Prepare for the Unexpected

Utah has experienced fires, floods, chemical spills, severe winter storms, extended power outages, major accidents and natural disasters.  

Earthquake engineers and seismologists warned in 2016 that, along the segments of the Wasatch Fault, we have a 43% chance of experiencing a major earthquake in the next 50 years.  This raises the likelihood from the previous scientific prediction of 18%.  

Planning to face and overcome such challenges is important.  Personal, family, community and business preparedness is the foundation of all emergency plans.

A preparedness plan should cover three categories:

1. Your Plan—Create a plan to meet possible family needs before, during and after an event. Take into account any special needs of your household and plan to meet those needs.  At the heart of any plan are ways to communicate with each other, and defined meet up place:  near your home; outside your neighborhood; and, well outside your community if you had to evacuate that far to be safe. 

2. Survival Strategy*—Be prepared to shelter in your home for an extended period (several weeks) -- you will need essentials on-hand.  In addition, build a 96-hour emergency survival kit for each family member that is packed in a cart (wheels) for on-foot evacuation.  Thirdly, put an emergency kit in each vehicle -- you may not be at home when disaster strikes.  If you can’t do all the above, consider making home storage and your vehicle kit the most important.  If you select focusing on well-supplied car kit in each vehicle, include a collapsible cart in your so you could place car kits into the cart and proceed on foot. 

3. Information—Learn what might occur and where resources and helpful personnel will be located in your community and near your work place.  Have back up communication tools/options.  IN SLCounty, know the location of your nearest public elementary school – as it is part of the S.A.F.E. Neighborhoods catastrophic event response strategy.  The school property will be a communication, search & rescue, comfort and reunification center. 

Depending on the severity of an event, it may take a minimum of four to seven days for a community to organize resources.  This makes emergency survival kits vital to your survival. Review kits and supplies semi-annually and replace items as needed.  

Include the following in a survival kit:  

* A means for sanitary toileting; the necessary sanitation supplies; and, a way to collect and contain solid waste. 
*Water (1 gallon per person/day s the absolute minimum.)
*Medication (at least a 7 day supply) 
*A change of weather-appropriate shoes and clothes (rotate seasonally) 
*Food that does not need cooking, (unless you include a non-electrical means of cooking) 
*Hygiene products and items
*Cell phone, hearing aides, a radio and flashlight -- all with extra batteries 
*Extra eye glasses 
*Shelter items and including emergency blanket/bag 
*Copy of important documents and contact information (insurance, home, medical, family) 
*List of local emergency shelters and supply distribution locations 
*Extra set of keys (house/car) 
*Money (cash and some coins) 
*Pet food and vaccination records 
*Multi-purpose tool, flash light, can opener and other essential tools 
*Basic first aid kit
* Something enjoyable – book, cards, game, writing paper and pen