Disaster Preparedness Resources
In the last few years we have seen millions of Americans displaced and suffering because of natural disasters. The experts all agree that such an event is likely to strike the Northeastern United States sooner or later. Being prepared for such events is essential. Should a natural disaster arise, there are many actions that you can take both before and after the event to ensure your well being and safety. Hurricanes, floods, ice storms, major snow storms and prolonged electric loss each create different circumstances that you must address.
In an emergency, there may be major damage to the infrastructure (roads, power grids, water supply) around us. Having your car fueled and ready to go is not enough if the roads cannot be traversed. If an alarm is sounded and you are advised to leave, it is important that you do so immediately, as the roads will get congested quickly. Have a plan, destination and route in mind. Be sure you have emergency supplies available for both home and your car.
You should have an adequate supply of batteries, flashlights (consider hand-cranked), extra flashlight bulbs, canned foods, a manual can opener, first aid supplies, seasonal clothing (cool or warm), blankets, a hand-crank portable radio, walkie-talkies (cell towers may not be powered), etc. It is recommended that you store these materials in a cool, secure place inside your home. Having a small piece of luggage or back pack ("Go Bag") prepared will make your moving that much easier. Do not forget to safely store your passport, credit cards and insurance information, and have copies of them in the Go Bag, and to have a week's supply of any prescription medications available. Most importantly, all family members should have contact information (preferably with someone outside the possible disaster area) for after the emergency. FEMA has more suggestions for preparing a Family Disaster Supplies Kit, and the New York City Office of Emergency Management has an excellent brochure entitled Ready New York.
At home, it is recommended that you have enough water on hand for one week (2 gallons/person/day) for drinking, cooking, washing and bathroom use. It is recommended that you fill the bathtubs so that you can use the water to pour into the toilets to evacuate them. For hurricanes, keeping the windows shut with boards has been found to be more effective than taping across them. Anyone who has a disability or is medically challenged should notify Police in advance so that they are aware and can help in an emergency.
The ICE Campaign: The 'ICE' (In Case of Emergency) Campaign idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with the patients, but they didn't know which number to call. Yes, there were hundreds of numbers stored, but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? All you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name 'ICE' (In Case Of Emergency). In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as 'ICE.' For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3, etc.
Professionals should have their community officials confidentially know their contact information. Professionals may also consider joining their local Medical Reserve Corp (MRC) to make themselves available and for further training if so inclined.
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Bioterrorism Resources for Pediatricians, for Children How Pediatricians Can Respond to the Psychosocial Implications of Disasters (AAP Policy statement) The Pediatrician's Role in Disaster Preparedness (AAP policy statement) Medical Emergencies Occurring at Schools (AAP Policy Statement) Child Deaths Hit Communities Hard: Disasters Demand Psychological Triage (AAP News article) Infant Nutrition During a Disaster: Breastfeeding and Other Options - very thought-provoking brochure by the AAP The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has suggestions for "Helping Children After a Disaster." They can be found at http://www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/disaster.htm The National Center for Children Exposed to Violence - a web site maintained by Yale University, supported by a grant from the US Department of Justice.
The AAP Disaster Preparedness Advisory Council has been hard at work
developing a strategic plan for the AAP and responding to requests for
pediatric input or involvement in national efforts. Some information is
available at
http://www.aap.org/disasters/ and a new Web site will be available
soon; stay tuned for more information.
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Internet Links American Red Cross in Greater New York The John Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies American Academy of Pediatrics Terrorism site
The Biological Terrorism
site from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
Disclaimer: The medical information on the above web pages and their internal links are the sole responsibility of the designers of those sites. New York Chapter 2 has not verified the medical data on these sites. You should use the information from these sources at your own discretion.
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