Stocking up now on emergency supplies can add to your safety
and comfort during and after an earthquake. Store enough
supplies for at least 72 hours.
Water-1 gallon per person per day (a week's supply of water is
preferable)
Water purification kit
First aid kit, freshly stocked
First aid book
Food
Can opener (non-electric)
Blankets or sleeping bags
Portable radio, flashlight and spare batteries
Essential medications
Extra pair of eyeglasses
Extra pair of house and car keys
Fire extinguisher-A-B-C type
Food, water and restraint (leash or carrier) for pets
Cash and change
Baby supplies: formula, bottle, pacifier, soap and baby powder,
clothing, blankets, baby wipes, disposable diapers, canned food and
juices.
Sanitation Supplies
Large plastic trash bags for waste; tarps and rain ponchos
Large trash cans
Bar soap and liquid detergent
Shampoo
Toothpaste and toothbrushes
Feminine hygiene supplies
Toilet paper
Household bleach
Safety and Comfort
Sturdy shoes
Heavy gloves for clearing debris
Candles and matches
Light sticks
Change of clothing
Knife or razor blades
Garden hose for siphoning and firefighting
Tent
Communication kit: paper, pens, stamps
Cooking
Plastic knives, forks, spoons
Paper plates and cups
Paper towels
Heavy-duty aluminum foil
Camping stove for outdoor cooking (caution: before using fire to cook,
make sure there are no gas leaks; never use charcoal indoors)
Tools and Supplies
Axe, shovel, broom
Adjustable wrench for turning off gas
Tool kit including a screwdriver, pliers and a hammer
Coil of 1/2" rope
Plastic tape, staple gun and sheeting for window replacement
Bicycle
City map
Preparing Your Family
When preparing for an earthquake, plan on having enough
supplies to get you and your family through at least the first 72
hours. After a major earthquake, there's a good chance that
traditional emergency response teams will be too busy to take
care of you and your family. You need to prepare your home
and neighborhood.
The Plan
Stock up on at least a three-day supply of food, water, clothes,
medical supplies and other necessary equipment for everyone in your
family. Make sure everyone knows where to find them. (See the
information sheet on emergency supplies in this packet.)
Decide where and when to reunite your family should you be apart
when an earthquake happens.
Choose a person outside the immediate area to contact if family
members are separated. Long distance phone service will probably be
restored sooner than local service. Do not use the phone immediately
after an earthquake.
Know the policies of the school or daycare center your children attend.
Make plans to have someone pick them up if you are unable to get to
them.
If you have a family member who does not speak English, prepare an
emergency card written in English indicating that person's
identification, address and any special needs such as medication or
allergies. Tell that person to keep the card with him/her at all times.
Conduct Earthquake Duck, Cover & Hold drills every six months with
your family.
Know the safest place in each room because it will be difficult to move
from one room to another during a quake.
Locate the shutoff valves for water, gas and electricity. Learn how to
shut off the valves before a quake. If you have any questions, call
your utility company.
Make copies of vital records and keep them in a safe deposit box in
another city or state. Make sure your originals are stored safely.
Before a quake occurs, call your local Red Cross chapter and Office of
Emergency Services to find out about their plans for emergency
shelters and temporary medical centers in case of such a disaster.
Establish all the possible ways to exit your house. Keep those areas
clear.
Know the locations of the nearest fire and police stations.
Take photos and/or videos of your valuables. Make copies and keep
them in another city or state.
Include your babysitter and other household help in your plans.
Keep an extra pair of eyeglasses and house and car keys on hand.
Keep extra cash and change. If electricity is out, you will not be able to
use an ATM.
General Tips Stay away from heavy furniture, appliances, large glass
panes, shelves holding objects, and large decorative masonry, brick or
plaster such as fireplaces.
Keep your hallway clear. It is usually one of the safest places to be
during an earthquake. Stay away from kitchens and garages, which
tend to be the most dangerous places because of the many items kept
there.
Preparing Your Children
Children need to be prepared for an earthquake as much as
adults, if not more.
For infants and toddlers, special emphasis should be placed on making
their environment as safe as possible
Cribs should be placed away from windows and tall, unsecured
bookcases and shelves that could slide or topple.
A minimum of a 72-hour supply of extra water, formula, bottles, food,
juices, clothing, disposable diapers, baby wipes and prescribed
medications should be stored where it is most likely to be accessible
after an earthquake. Also keep an extra diaper bag with these items in
your car.
Store strollers, wagons, blankets and cribs with appropriate wheels to
evacuate infants, if necessary.
Install bumper pads in cribs or bassinettes to protect babies during the
shaking.
Install latches on all cupboards (not just those young children can
reach) so that nothing can fall on your baby during a quake.
Preschool and School-age Children
By age three or so, children can understand what an earthquake is and
how to get ready for one. Take the time to explain what causes
earthquakes in terms they'll understand. Include your children in
family discussions and planning for earthquake safety. Conduct drills
and review safety procedures every six months
Show children the safest places to be in each room when an
earthquake hits. Also show them all possible exits from each room.
Use sturdy tables to teach children to Duck, Cover & Hold.
Teach children what to do wherever they are during an earthquake (at
school, in a tall building, outdoors).
Make sure children's emergency cards at school are up-to-date.
Although children should not turn off any utility valves, it's important
that they know what gas smells like. Advise children to tell an adult if
they smell gas after an earthquake.
Before an Earthquake
Set up your home, apartment or workplace so that you can quickly get
under a sturdy desk, table or other safe place for protection. Identify
doorways that do not have doors in which you can take cover.
Maintain a list of medications, allergies, special equipment, names and
numbers of doctors, pharmacists and family members with you at all
times.
Keep extra medication with your emergency supplies.
Keep extra emergency supplies at your bedside and by your
wheelchair.
Have walking aids near you at all times. Place extra walking aids in
different rooms of the house.
Put a security light in each room. These lights plug into any outlet and
light up automatically if there is a loss of electricity. They continue
operating automatically for four to six hours, and they can be turned
off by hand in an emergency.
Have a whistle near you to signal for help.
Find two people you trust who will check on you after an earthquake.
Tell them your special needs. Show them how to operate any
equipment you use. Show them where your emergency supplies are
kept. Give them a spare key.
During and After an Earthquake
If you are in bed or out of a wheelchair, stay where you are and cover
your head and neck.
If you are in a wheelchair, stay in it and go into a doorway that doesn't
have a door. Cover your head and neck with your hands.
Prepare to be self-sufficient for at least three days.
Turn on your portable radio for instructions and news reports. For your
own safety, cooperate fully with public safety officials and instructions.
Prepare for aftershocks.
If you evacuate your home, leave a message at your home telling
family members and others where you can be found.
Tips for the Elderly
Before an Earthquake
Eliminate hazards. Make it as easy as possible to quickly get under a
sturdy table or desk for protection.
Anchor special equipment such as telephones and life support systems.
Fasten tanks of gas, such as oxygen, to the wall.
Keep a list of medications, allergies, special equipment, names and
numbers of doctors, pharmacists and family members. Make sure you
have this list with you at all times.
Keep an extra pair of eyeglasses and medication with emergency
supplies.
Keep walking aids near you at all times.
Have extra walking aids in different rooms of the house.
Put a security light in each room. These lights plug into any outlet and
light up automatically if there is a loss of electricity. They continue
operating automatically for four to six hours, and they can be turned
off by hand in an emergency.
Make sure you have a whistle to signal for help.
Keep extra batteries for hearing aids with your emergency supplies.
Remember to replace them annually.
Keep extra emergency supplies at your bedside.
Find two people you trust who will check on you after an earthquake.
Tell them your special needs. Show them how to operate any
equipment you use. Show them where your emergency supplies are
kept. Give them a spare key.
During and After an Earthquake
If you are in bed or sitting down, do not get up.
If you are standing, duck and cover or sit down. You could be thrown
to the floor if you are standing.
Prepare to be self-sufficient for at least three days.
Turn on your portable radio for instructions and news reports. For your
own safety, cooperate fully with public safety officials and instructions.
Prepare for aftershocks.
If you evacuate, leave a message at your home telling family members
and others where you can be found.
You must secure the contents of your home or office to reduce
hazards. You should secure anything heavy enough to hurt you
if it falls on you. Here are steps you should take to secure your
possessions.
Secure Tabletop Objects
TVs, stereos, computers, lamps and chinaware can be secured with
buckles and safety straps attached to the tabletop (which allows for
easy movement of the units when needed) or with hook and loop
fasteners glued to both the table and the unit.
Glass and pottery objects can be secured with nondrying putty or
microcrystalline wax.
Secure Items in Your Kitchen
Use child-proof latches, hook and eye latches or positive catch latches,
designed for boats, to secure your cabinet doors.
Make sure your gas appliances have flexible connectors to reduce the
risk of fire.
Secure your refrigerator to prevent movement.
Anchor Your Furniture
Secure the tops of all top-heavy furniture such as bookcases and file
cabinets to the wall. Be sure to anchor to the stud, not just to the
plasterboard. Flexible fasteners such as nylon straps allow tall objects
to sway without falling over, reducing the strain on the studs.
Protect Yourself from Broken Glass
Replace your windows with ones made from safety glass or cover them
with a strong shatter-resistant film. Be sure you use safety film and
not just a solar filter.
Secure Overhead Objects Ceiling lights and fans should be additionally
supported with a cable bolted to the ceiling joist. The cable should
have enough slack to allow it to sway.
Framed pictures, especially glass-covered, should be hung from closed
hooks so that they can't bounce off. Only soft art such as tapestries
should be placed over beds and sofas.
How to Secure Your Water Heater
If you strap your water heater and fit it with a flexible gas
supply line, you will reduce the risk of a fire or explosion from a
gas leak after an earthquake. If your water heater does not
have a flexible gas supply line, contact a licensed plumber to
install one.
These instructions are for installing a water heater restraint for a water
heater on a straight wall using the conduit method.
1. Mark the water heater 9" down from the top and approximately 4"
up from the top of the controls. Locate the wood studs in the wall on
both sides of the water heater.
2. Using a stud finder or other appropriate methods, locate the closest
stud behind and to one side of the water heater.
3. Transfer the marks on the water heater horizontally to the adjacent
wall where the stud identified in step 2 was located.
4. Drill a 3/16" diameter and 3" deep pilot hole at the marked
locations for the 1/4"diameter by 3" long lag screw.
5. Measure around the water tank and add 2" to the measurement.
Cut two pieces of 3/4" x 24 gauge perforated steel plumbers tape to
this length. Place a bolt with the washer through the hole of one end
and bend out 90 degrees as close to the edge of the washer as
possible. Most plumbers tape comes with 1/4" diameter holes 1" apart
with 1/8" diameter holes in between. The tape can be easily broken at
the smaller holes by grabbing it with pliers and bending it several
times.
6. Place the tape around the tank and place the bolt with the washer
through the nearest hole in the end of the tape. Place a washer and
nut on the bolt and tighten. The tape should be tight. If the tape is not
tight, remove the bolt, place it through the next adjacent 1/4" hole
and tighten.
7. Using a straight stick, place the end at the hole in the wall with the
side of the stick against the side of the tape around the tank. Measure
the distance from where the stick touches the water heater to the hole
in the wall. Add 1" to this measurement and cut 1/2" diameter conduit
to this length. Repeat this for each piece of conduit.
8. Using a hammer or vise, flatten 1" at each end of the 4 pieces of
conduit. Be sure to flatten both ends of each piece of conduit in the
same plane.
9. Drill a hole in one end of each conduit approximately 1/2" from
each end. Measure 1" from each end and bend up approximately 45
degrees. This angle will have to be corrected slightly as the work
progresses. Hold the conduit on the wall with the hole in the conduit
over the hole in the wall, and mark the other end at one of the holes in
the plumbers tape. Mark the holes in the tape and on the tank and
conduit. Take down the conduit and drill a hole at the mark for the bolt
through the flattened end of the conduit. Repeat for the conduit on the
other side.
10. Loosen the strap around the tank and place a bolt with the washer
from the inside through the holes in the tape at all locations. Tighten
the tape around the tank so that the bolts are at the marks on the
tank. It may be easier to do one side of the tank at a time because
positioning the tape can be difficult. Place the conduit on the bolt
protruding from the strap and place a washer and nut on the bolt and
tighten. (A 4d finish nail inserted in the slot in the bolt will prevent the
head from turning.) Position the opposite end at the hole in the wall
and insert the lag screw with the washer and tighten. Do not drive the
lag screw with a hammer.
11. Repeat the above procedure for the rest of the conduits. NOTE:
The 1/4" x 1" bolts referred to in the above are known as 1/4" x 1"
round head machine screws with a nut.
Organizing Your Neighborhood
After an earthquake or other disaster, emergency response
agencies could be overburdened and might not be able to get to
your neighborhood immediately. You and your neighbors or
coworkers may need to take the initial emergency response
actions and take care of others for at least 72 hours.
Past earthquakes have thrust many untrained people into
positions of providing first aid and rescuing people. You need
to be prepared! If a response team has not been organized in
your neighborhood or workplace, form one now. Joining and
forming a community response team can greatly improve your
chances of surviving an earthquake and can improve the selfsufficiency
of your neighborhood.
Training
Learn simple firefighting techniques.
Learn basic search-and-rescue skills.
Learn to assess yourself, your family and coworker for injuries.
Learn to assess your home and workplace for hazards or damage.
Learn to assess your community for hazards, needs and available
resources.
Contact your local police and fire departments, city/ county Office of
Emergency Services, American Red Cross chapter or community
college to arrange for speakers and training workshops. Response
teams should arrange to participate in annual earthquake exercises
sponsored by local government and businesses.
Inventory Your Neighbors' Skills
As part of the community response team planning process, teams
should conduct an inventory of the skills and resources available at
home, work and community. You should have this information on hand
before an earthquake for efficient, effective responses. Identify people
who:
Have medical, electrical, child care, leadership, fire fighting and
survival skills.
Own chain saws, citizens band radios, four-wheel drive vehicles,
motorcycles and water purifiers.
Are willing and able to be a runner/bicycler to deliver messages if
telephone lines are down.
Every home or office has people with special needs. Your neighborhood
response team should work with these individuals in advance to
determine what extra assistance or supplies they may require after an
earthquake or other emergency. Some of the people who may require
special assistance include:
Physically Challenged Deaf or hearing impaired
Blind
Limited mobility-wheelchair-bound
Persons who require a special oxygen supply
Persons with significant medical conditions
Other Children who spend time alone at home
Non-English speaking
Store Supplies
In addition to the water, food and other supplies that everyone needs
to stock, members of the community response team should store
tools. Items such as the following should be stored in a central and
easily accessible location.
Gloves and goggles
Adjustable wrenches
Hard hats and vests
Flashlights with extra batteries
Axes and crowbars
Ropes
For further information contact
Douglas Motz Insurance Agency
760-200-0270 or go to DougMotz.com
