Madison County 2009 Family Manual
1. Watch Be Ready Family DVD 2. Read Family Manual and other materials 3. Be Informed Explore local websites, complete questionnaire in Family Manual. 4. Be Involved- Mail Be Informed questionnaire to Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Management Agency (EMA). 5. Be Ready make a kit, have a plan, make a phone tree, prepare for fires and severe weather. a. Complete Be Ready checklist in Family Manual and mail to Huntsville-Madison County EMA. b. Receive We re a Ready Family sticker & invitation to the BBQ! 1
Introduction - Table of Contents Be Informed 3 Websites to Explore Disaster Preparedness Materials Be Involved 4 Volunteer Give Blood Get Trained take CERT classes Be Ready 5-14 Communications Plan Home Fire Preparedness Home Fire Escape Map Make a Kit Kit for home Kit for evacuation Severe Weather Preparedness Be Ready Family Mail-in Checklist Don t forget to put a return address on your envelope to receive a We re a Ready Family sticker and invitation to the BBQ! Insert 2
Be INFORMED In an emergency, the more you know the better you will be able to help yourself and your family stay calm. The first step in the Be Ready Family program is to Be Informed. Explore the sources listed below to find answers to the questionnaire inserted at the end of this manual. After you have found all the answers, mail it to your local Emergency Management Agency (EMA)- envelope included. WEBSITES TO EXPLORE These websites contain local Disaster Preparedness information including hazards common to Huntsville, Madison County, and the State of Alabama. Knowing where to find important local information online can be essential. Some of the answers to the questionnaire insert can be found on these websites! LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY : http://www.madisoncountyema.com MADISON-MARSHALL COUNTY AMERICAN RED CROSS : http://www.redcrossrelief.org GOVERNOR S BE READY ALABAMA WEBSITE: http://www.readyalabama.org DISASTER PREPAREDNESS MATERIALS Enclosed in your Be Ready Family packet are a series of Disaster Preparedness materials. These materials will help you answer some of the questions on the questionnaire insert! ADPH ARE YOU READY? BROCHURE AMERICAN RED CROSS MATERIALS 3 Community Emergency Response Team- CERT informational brochure
Be INVOLVED Volunteer An important part of Be Ready Family is staying involved in your community. Volunteering not only provides a service to others but it supports and strengthens communities. Countless volunteer opportunities are available ranging from working with local neighborhood watch programs, helping out at the library, to checking in on an elderly neighbor. Get Trained Give Blood In America, a blood transfusion is needed almost every two seconds. Since the need for blood increases in an emergency, blood supplies can be rapidly depleted. Make a commitment to donate frequently and ensure that this vital resource is available when we need it most. If you are not able to give blood, consider making a monetary donation to a local disaster response charity. In most emergencies, bystanders or the victims themselves are the first to respond to the situation. In a large-scale disaster, police, fire and medical response may be delayed due to interrupted communication, blocked roads or limited resources. It is vital that individuals are able to assist others until professional emergency responders can arrive. Your Be Ready Family materials include local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training information. 4
Emergency Communications Plan Have a Family Communications Plan Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact each other. Have a plan for each person to contact the same outof-state friend or relative in an emergency so there is a common point of contact and information can be shared more easily. Also, designate a neighborhood meeting place where the family can reunite. For Example: A disaster happens when Dad is at work and Alex and Tiffany are at two different schools. None of them can contact each other, because local phone lines are jammed, but each of them can reach Aunt Terry in Georgia. When Dad calls Aunt Terry, she tells him she s heard from Alex and Tiffany and they re both fine. Aunt Terry can then call Alex and Tiffany back and let them know Dad is alright and she can tell them where the neighborhood meeting place is for the family to reunite. This makes a potentially frightful situation much easier on the whole family. Remember: Be READY It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members. Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency out-of-state contact, in case cell phones do not work! 5
Family Emergency Plan Make sure your family has a plan in case of an emergency. Fill out these cards and give one to each member of your family to make sure they know who to call and where to meet in case of an emergency. ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS & INFORMATION: Family Emergency Plan EMERGENCY CONTACT NAME: OUT-OF-TOWN CONTACT NAME: NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING PLACE: OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION: < FOLD > HERE ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS & INFORMATION: Family Emergency Plan EMERGENCY CONTACT NAME: OUT-OF-TOWN CONTACT NAME: NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING PLACE: OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION: DIAL 911 FOR EMERGENCIES DIAL 911 FOR EMERGENCIES ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS & INFORMATION: Family Emergency Plan EMERGENCY CONTACT NAME: OUT-OF-TOWN CONTACT NAME: NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING PLACE: OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION: < FOLD > HERE ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS & INFORMATION: Family Emergency Plan EMERGENCY CONTACT NAME: OUT-OF-TOWN CONTACT NAME: NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING PLACE: OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION: DIAL 911 FOR EMERGENCIES DIAL 911 FOR EMERGENCIES
Family Emergency Plan Make sure your family has a plan in case of an emergency. Fill out these cards and give one to each member of your family to make sure they know who to call and where to meet in case of an emergency. ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS & INFORMATION: Family Emergency Plan EMERGENCY CONTACT NAME: OUT-OF-TOWN CONTACT NAME: NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING PLACE: OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION: < FOLD > HERE ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS & INFORMATION: Family Emergency Plan EMERGENCY CONTACT NAME: OUT-OF-TOWN CONTACT NAME: NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING PLACE: OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION: DIAL 911 FOR EMERGENCIES DIAL 911 FOR EMERGENCIES ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS & INFORMATION: Family Emergency Plan EMERGENCY CONTACT NAME: OUT-OF-TOWN CONTACT NAME: NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING PLACE: OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION: < FOLD > HERE ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS & INFORMATION: Family Emergency Plan EMERGENCY CONTACT NAME: OUT-OF-TOWN CONTACT NAME: NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING PLACE: OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION: DIAL 911 FOR EMERGENCIES DIAL 911 FOR EMERGENCIES
Home Fire Escape Plan Worksheet Step 1: Get your family together and draw a floor plan of your home, marking all windows and doors. Step 2: Show 2 ways out of each room in case your main route is blocked by smoke or flames. Make sure windows can be opened easily. Step 3: Agree on an outside meeting place where every family member will wait for the fire department. Step 4: Install smoke alarms in or near every sleeping area and on each level of your home. Step 5: Practice your plan at least twice a year. Step 6: Once out, stay out! Don t go back inside for any reason.
Our meeting place is: Home Fire Escape Plan Worksheet
Fire Preparedness Smoke Alarms Roughly 70 percent of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Smoke alarms are the great safety success story of the 20th century but only when they re working properly! Every 15 seconds a fire department responds to a fire somewhere in the United States. Most fires don t happen in homes. But most fire deaths and injuries do. Don t wait, plan your escape today! Every family should have a fire escape plan. Include everyone in the planning process. Draw your plan, making two ways out of every room. Include windows. Pick a meeting place outside, well away from the building. Tell everyone to meet there after they ve escaped. That way you can count heads and tell the fire department if anyone s trapped inside. Don t forget to call the fire department from a safe location. Plans are great, but the only way to know if they work is to practice them. Hold a home fire drill. Getting out of your own home sounds easy, but your home can look very different if it s full of smoke. Have someone press the button on the smoke alarm as the signal for the drill to start. Get out quickly, but carefully. Go to the meeting place. Tips for Safe Escape: If you see smoke, try another way out. If you can t avoid smoke, crawl under it on your hands and knees. Test doors before you open them. If you touch the door and it is warm, use another escape route. Do security bars on windows have quick-release devices? Bars need to be opened easily and quickly from the inside by everyone in the household. Make sure to practice opening them. Don t stop or go back for anything. Possessions can be replaced. You can t. Kitchen Fire Safety With all that s going on in our lives, it s very easy to forget that you placed that pan on the stove. It s a very common mistake. The following describes the types of fires you might expect in the kitchen and what to do about them: Grease Fires: Never, Never put water on a grease fire! Water splatters the grease and dramatically increases the size of the fire. You will easily get burned! Grease fires may be put out by placing a lid on the pan (with an oven mitt to protect your hand) or using a large amount of baking soda to extinguish the fire, but if the flames are too high, don t risk getting burned. Dry Cooking Fires: This is the most common type of cooking fire. Water or moisture boils out of the pan and the food left in the pan scorches, producing smoke. The heat may sometimes damage the surrounding area. The smoke may leave a residue and an odor. Hopefully a little cleaning up is all it takes. And remember-always keep cooking areas clean (grease, residue) and clear of combustibles (potholders, towels, rags, food packaging, plastic containers, etc.). 10
Be READY Make a Kit Making an emergency preparedness kit involves planning for a variety of events. It is most helpful to have a GO KIT as well as a STAY KIT. If you are stranded on a highway for several hours, or if you are forced to evacuate very quickly you can use your GO KIT. If you are stuck in your home for a few days without power or are told to shelter in place, you ll have a longer term STAY KIT. GO KIT Fill a back pack, travel bag, or a waterproof storage tote with the items below. Put this GO Kit in a ready, grab-and-go location, or leave it in your vehicle or under your desk at work. 1. Water 2. Food snacks and vitamins travel sized for the road. 3. Medications one month s worth 4. First Aid Kit 5. Flashlight with batteries 6. Clothes warm and cool, work gloves 7. Copies of Important Documents A. Prescriptions B. Insurance health, life, home, auto C. Identification D. Legal Documents of Marriage, Birth, Titles 8. Personal Care Items hygiene, tooth brushes, etc. 11
STAY KIT Two weeks of non-perishable food canned food, rice, raisins, cookies, powdered mashed potatoes, & tuna Copies of important documents in a waterproof container (Photo IDs, proof of residence, insurance, birth certificates, deeds, and Soc. Security cards). Hygiene kit of toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, deodorant, and feminine products Non-expired medication, medical contact information, prescriptions, and a first aid kit Extra keys for house and car Bottled water (1 gallon per person/day) and non-perishable food Battery operated radio, flashlight, and extra batteries Contact and meeting place information for your household and a small regional map Cash in small denominations and ATM card Comfortable shoes, rain gear, work gloves, and a blanket Any special care items such as items for babies or seniors Make a Plan & Buy a NOAA Weather Radio There is a wealth of information to help you make an emergency plan at: www.madisoncountyema.com/individualplans Everyone should have a NOAA Weather Radio! www.weather.gov/nwr Be sure to maintain the radio check batteries! Learn about weather conditions in our area from the National Weather Service of Huntsville at: www.srh.noaa.gov/hun Emergency Plans You may also want to inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time: work, church, daycare and school. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one. Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together in the event of an emergency. You will be better prepared to safely reunite your family during an emergency if you think ahead and communicate with others in advance. 12
SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS The most common severe weather disasters in Madison County are: 1. Severe Thunderstorms- including damaging lightning and straight line winds To do to Be Ready: - Prepare Your Home Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall, causing injury or damage in a severe thunderstorm. Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or blow into your home causing damage. Straight Line Winds- (also known as a microbursts, downbursts, etc.) occur 5 to 8 times more often than tornados. These winds, which come from collapsing thunderstorms, can have winds up to 100 mph. Year after year, they do more property damage than tornados. Be alert: they often occur without warning and can produce damage similar to that of a tornado. Lightning- According to the National Weather Service, since 1990, lightning has killed sixteen people and injured 186 in the State of Alabama. In an average year, lightning will claim more victims than tornadoes or hurricanes. Remember the 30/30 Lightning Safety Rule: Go indoors if, after seeing lightning, you cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder. 2. Floods To do to Be Ready: - Find out if your home is at risk for flood. Visit www.floodsmart.gov - Elevate the furnace, water heater and electric panel in your home if you live in an area that has a high flood risk. - Most home insurance plans do not cover floods! - Learn about the National Flood Insurance Program and find local agents at www.floodsmart.gov You won t know how deep the water is or if the road under water is damaged so- 3. Tornados To do to Be Ready: -Storm shelters or basements provide the best protection. -If underground shelter is not available, go into an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible. -In a high-rise building, go to a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible. -Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls. Go to the center of the room. Stay away from corners because they attract debris. 13 Most injuries are caused by flying debris; put as many barriers (walls and floors) and padding (blankets, coat or mattress) as possible between you and a tornado. Crouch down, keep as low as possible. - At work, school, or church, follow the facility severe weather plan if there isn t one, consider volunteering to help create a severe weather plan for the facility. Photo courtesy of Donald Derrick - Huntsville
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS Call 911 in case of an emergency During a disaster, avoid calling 911 unless you are in danger, as 911 lines are needed to help those in life threatening situations, if everyone affected by the disaster calls, time may be taken from those in immediate danger. Information or dispatch lines of local agencies involved in disaster preparedness: Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Management Agency: 256-427-5130 American Red Cross- Madison-Marshall County Chapter 256-536-0084, Ext. 310 for Disaster Services Madison County Sherriff s Department: 256-722-7181 City Police Departments: City of Huntsville: 256-722-7100 City of Madison: 256-722-7190 City Fire Departments: City of Huntsville: 256-722-7120 City of Madison: 256-722-7190 Madison County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments: 256-851-6947, Fire Marshal s office 14
+ Existing Outdoor Warning Sirens Existing Siren Coverage Each siren can be heard within a one mile radius of the siren location. Source: Madison County EMA Date Updated: Sept. 2008 Created By: City of Huntsville, Planning Division, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) The sirens are sounded when a tornado warning is issued for Madison County. They may be activated for other life threatening situations which require emergency preparedness response actions by the population. When you hear the sirens, go indoors and turn on your local media for important information. The siren warning system is tested the first Wednesday of the month at noon, except during instances of threatening weather or City of Huntsville holidays. 2009 Thank you for participating in Be Ready Family 2009!!