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reacting + prepping for a
disaster A disaster can happen at any time. Here we give you some tips on how to react and be prepared for these unexpected events:
fire •
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Use water to put out small • fires. Do not try to put out a fire that is getting out of control. Never use water on an electrical fire. Smother oil and grease fires • with baking soda or salt. Ifyour clothes catch on fire, STOP, DROP AND ROLL until • the fire is extinguished. Running only makes the fire
chemical emergency
emergency
resources DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management https://www.dupageco.org/oem/
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Emergency Preparedness Resources https://www.dupageco.org/OHSEM/ Emergency_Preparedness/29830/
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American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois http://www.redcross.org/local/illinois/ chicago-northern-illinois
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/) Citizen Corps DuPage (http://www. dupageco.org/citizencorps/) DuPage County Health Department (http://www.dupagehealth.org/ Federal Emergency Management
Created + Published By Voyager Media Publications MICHAEL JAMES >> GENERAL MANAGER, VP ADVERTISING & MARKETING
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Agency (http://www.fema.gov/) Illinois Emergency Management Agency (http://www.state.il.us/ iema/) National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (http://www. nvoad.org/voad-network/nationalmembers/) Ready.gov (http://www.ready.gov/) Salvation Army (http://www. salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_ usn_2.nsf) U.S. Department of Homeland Security (http://www.dhs.gov/) IRS - Disaster Assistance/ Emergency Relief (http://www.irs. gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses&-Self-Employed/DisasterAssistance-and-Emergency-Relieffor-Individuals-and-Businesses-1)
ANDREW SAMAAN >> CREATIVE DIRECTOR PAT RYAN >> ADVERTISING DIRECTOR SHELLEY HOLMGREN >> PUBLICATION DESIGNER LAUREEN CROTTEAU >> MARKETING DIRECTOR SALES ASSOCIATES >> SHERI LHOTAK, DENA CONN
A chemical incident could occur when a toxic gas, liquid or solid is accidentally or deliberately released intotheenvironment.Somechemical agents can have an immediate effect;; others can take several hours You may know that there has been a chemical incident if there are many
explosion No matter what the cause of an explosion, COVER YOUR NOSE AND MOUTH with a N95 dust
burn faster. If you must open a door in order to escape a fire, use the back of your hand to test the top of the door,the crack between the frame and the door and the doorknob. Close doors behind you as you leave in order to delay the spread of the fire. If there is smoke, crawl along the floor, since poisonous gases and smoke rise
dead or sick animals or birds on the ground or if people around you are becoming sick very quickly. You should immediate get Fresh Air by leaving the affected area or breaking a window to get clean air. If you are told to “Shelter-In-Place’, you should consider sheltering on the highest floor possible because chemicals tend to be heavier than air and lay low to the ground.
mask or a cotton fabric and seek immediate advice from the emergency officials. If you are in a building that has been impacted, evacuate if it is safe to do so.
nuclear & radiological A nuclear or radiological incident is highly unlikely. During such an incident, cover your nose and mouth with a dust mask or multilayered cotton fabric. to help limit the radioactive material from entering your lungs. To limit the amount of radiation you are exposed to, think about shielding,
distance and time. SHIELDING if you have a thick shield like a concrete wall between you and the radioactive material, you will be exposed to less . DISTANCE: The farther away you are from the blast and the fallout the lower your exposure. TIME: Minimize the time you are exposed.
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preparation 101
Are You prepared for a
roadside Emergency? You drive safely and follow your vehicle’smaintenance schedule, but that doesn’t mean you’ll never find trouble on the road. But with a little preparation, you can handle almost any roadside breakdown. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the most common types of roadside breakdowns:
Dead battery Your kid left a light on in the backseat or a door slightly ajar, and now the engine won’t start. Jump-starting your car is the best way to get back on the road. Always keep a pair of jumper cables on hand. In case your battery dies at night, you might want to consider purchasing a hands-free light, such as the Might-D-Light Rechargeable LED Worklight (might-d-light. com). Flashlights can prove unreliable, not to mention unwieldy while making repairs, but the Might-D-Light’s two rare earth magnets can attach to the underside of the hood or hang from a hook, illuminating the area you need to work.
Fuel You were counting on finding another gas station, but one never materialized, and now you’re stuck. Put on your hazard lights and, if possible, push your car to the side of the road. If you have a cell phone, stay in your car and call an emergency or roadside-assistance number. If not, you will have to start walking. If you’re in a remote
area, flag down someone who can help. If you’re in a city or town, walk to the nearest gas station by heading towards lights or the nearest exit.
Flat tire Always make sure that your spare tire’s inflated before heading out. If you do need to change a flat, make sure that there’s a safe distance between your body and the edge of the road before removing your spare tire and jack. A hands-free light will prove useful for nighttime repairs.
page 5 Watch thunderstorms from the safety of indoors
severe weather
It may be tempting to be out in the storm, but if you head outside during a storm, you are risking injury or even death. Consider watching a storm from the comfort of inside a garage, where you can leave the door open and see, hear and smell the storm while it comes through.
keep flashlights or candles handy
Safety First When observing
Strong storms can knock out power. Always have a backup light source readily available in case the power goes out. Also, you may need a battery-powered radio or a charged mobile phone at the ready to keep up on storm alerts.
T
Thunderstorms frighten many animals, so pets should not share in your storm-watching endeavors. They may injure themselves trying to escape the noise. It’s best if pets are kept in a quiet, dark space until the storm has ended.
Thunderstorms hunderstorms occur when cold upper air descends and warm, moist air rises. When these air masses collide, they form thick cumulonimbus clouds, often referred to as “thunderheads.” Thunderstorms may begin and end in an instant, or
several storms may string together to make thunder and lighting clusters. While thunderstorms can occur during any time of the year, they’re more likely to occur in spring and summer.
keep pets in an interior room so they do not get spooked
steer clear of standing bodies of water
Downed power lines may leach electricity through puddles, potentially causing electrocution if people are standing in puddles. Do not touch any wires that seem suspicious. Water is an easy conduit for lightning, so avoid any bodies of water during a thunderstorm.
do not seek shelters under trees if caught outdoors during storm
Accuweather.com advises that people who cannot find reasonable shelter after a storm should take steps to minimize their risk of being struck or injured. Crouch as low to the ground as you can, but do not lie down on the ground or put your hands down. Stay on just your feet to cover as little ground as possible. You also want to be as low as you can to reduce your risks of being a lightning target.
keep electrical conductor items away from you
Summer weather is bound to include some thunderstorms. Where there is thunder, there’s lightning, and remember to stay safe by watching these storms from a distance and making smart choices.
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keep pets in mind when planning for disasters S
trong storms can barrel through a location with tremendous force, obliterating homes in the process. The prospect of a natural disaster often forces people to take inventory of their lives and make decisions about what items to protect and how to prepare for the inevitability of an approaching threat. When making disaster preparedness plans, pet owners need to factor in care of their companion animals. Many people refuse to leave pets behind. However, faced with the
prospect of an impending storm or other calamity, pet owners may not know where to turn when it comes to caring for pets. Some inevitably stay behind after disaster evacuations have been issued with the fear pets may not be allowed in shelters or could be turned away from hotels. This can put homeowners, pets and rescue workers at risk for greater injury. Knowing how to behave during a disaster, and caring for a pet in the process, can assist with keeping everyone safe.
Create an emergency supply kit Have extra food and water on hand for pets just in case you are stranded at home or need to go to a shelter. Store three to four days’ worth of food and water in sealed containers.
check pet i.d. is current Dogs and cats should wear identification tags that include a mobile telephone number. Should the animal become lost, anyone can reach you regardless of your current location.
Have a contingency plan
know your options People who live in particularly vulnerable areas, like those prone to wildfires or coastal flooding, should map out a disaster plan. This plan will spell out what everyone in the home will do in the event an evacuation is needed or if you need to stay put with the potential for utility interruption.
Find petfriendly lodging Many hotels allow pets overnight stays for a nominal security fee. Know which hotels will accept companion animals and include their contact information in your preparedness kit.
Speak with friends and family members and make arrangements for someone to care for your pet if you will be displaced for quite some time.
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emergency 101
in you are caught in ... tornadoes
roar, similar to a freight train. If you are in the house during a tornado, A tornado appears as a rotating, take shelter in a basement or seek funnel-shaped cloud that extends shelter in an interior room or hallto the ground with whirling winds way on the lowest floor Stay away that can reach 300 miles per hour. from windows, doors and outside Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. In walls, Get our of vehicles, trailers the event of a tornado watch, listen and mobile homes immediately and to newscasts. Be alert for approach- go the lowest floor of a sturdy nearby building or shelter. If outside,, lie ing storms and watch for tornado in a nearby ditch or depression and danger signs such as dark, often cover your head with your hands. Be greenish skies; large hail; a large aware of potential flooding. Do not dark, low-lying cloud; and a loud try to out run a tornado.
floods
live in a low-lying area near water or All floods are not alike. Some devel- downstream from a dam. Even small op slowly, sometimes over a period streams,gullies, creeks or low-lying ground that appear harmless in dry of days. Flash floods can develop weather can flood. quickly and in just a few minutes If there is any possibility of a flash without any visible signs of rain. Flash floods often have a dangerous flood, MOVE IMMEDIATELY TO wall of roaring water that carries a HIGHER GROUND> Do not wait for deadly cargo of rocks,mud and othe instructions tomove. In other cases, follow evacuation orders. DO not debris and can sweep away anywalk through moving water. SIx thing in its path. Be aware of flood hazards no matter inches of moving water can knock where you live but especially if you you off your feet.
hail
What to do if you are caught in a hail storm while in an automobile: Most importantly, stop driving. If you see a safe place close-by (like inside a garage, under a highway overpass or under a service station
awning), drive to it as soon as you can. Make sure you pull completely off the highway. Do NOT leave the vehicle until it stops hailing. Your car might get dented, but unlike you, the car won’t get a concussion.
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