Ernst & Haas Management Co Blog

[caption id="attachment_958" align="aligncenter" width="216" caption="It's important to prepare your family and home for a natural disaster."][/caption] It's been three weeks since Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami occurred. And in the wake of such disaster, one can't help but wonder how prepared we are if such events were to happen to Southern California. Although it's agreed that there's only so much you can prepare for, it's important to know how to react in emergencies and what might be needed. Below are some suggestions everyone can use to prepare their family and their home in the event of a natural disaster: When preparing your family and home for a natural disaster, it's important to recognize danger spots, become familiar with safe zones, and create an evacuation plan. Danger spots are areas that may contain windows, mirrors, hanging objects, fireplaces, and tall furniture. Safety zones can be located in different rooms and are typically found under sturdy tables, desks, or against inside walls. Creating an evacuation plan will help guide your family to know where to safely leave a building and where to meet if separated. It's also important for one person to be in charge of shutting off valves for water, gas and electricity. Although only one person is given this responsibility, everyone should know where the valves are located and how to operate them in the event the appointed person cannot turn them off. Keep in mind that there may be special provisions needed during an emergency. The elderly, disabled, and those under medication may have difficulty evacuating and may need additional assistance. Be sure to have special foods or medications readily available if needed as well. Below are some basic items that should be included in a disaster kit: ○ Antibiotic ointment ○ Pain relief medication ○ Eye drops ○ Cold/cough medicine ○ Antihistamines ○ Ear and nose drops ○ Hydrogen peroxide ○ Skin disinfectant spray ○ Band-Aids, large and small ○ Medical latex gloves ○ Instant cold and heat packs ○ Ace bandages ○ Butterfly bandages ○ Gauze pads ○ Cotton swabs ○ Adhesive tape ○ Sterile bandage rolls ○ Toilet paper ○ Handi-wipes ○ Toiletries ○ Tent, tarps, and blankets ○ Local road map ○ Fire extinguisher ○ Flashlights with extra batteries ○ Matches ○ Small radio with extra batteries ○ Water and dry food (when you rotate your clocks, you rotate your supplies) ○ Cash money