How to Prepare for an Earthquake
Create a Disaster Preparedness Plan for your house or place of work., Practice "drop, cover and hold on" until it becomes second nature., Learn basic first aid and CPR or make sure there is at least one person in the house knows it., Decide on a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Create a Disaster Preparedness Plan for your house or place of work.
Know what you and your family are going to do before the earthquake happens.
Form your plan together and go over it on a regular basis.
The most important first step is understanding what to do the moment an earthquake hits.This plan needs to:
Identify the best places for cover in your building.
Under sturdy desks and tables and inside strong interior door frames are good places.
If there is no other cover, lay on the floor next to an interior wall and protect your head and neck.
Stay away from large furniture, mirrors, external walls and windows, kitchen cabinets, and anything heavy that isn't bolted down.
Teach everyone how to signal for help if trapped.
Rescuers searching collapsed buildings will be listening for sounds, so try knocking three times repeatedly or blow an emergency whistle if you have access to one.Practice until it is second nature.
Practice this plan often
-- you only have a few seconds to make adjustments in a real earthquake. -
Step 2: Practice "drop
In a real earthquake, this is your number one defense.
Drop to the floor, take cover under a sturdy desk or table and hold on firmly.
Be prepared for shaking and falling objects.
You should practice this in every room of the house, knowing your protected areas no matter where you are when an earthquake hits.If you are outside, move into the open, away from anything that could fall or collapse like trees and buildings.
Drop and cover your head from falling objects.
Stay there until the shaking stops., There are resources in your community to educate you and your family on how to deal with first aid emergencies.
Your local Red Cross has monthly classes as well that will teach you the basic skills to deal with most common injuries and situations.
If you cannot attend a class, purchase basic first aid books and put them with each stash of emergency supplies in the house.
Also having a first aid kit helps. , It should be away from buildings.
Go over what your family should do in the event that not everyone makes it to the rallying point.
If you have civil defense safety meeting points (as designated by your town), be sure that every member of the family knows the location of the one closest to home, school, and work.
Identify an out-of-area contact person, like an out-of-state aunt or uncle, that your family can call and get in touch with one another.
If you can't call each other for some reason, make sure you call them to help coordinate a meet-up.
Use FRS and GMRS service (GMRS requires a license by FCC in US) to contact each other.
Phone lines get congested in disaster.
Some FRS and GMRS radio can send radio waves up to 40 miles! , A broken gas line leaks flammable gas into space, which can lead to a very dangerous explosion if untended.
You should learn how to operate your utilities now so that, in the event you smell leaking gas, you can quickly stop the problem., This should include everyone in your home, office, etc.
You need to know who must be accounted for and how to get in touch with them if they can't be found.
In addition to normal contact information, ask each person to provide and emergency contact as well.You should also include:
Names and numbers of neighbors.
Name and number of the landlord.
Important medical information.
Emergency numbers for fire, medical, police, and insurance., Since there is no precise time of day when an earthquake might strike, you may be at work, at school, on a bus, or in a train when one strikes.
It is highly likely that you will need to know several ways to get home since roads and bridges will likely be obstructed for long periods of time.
Note any potentially dangerous structures, like bridges, and figure out a route around them if need be. -
Step 3: cover and hold on" until it becomes second nature.
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Step 4: Learn basic first aid and CPR or make sure there is at least one person in the house knows it.
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Step 5: Decide on a rallying point for your family for after the earthquake.
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Step 6: Learn how to turn off the utilities in your house
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Step 7: especially the gas line.
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Step 8: Write down and share emergency contact lists.
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Step 9: Try to develop routes and methods for getting home after an earthquake has occurred.
Detailed Guide
Know what you and your family are going to do before the earthquake happens.
Form your plan together and go over it on a regular basis.
The most important first step is understanding what to do the moment an earthquake hits.This plan needs to:
Identify the best places for cover in your building.
Under sturdy desks and tables and inside strong interior door frames are good places.
If there is no other cover, lay on the floor next to an interior wall and protect your head and neck.
Stay away from large furniture, mirrors, external walls and windows, kitchen cabinets, and anything heavy that isn't bolted down.
Teach everyone how to signal for help if trapped.
Rescuers searching collapsed buildings will be listening for sounds, so try knocking three times repeatedly or blow an emergency whistle if you have access to one.Practice until it is second nature.
Practice this plan often
-- you only have a few seconds to make adjustments in a real earthquake.
In a real earthquake, this is your number one defense.
Drop to the floor, take cover under a sturdy desk or table and hold on firmly.
Be prepared for shaking and falling objects.
You should practice this in every room of the house, knowing your protected areas no matter where you are when an earthquake hits.If you are outside, move into the open, away from anything that could fall or collapse like trees and buildings.
Drop and cover your head from falling objects.
Stay there until the shaking stops., There are resources in your community to educate you and your family on how to deal with first aid emergencies.
Your local Red Cross has monthly classes as well that will teach you the basic skills to deal with most common injuries and situations.
If you cannot attend a class, purchase basic first aid books and put them with each stash of emergency supplies in the house.
Also having a first aid kit helps. , It should be away from buildings.
Go over what your family should do in the event that not everyone makes it to the rallying point.
If you have civil defense safety meeting points (as designated by your town), be sure that every member of the family knows the location of the one closest to home, school, and work.
Identify an out-of-area contact person, like an out-of-state aunt or uncle, that your family can call and get in touch with one another.
If you can't call each other for some reason, make sure you call them to help coordinate a meet-up.
Use FRS and GMRS service (GMRS requires a license by FCC in US) to contact each other.
Phone lines get congested in disaster.
Some FRS and GMRS radio can send radio waves up to 40 miles! , A broken gas line leaks flammable gas into space, which can lead to a very dangerous explosion if untended.
You should learn how to operate your utilities now so that, in the event you smell leaking gas, you can quickly stop the problem., This should include everyone in your home, office, etc.
You need to know who must be accounted for and how to get in touch with them if they can't be found.
In addition to normal contact information, ask each person to provide and emergency contact as well.You should also include:
Names and numbers of neighbors.
Name and number of the landlord.
Important medical information.
Emergency numbers for fire, medical, police, and insurance., Since there is no precise time of day when an earthquake might strike, you may be at work, at school, on a bus, or in a train when one strikes.
It is highly likely that you will need to know several ways to get home since roads and bridges will likely be obstructed for long periods of time.
Note any potentially dangerous structures, like bridges, and figure out a route around them if need be.
About the Author
Kimberly Johnson
Specializes in breaking down complex pet care topics into simple steps.
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