DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN HIGH-RISE COMPLEXE’S

Disaster & Immediate Evacuation

“Drastic Times Call For Drastic Measures”

Evacuating Handicapped/Special Needs Residents

INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NEED SPECIAL AID IN THE EVENT OF AN EVACUATION ARE ENCOURAGED TO PLAN AHEAD WITH NEIGHBORS OR FRIENDS FOR ASSISTANCE. If help is not readily available, residents may call their local emergency services for assistance.

Why Should We Prepare?

• Being prepared can reduce fear, anxiety, and losses that accompany disasters. Communities, families, and individuals should know what to do in the event of a fire and where to seek shelter during a tornado. They should be ready to evacuate their homes and take refuge in public shelters and know how to care for their basic medical needs.

Preparing Makes Good Community Sense

• Every citizen in this country is part of a national emergency management system that is all about protection-protecting people and property from all types of hazards. Think of the national emergency management system as a pyramid with you, the citizen, forming the base of the structure. At this level, you have the responsibility to protect yourself and your family by knowing what to do before, during, and after an disaster.

Multiple Disasters• Multiple disasters are commonly uncommon but, not unlikely. M.D.’s,

usually go unnoticed because of the distraction of the disasters themselves, and not being prepared for them, puts you and your community at a greater risk of being subjected to the worst case scenario.

• In the New York City 2003 Blackout(Power-outage), power was disrupted from New York to Ohio and the people of New York at the same time, suffered a Heat-wave. Extreme heat temperatures, increased the anxieties that were already going on from the power-outage.

• Be Prepared, get the proper training so you become an asset to your community and not a liability.

Multiple Disasters

Personal Emergency Kit (P.E.K.)• A Personal Emergency Kit relatively referred to as a “Go Bag”, is the

terminology that we at D.I.E. insist that we use because the kit is personal to you.

• We express to businesses, and communities that these kit’s are to be build upon. Meaning, once you obtain the PEK, you build on it. Add the things to it that you see fit being that it is your “Personal Emergency Kit”.

• Lastly, a PEK was not designed to save your life in the event of one of these calamities, but designed to up your chances of survival once the blow is delivered. As we stress all the time, it is the education in disaster preparedness that is going to save you, not a kit.

Personal Emergency Kit’s(P.E.K.s)

Standard P.E.K.

I-P.E.K.Family P.E.K.

Local Response

• It is sometimes necessary to turn to others within the local community for help. The local level is the second tier of the pyramid, and is made up of paid employees and volunteers from the private and public sectors. These individuals are engaged in preventing emergencies from happening and in being prepared to respond if something does occur. Most emergencies are handled at the local level, which puts a tremendous responsibility on the community for taking care of its citizens.

Local Response

• Identifying hazards and assessing potential risk to the community.

• Coordinating emergency plans to ensure a quick and effective response.

• Establishing warning systems.• Stocking emergency supplies and equipment.• Assessing damage and identifying needs.• Evacuating the community to safer locations.• Taking care of the injured.• Sheltering those who cannot remain in their homes.• Aiding recovery efforts.

Identifying Natural Hazards• Floods• Hurricanes• Thunderstorms and Lightning• Tornados• Winter storms and extreme cold• Extreme heat• Earthquakes• Volcanoes• Landslides and debris flow• Tsunamis• Fires• Wildfires

Basic Preparedness

• Get informed about hazards and emergencies that may affect you and your family.

• Develop an emergency plan.• Collect and assemble Personal Emergency Kit (P.E.K.)• Learn where to seek shelter from all types of hazards.• Identify the community warning systems and evacuation

routes.• Include in your plan required information from community

and school plans.• Learn what to do for different disasters.• Practice and maintain your plan.

Glossary Of Disaster Terms

• Building• Earthquake• Extent• Fault• Flood Zone• Hazard Mitigation• Mitigation Plan• Risk• Tectonic Plate• Topographic • Vulnerability

Mitigation Planning Process

1. Organize resources2. Assess risk3. Develop a mitigation plan4. Implement the plan a monitor progress

Organize Resources

From the start, communities should focus the resources needed for a successful mitigation planning process. Essential steps include identifying and organizing interested members of the community as well as the technical expertise required during the planning process.

Assess Risk

Next, communities need to identify the characteristics and potential consequences of natural hazards. It is important to understand how much of the community can be affected by specific hazards and what the impacts would be for important community assets.

Develop a Mitigation Plan

Armed with the understanding of the risks posed by natural hazards, communities need to determine what their priorities should be and then look at possible ways to avoid or minimize the undesired effects. The results is a natural hazard mitigation plan and strategy for implementation.

Implement the Plan and Monitor the Progress

Communities can bring the plan to life in a variety of ways ranging from implementing specific mitigation projects to changes in the day-to-day operation of the local government. To ensure the success of an on-going program, it is critical that the plan remains effective. Thus, it is important to conduct periodic evaluations and make revisions as needed.

Evacuation

• Transportation• Escape routes• Communication Plans• Maps• Evacuation centers• Weather radio receivers

Evacuation: More Common Than You Realize

• Hundreds of times each year, transportation and industrial accidents release harmful substances, forcing thousands of people to leave there homes. Fires and floods cause evacuations even more frequently. Almost every year, people along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts evacuate in the face of approaching hurricanes.

Evacuating Yourself and Your Family

When community evacuations become necessary, local officials provide information to the public through the media. In some circumstances, other warning methods, such as sirens or telephone calls, also are used.

Additionally, there may be circumstances under which you and your family feel threatened or endangered and you need to leave your home, school, or workplace to avoid these situations. The amount of time you have to leave will depend on the hazard. If the event is a weather condition, such as a hurricane that can be monitored, you might have a day or two to get ready. However, many disasters allow no time for people to gather even the most basic necessities, which is why planning ahead is essential.

EVERYONE SHOULD BE TRAINED

Establishing an E.A.P. (Emergency Action Plan) should be your first line of defense. A P.A.C. (Plan Action Committee), should be the next logical step in disaster planning. After the implementing of all your well, constructed, planning, you are now ready to: PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! DRILL! DRILL! DRILL! TRAIN! TRAIN! TRAIN! Empowering people to Empower people.

• Disaster & Immediate Evacuation would like to thank you the residents of The General Grant Houses, and other participants for your time, interest, and patience during this workshop and presentation process.

• For more info contact us at: • www.DISANDIMMEVAC.COM OR call:• Bus.# 646.435.0666 TollFree:1.877.223.0339