Disaster Preparedness

Disaster Preparedness

by Rod Brouhard, Crystal Kline
Released January 2014
Publisher(s): Alpha
ISBN: 9781615643608

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Book description

Plan ahead so you're prepared when disaster strikes

Disaster preparedness is a topic that everyone should consider. No matter where people live, the potential for a natural or man-made disaster exists. In Disaster Preparedness, expert authors Rod Brouhard and Crystal Kline guide you through almost every possible scenario, so you and your family can be prepared. This practical, essential reference gives you the essentials including tips for producing and conserving drinkable water, generating emergency power, creating and maintaining emergency food supplies, and much more. Written without political or religious bias, Disaster Preparedness is a reference that every home can use before, during, and after disaster strikes.

Here's what you'll find inside:

Practical worksheets, checklists, and instructions for surviving almost any possible disaster scenario
Guidance for making a survival plan, evacuating for specific disasters, and making a preparedness kit, plus tips for storing and packing survival gear including food, health and hygiene necessities, first aid kits, and medicines
Advice on storing and managing essential documents, with tips on what to take and what not to take
Expert advice on securing your home in the event of a disaster, including protecting your property and belongings
First aid tips for dealing with many common first aid emergencies and injuries that can occur during disasters
Practical tips for picking up the pieces after disaster strikes

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Part 1 Before Disaster Strikes
    1. 1 Making a Survival Plan
      1. When Disaster Looms
      2. The Importance of Advance Planning
      3. Communication Is Key
      4. Assessing Your Risks
      5. Evacuate or Stay Put?
        1. Earthquakes
        2. Extreme Heat
        3. Fires
        4. Floods
        5. Hurricanes
        6. Tornadoes
        7. Winter Storms
        8. Man-Made Disasters
      6. Practice Makes Perfect
      7. Creating Your Plan
      8. Worksheet: Your Family Survival Plan
        1. Plans for Potential Hazards
        2. Family Meetings, Drills, and Meeting Places
        3. Family Contact Information
        4. Medical and Insurance Information
        5. Out-of-State Contacts
        6. Safe-Deposit Box Information
        7. Emergency Pet Shelter
        8. Social Security Numbers
    2. 2 Family Preparedness Kit
      1. The Importance of a Preparedness Kit
      2. Creating Your Kit
        1. Water
        2. Food
        3. Special Needs Items
        4. For Children
        5. For Pets
        6. Other Items to Pack
      3. Storing Your Kit
      4. Worksheet: Preparedness Kit Checklist
    3. 3 Gearing Up
      1. Stocking Up on Survival Gear
      2. Kitchen and Food Prep
      3. Light and Communication
      4. Health and Hygiene
      5. Emergency First Aid
      6. General Purpose Tools and Supplies
      7. Worksheet: Kitchen and Food Prep Checklist
      8. Worksheet: Light and Communication Checklist
      9. Worksheet: Health and Hygiene Checklist
      10. Worksheet: Emergency First-Aid Checklist
      11. Worksheet: General Purpose Tools and Supplies Checklist
    4. 4 Financial Preparedness
      1. The Importance of Advance Financial Planning
      2. Insured Is Prepared
        1. What Insurance Do You Need?
        2. Flood Insurance
        3. Earthquake Insurance
      3. Cash on Hand
      4. What About Plastic?
      5. Worksheet: Financial Preparedness Checklist
    5. 5 Essential Documents
      1. Gathering Important Documents
      2. Medical History and Information
        1. Take Responsibility for Your History
        2. Making a Medical History
      3. Digital Backups and Documentation
      4. No Job Is Finished Until the Paperwork Is Done
      5. Worksheet: Your Medical History
      6. Worksheet: Essential Paperwork Checklist
      7. Worksheet: Digital Documentation Checklist
    6. 6 Securing Your Home
      1. Earthquakes
      2. Floods
      3. Hailstorms
      4. Hurricanes
      5. Lightning
      6. Power Outages
      7. Tornadoes
      8. Wildfires
      9. Winter Freezes
      10. Worksheet: Mitigation Checklist
  4. Part 2 A Storm Is Brewing
    1. 7 Are You Ready?
      1. Cool Heads Prevail
      2. Earthquake Drills
      3. Fire Drills
      4. Tornado Drills
      5. Safety First; Possessions Later
      6. Worksheet: Exercise and Drill Checklist
    2. 8 Should You Stay or Go?
      1. Evacuation Decisions
        1. Mandatory Evacuation
        2. Voluntary Evacuation
      2. Packing Up
      3. Last-Minute Preparations
      4. Pets and Livestock
      5. Worksheet: Emergency Mobility Checklist
      6. Worksheet: Last-Minute Checklist
    3. 9 Disaster Strikes
      1. Earthquakes
      2. Extreme Heat
      3. Fires, House
      4. Fires, Wild
      5. Floods
      6. Hurricanes
      7. Power Failures
      8. Tornadoes
      9. Tsunamis
      10. Winter Storms
      11. Man-Made Hazards
        1. Biological Agents
        2. Bombs
        3. Chemical Threats
        4. Epidemics
  5. Part 3 The First Seven Days
    1. 10 The First Hour
      1. A New Reality
      2. The First Hour
        1. Earthquakes
        2. Fires
        3. Floods
        4. Hailstorms
        5. Hurricanes
        6. Tornadoes
      3. Follow Your Plan
      4. Avoiding Plan Failure
      5. Adapting to the Unforeseen
        1. Evacuation Traffic Jams
        2. Unexpected Flooding
        3. Problems with Meeting Place
        4. Backup Power Failure
        5. Lack of Mail Service
        6. No Banks, No ATMs, No Money
    2. 11 Managing Food and Water
      1. First Things First
      2. Taking Stock
      3. Cooking Safety
      4. What About Water?
        1. How Much Is Enough?
        2. Storing Water
        3. Alternate Water Sources
        4. Purifying Water
      5. Worksheet: Food and Water Inventory
    3. 12 Assessing Damage to Your Home
      1. Evaluating Your Home’s Structural Integrity
        1. How’s the Exterior?
        2. How’s the Interior?
      2. Dealing with Contamination
        1. Floodwater Contamination
        2. Other Types of Contamination
      3. Choosing to Stay or Go
      4. Dealing with Mold
      5. Worksheet: Evaluating Your Home
    4. 13 Playing with Fire
      1. Caution with Candles
      2. Cooking During Disasters
      3. Fire Extinguishers
      4. The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide
        1. Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
        2. Treating Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
        3. Carbon Monoxide Detectors
    5. 14 Safety and Security
      1. You’re on Your Own
        1. Looting
        2. Rioting
        3. Should You Have Weapons?
        4. Safety in Numbers
      2. The Rumor Mill
      3. What to Expect from Authorities
      4. Bringing in the Troops
      5. Mandatory Evacuation
    6. 15 Shelter Safety
      1. The Need for Shelter
      2. Finding Shelter
      3. Plan Ahead
      4. Come Prepared
      5. Mind Your Manners
      6. Making Your Shelter Stay More Bearable
      7. Worksheet: Shelter Checklist
    7. 16 City Mouse, Country Mouse
      1. Special Challenges in Urban Settings
        1. Challenge: Shortage of Supplies
        2. Solution: Prepare in Advance
        3. Challenge: Power Blackouts
        4. Solution: Prepare for All Outcomes
        5. Challenge: Responders Can’t Reach You Right Away
        6. Solution: Learn to Become Your Own First Responder
        7. Challenge: Cultural or Language Barriers
        8. Solution: Community Outreach in Advance
        9. Challenge: Lack of Internet Access
        10. Solution: Wi-Fi Tethering
      2. Special Challenges in Rural Settings
        1. Challenge: Farming/Livestock Concerns
        2. Solution: Plan and Prepare Ahead
        3. Challenge: Compromised Communications
        4. Solution: Go Low-Tech
        5. Challenge: Distance from Responders and Hospitals
        6. Solution: CERT Training
        7. Challenge: Limited Transportation During an Evacuation
        8. Solution: Preplanned Transportation
        9. Challenge: Lack of Emergency Shelters Nearby
        10. Solution: Plan Ahead
        11. Challenge: Caring for Elderly Neighbors
        12. Solution: Adopt a Neighbor
      3. Worksheet: City and Country Mouse Checklists
  6. Part 4 First Aid During a Disaster
    1. 17 Immediate Life Threats
      1. Lack of Resources
      2. Cardiac Arrest
        1. Symptoms of Cardiac Arrest
        2. Treating Cardiac Arrest
        3. Performing CPR on an Infant
      3. Choking
        1. Helping Someone Who’s Choking
        2. When an Infant’s Choking
      4. Unconsciousness or Confusion
        1. Diabetes
        2. Seizures
      5. Heart Attack
        1. Symptoms of a Heart Attack
        2. Treating a Heart Attack
      6. Anaphylaxis
        1. Symptoms of Anaphylaxis
        2. Treating Anaphylaxis
      7. Strokes
      8. Trust Your Gut
    2. 18 Treating Injuries
      1. Controlling Bleeding
        1. Cuts and Scrapes
        2. Bloody Noses
      2. Caring for Concussions and Brain Injuries
      3. Treating Burns
      4. Dealing with Fractures and Dislocations
        1. Ruling Out Sprains and Strains
        2. Broken Bones
        3. Dislocations
        4. RICE
    3. 19 Heat and Cold Exposure
      1. Dealing with Dehydration
      2. Heat Illnesses
        1. Heat Stroke
        2. Heat Exhaustion
        3. Keeping Cool
      3. Hypothermia
      4. Frostbite
    4. 20 Other Signs and Symptoms of Illness
      1. Nausea, Vomiting, and Diarrhea
        1. Motion Sickness and Vertigo
        2. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
        3. Digestive Disorders
      2. Fever
      3. Shortness of Breath
      4. Abdominal Pain
  7. Part 5 After the Dust Settles
    1. 21 Coping with the Aftermath
      1. What’s Next?
      2. Getting Used to New Routines
      3. Helping Children Cope
        1. Typical Behavior
        2. How Adults Cope Matters
        3. Helping Your Child
      4. Dealing with Insurance
        1. Make the Call
        2. Document Your Damage
        3. Be Patient
      5. When You Want to Help
        1. Making Donations
        2. Volunteering Your Time
    2. 22 Navigating the Red Tape
      1. After the Disaster Comes Recovery
      2. Government Programs
        1. FEMA
        2. Mass Care and Emergency Assistance
        3. Individuals and Households Program
        4. The Small Business Administration
        5. Disaster Unemployment Assistance
        6. The Crisis Counseling Program
        7. Disaster Legal Services
        8. State Disaster Assistance Programs
      3. Nongovernmental Organizations
        1. The American Red Cross
        2. Churches and Charities
      4. “Such Amazing People”
      5. Worksheet: Postdisaster Assistance Checklist
  8. Appendixes
    1. A Glossary
    2. B Resources
    3. Index
    4. About the Author

Product information

  • Title: Disaster Preparedness
  • Author(s): Rod Brouhard, Crystal Kline
  • Release date: January 2014
  • Publisher(s): Alpha
  • ISBN: 9781615643608