customer);

 Keep listening to the radio or television until you are told all is safe or you are told to evacuate. Local officials may call for evacuation in specific areas at greatest risk in your community – so have your “At Work” Go Bag at the ready.

At School:

 Close the school. Activate the school’s emergency plan. Follow reverse evacuation procedures to bring students, faculty, and staff indoors;

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 If there are visitors in the building, provide for their safety by asking them to stay – not leave. When authorities provide directions to shelter-in-place, they want everyone to take those steps now, where they are, and not drive or walk outdoors;

 Provide for answering telephone inquiries from concerned parents by having at least one telephone with the school’s listed telephone number available in the room selected to provide shelter for the school secretary, or person designated to answer these calls. This room should also be sealed. There should be a way to communicate among all rooms where people are sheltering-in-place in the school;

 Ideally, provide for a way to make announcements over the school-wide public address system from the room where the top school official takes shelter;

 If children have cell phones, allow them to use them to call a parent or guardian to let them know that they have been asked to remain in school until further notice, and that they are safe;

 If the school has voice mail or an automated attendant, change the recording to indicate that the school is closed, students and staff are remaining in the building until authorities advise that it is safe to leave;

 Provide directions to close and lock all windows, exterior doors, and any other openings to the outside;

 If you are told there is danger of explosion, direct that window shades, blinds, or curtains be closed;

 Have employees familiar with your building’s mechanical systems turn off all fans, heating and air conditioning systems. Some systems automatically provide for exchange of inside air with outside air – these systems, in particular, need to be turned off, sealed, or disabled;

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 Gather essential disaster supplies, such as nonperishable food, bottled water, battery-powered radios, first aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, duct tape, plastic sheeting, and plastic garbage bags;

 Select interior room(s) above the ground floor, with the fewest windows or vents. The room(s) should have adequate space for everyone to be able to sit in. Avoid overcrowding by selecting several rooms if necessary. Classrooms may be used if there are no windows or the windows are sealed and can not be opened. Large storage closets, utility rooms, meeting rooms, and even a gymnasium without exterior windows will also work well;

 It is ideal to have a hard-wired telephone in the room(s) you select.

Call emergency contacts and have the phone available if you need to report a life-threatening condition. Cellular telephone equipment may be overwhelmed or damaged during an emergency;

 Bring everyone into the room. Shut and lock the door;

 Use duct tape and plastic sheeting (heavier than food wrap) to seal all cracks around the door(s) and any vents into the room;

 Write down the names of everyone in the room, and call your

schools’ designated emergency contact to report who is in the room with you;

 Listen for an official announcement from school officials via the public address system, and stay where you are until you are told all is safe, or you are told to evacuate. Local officials may call for

evacuation in specific areas at greatest risk in your community.

In Your Vehicle:

If you are driving a vehicle and hear advice to “shelter-in-place” on the radio, take these steps immediately:

 If you are very close to home, your office, or a public building, go there immediately and go inside. Follow the shelter-in-place recommendations for the place you pick described above;

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 If you are unable to get to a home or building quickly and safely, then pull over to the side of the road. Stop your vehicle in the safest place possible. If it is sunny outside, it is preferable to stop under a bridge or in a shady spot, to avoid being overheated;

 Turn off the engine. Close windows and vents;

 If possible, seal the heating/air conditioning vents with duct tape;

 Listen to the radio regularly for updated advice and instructions;

 Stay where you are until you are told it is safe to get back on the road. Be aware that some roads may be closed or traffic detoured.

Follow the directions of law enforcement officials.

During any Shelter-in-Place directive, your local officials on the scene are the best source of information for your particular situation. Following their instructions during and after emergencies regarding sheltering, food, water, and clean up methods is your best choice.

In addition to the advice outlined above by the American Red Cross, the CDC adds the following about Sheltering in Place:

If the order is due to a chemical spill or other hazardous material

emergency, most likely you will only need to shelter for a few hours. You will know if you have to shelter-in-place if there is a “code red” or “severe”

terror alert. You should pay attention to radio and television broadcasts to know right away whether a shelter-in-place alert is announced for your area. You will hear from the local police, emergency coordinators, or government on the radio and on television emergency broadcast system if you need to shelter in place.

Act quickly and follow the instructions of your local emergency coordinators such as law enforcement personnel, fire departments, or local elected

leaders. Every situation can be different, so local emergency coordinators might have special instructions for you to follow.

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In general, do the following:

 Go inside as quickly as possible. Bring any outdoor pets indoors;

 If there is time, shut and lock all outside doors and windows. Locking them may pull the door or window tighter and make a better seal against the chemical. Turn off the air conditioner or heater. Turn off all fans, too. Close the fireplace damper and any other place that air can come in from outside;

 Go in the shelter-in-place room and shut the door;

 Turn on the radio. Keep a telephone close at hand, but don’t use it unless there is a serious emergency;

 Sink and toilet drain traps should have water in them (you can use the sink and toilet as you normally would). If it is necessary to drink water, drink stored water, not water from the tap;

 Tape plastic over any windows in the room. Use duct tape around the windows and doors and make an unbroken seal. Use the tape over any vents into the room and seal any electrical outlets or other openings;

 If you are away from your shelter-in-place location when a chemical event occurs, follow the instructions of emergency coordinators to find the nearest shelter. If your children are at school, they will be

 If you are away from your shelter-in-place location when a chemical event occurs, follow the instructions of emergency coordinators to find the nearest shelter. If your children are at school, they will be

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