rEPAct Emergency Preparedness Tips
- Preparations for People with Disabilities and Other Access and Functional Needs (runtime 5:06)
- How to Build a Disaster Supply Kit
Build a disaster supply kit for your home, your workplace, and your vehicle. Don’t forget special supplies for kids and pets. (Runtime 1.25)
How to Use a Fire Extinguisher
Learn about the different types of fire extinguishers and how to use them safely and effectively. (run time 6:55)
How to Open a Garage Door Manually
If you need your vehicle in response to an emergency during a power failure and your vehicle is stuck in your garage, you may need to operate the electric garage door motor manually. CAUTION: Your garage door can be extremely heavy to raise when you disconnect it from the garage door motor, and it can come down with no mechanical assistance. (Runtime 2:09)
How to Escape from a Submerged Car
The Bay Area has many bridges, lakes, creeks, and shoreline. Make sure you know what to do if your car starts to submerge. (Runtime 0.57)
Take Full Advantage of your Smartphone Camera
If you fill out forms (such as logs or message forms) during a drill or deployment, take a picture of the filled-out form to keep for yourself before you submit it to your team leader. If you encounter a hazard such as a fallen tree blocking the road, take a picture of it and send it to your team leader.
- How to approach a victim during a deployment
Make it a habit of putting on your surgical gloves as you leave home if you plan to touch a victim. Pack the gloves on the outside of your CERT bag so you won’t forget. Approach the victim and identify yourself as a neighbor trained in first aid. Ask for permission to help them. While you talk to them, hold their wrist to comfort them and check their pulse. Within a few seconds, you should be able to tell even without a timepiece if it is higher or lower than normal and weaker than normal.
- If you plan to measure their respiration, it can be tricky because the victim my change their respiration when they know you are watching them. One trick you can use is to count their pulse while checking your watch, but only measure their pulse for the first 30 seconds. For the second 30 seconds, pretend you are still checking their pulse, but instead watch their chest or stomach area to count their respirations. When done, double both numbers to record rates per minute.
Become a Neighborhood Coordinator
Develop a team of leaders who can help build the plan and carry our
emergency support activities when the time comes.