Outreach in Action

Emergency Preparedness: If chimps can do it, we can too

 by Jo Mayer

Sharing a pertinent news Item, from the August 8 issue of the New York Times:

A retirement home for research chimpanzees in Louisiana has begun teaching its 300 chimps to quickly take shelter inside when employees sound an “extreme weather” alarm.

Maybe those of us living in the Stockbridge area can take a tip from these clever primates. Our area has seen a few close calls over the past month, underscoring the need to prepare for the unexpected.

On July 20, while Outreach volunteers were handing out food to those who pulled up at our weekly Wednesday food distribution, alarms sounded from phones all around us:  Tornado Warning! Take Cover Immediately!   

We quickly suspended operations and made our way to an interior, windowless room down the hall from Outreach offices in the old middle school. We soon were joined there by some wet pedestrians and their dogs.

As I squeezed under a table, I was feeling unprepared for the possibility of a tornado strike in Stockbridge.  Fortunately, we skimmed by unscathed.  

I still felt unprepared as the warning sounded two weeks later at my house in Waterloo Township.  Thinking I’d better not test my luck in the future, I have since taken some first steps in getting my ducks in a row.

For guidance I went to www.ready.gov .  Below are some suggestions included on their Make a Plan page. (Note: Direct links to detail backing up some of these suggestions are available in the online version of this story at stockbridgecommunitynews.com) 

STEP ONE: Put a plan together by discussing the questions below with your family, friends or household to start your emergency plan. 

1. How will I receive emergency alerts and warnings?
2. What is my shelter plan?
3. What is my evacuation route?
4. What is my family/household communication plan?
5. Do I need to update my emergency preparedness kit?

STEP TWO:  Consider specific needs in your household. 

1. Discuss and tailor your plans and supplies to your specific daily living needs and responsibilities. Talk about how people in your network can assist each other with communication, care of children, business, pets or specific needs like operating medical equipment.
2. Create your own personal network for specific areas where you need assistance.
3. Consider some of the following factors when developing your plan:

• Different ages and commitments of members within your household
• Responsibilities for assisting others or caring for animals
• Locations frequented
• Dietary needs and medical needs including prescriptions and equipment
• Disabilities or access and functional needs, including devices and equipment
• Cultural and religious considerations 

Step 3: Create a Family Emergency Plan. Use this fillable for quick and easy plan creation: https://www.ready.gov/plan-form

Step 4: Practice your plan with your family/household.

Contents of a Basic Emergency Supply Kit.

• Water and non-perishable food for several days
• Extra cell-phone battery or charger
• Battery-powered (including extra batteries) or hand- crank radio that can receive NOAA Weather Radio tone alerts.
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First-aid kit and a whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Non-sparking wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener (if kit contains canned food)
• Local maps

As I head out to the grocery and hardware stores, I will bring the list I’ve created in order to be proactive about emergency preparedness.

Outreach will discuss its own emergency preparations at our next board meeting. We at Outreach need to prepare to “put on our own mask first” so we can continue to help others.

Start planning now for what to do in case of a local emergency. Put a plan together, practice your plan, and assemble a basic emergency supply kit. Photo credit: Nikolas Noonan at unsplash.com

This column is sponsored by Stockbridge Community Outreach, our local food pantry, crisis, and referral center located in the Stockbridge Activity Center (old middle school) near Cherry and Elm streets in Stockbridge. Office hours are 1-3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and by appointment. [email protected], 517-851-7285, or find us on Facebook.