If a natural disaster strikes and you must leave your house, you may have just 10 minutes to evacuate, according to Yolanda McGlinchey, Emergency Services manager for the City of Santa Barbara.
Deciding what to save and take can be difficult under such pressing circumstances, she acknowledged.
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Preparing a household emergency evacuation plan and a communication plan are steps everyone should take in advance to keep yourself and your family safe if a disaster occurs, McGlinchey said.
“If you are safe, it leaves the first responders to help a larger incident,” she noted.
Preparing an Emergency Evacuation Plan
An emergency evacuation plan has two parts: Evacuation from the house and evacuation from the neighborhood, McGlinchey said.
When creating a home evacuation plan, it’s important to remember:
» Have at least two escape routes from each room.
» Mark the locations of any escape ladders or other specialized equipment.
» Mark the locations of fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, first-aid kits and a disaster 72-hour kit.
» Mark the locations of the shutoffs for gas, water and electricity.
» For people with medical conditions or disabilities, mark their location, as well as the location of any specialized equipment they will need immediately.
Household Emergency Evacuation Plan
McGlinchey offers the following tips for a household emergency evacuation plan:
» Draw your home’s floor plan, then draw your evacuation routes and a meeting place.
» Make one drawing for each story of the structure. Keep it in a safe place and review often with your family.
In addition, have maps ready for the following:
» Closest evacuation centers.
» Main and alternative routes for leaving the city in north, south, east and west directions.
» Meet-up spots outside the affected areas.
» Be sure each family member has a copy of the evacuation plan, maps and telephone numbers.
» Allow for an evacuation scenario, while at work.
» Keep your emergency evacuation plans in a safe location with your 72-hour kit.
Emergency Evacuation Inventory
Now is the time to think about what items you would take with you.
McGlinchey suggests compiling a list of the high-priority items and remembering you may have to carry everything.
Create a copy of contact information, including medical facilities, doctors, schools or service providers, and important documents, such as insurance papers.
“Some of the most valuable items are copies of important papers,” McGlinchey explained. “Scan insurance documents and pictures of valuable items on a disk or a thumb drive.”
Next, prepare a disaster kit.
Water, food, blankets, extra clothes and medication are primary items, McGlinchey said.
“This is something quick that you can grab that has everything you need right away,” she said. “It’s something that can get you out of the house for a couple of days.”
Communication Plan
Another important component is a communication plan that outlines the responsibilities, roles and protocols.
“This is the one thing people don’t usually have,” McGlinchey said. “The biggest part is sharing your plans with your family, and having a good understanding of your needs and risks.”
She suggested including a phone list of three contacts outside of the area, and each family member should carry a copy of this list.
“During an emergency, local phone service may be limited,” she said. “People should arrange with someone outside the area to be your family contact.”
Keep the calls short, McGlinchey said, and the contact person should have voicemail or an answering machine.
If possible, arrange to call the contact person back at a specified time for a check-in.
“In an emergency, communication may be down in your area,” McGlinchey said. “Family members can contact the persons out of the emergency area to pass along messages and to check on the welfare of other family members.”
She also recommended that every family member be instructed to listen to the radio or television for telephone use instructions, then phone your out-of-area contact person to say how and where they are and what their plans are.
Choosing a Place to Meet
Family members may not be together at the time of an emergency. So choose family meeting places and establish plans with other family members for meeting up outside of the evacuation area.
“The emergency evacuation plan for your neighborhood can be handy in a large disaster,” McGlinchey said. “By plotting out potential routes on a city map before the disaster, you will save yourself from having to figure something out while in a hurry.”
Inform every member about the established meeting places, she said.
“Pick places that are easy to identify, that can be reached on foot if necessary, and that are in an accessible, open area,” McGlinchey said.
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— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
