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Tips for everyday Emergency Preparedness:

From an emergency management perspective.

• Practice awareness, of your surroundings, of others, and places. You cannot react to emergency or threat if you're not aware of it.
• Maintain a standoff distance in public when on foot, when in vehicle, this will give you important time to react.
• Lock your car doors when driving, always. Only roll the window down a crack to speak with someone outside the vehicle. Remember your vehicle is an excellent self-defense tool, passive or active, stay in it, and use it if need be.
• Keep extra supply of critical medication on hand if needed, asthma, heart medication etc.
• Park vehicles on your property to create a barrier layer, this acts not only as protection from an out of control vehicle but also a theft deterrent. And while you're at it, remove garage door openers from the vehicle when not in use.
• Have first aid and CPR training up to date and a fully stocked first aid kit readily available. Consider multiple kits, one for your home, car, backpack etc.
• Build communications outside of normalcy. Consider taking your amateur Radio Certification. In a disaster an inexpensive battery powered FM radio is an essential tool, you may also want to purchase some hand-held radios.
• Keep cash on hand, not just for times of dire need, but also in wallet for bribes, many small bills are better than a few large ones.
• Avoid exposure in transition spaces and limit the amount of time you spend in one. For example, unlocking your car in a parking lot means you are not focused on your surroundings, thieves know this as well.
• Maintain a "yellow alert" for situational awareness when appropriate.
• Keep resources topped up, fuel, batteries, water, food. Consider having a small supply of stabilized gasoline on hand as well.
• Ride behind the driver in a cab or Uber, they won't be able to reach you in an assault situation and you can easily reach them if you need to control their movements.
• Never stay on the first floor of a hotel, it makes it easy for someone to enter your room from the outside. Ideally 4-7th floor as anything higher is difficult for fire rescue to reach.
• Have working fire alarms, CO₂ detectors and fire extinguishers on every floor and ensure they are tested and checked regularly, and that all family members know how to operate an extinguisher.
• Remember "Run Hide Fight" in the event of an active assailant.
• See something, say something. Practice awareness in your home and workplace, if something looks out of place, or feels wrong, say something. (CBR)
• Develop the practice of using strong passwords and adhere to it, consider a password manager like LastPass.
• Scan and backup all important documents and save securely on your person (USB stick on key chain). Never keep important documents in your basement.
• Develop a family emergency plan and go over it with your spouse and children.
• Create a "go bag" with medications, important documents, cash, food, water, phone chargers, flashlights etc. in case you need to leave your home in a hurry. Don't forget food and medication for your pets as well.
• In winter put extra clothes, blankets, candles and other gear in your car, it's possible to be stranded for an extended time even if you have road side service.
• Build relationships with your neighbors. You can both watch each other's property while away, and in the event of a disaster you can assist each other in a response. An elderly neighbor may need specific help evacuating, and you are able to assist the quickest.
• Create a list of important numbers and place it somewhere easily accessed in your home. Include fire, police, poison control as well as friends and family who you trust in your absence.

Tips for Pandemic Preparedness:

Stay healthy, stay safe.

• Consider what you would do if someone in your household got sick. Can you create a “hot zone” to safely quarantine your sick loved ones? What if everyone in the household gets sick. Thinking about these questions help you develop your family preparedness plan.
• If you have children, ask their school about their pandemic plan so you know ahead of time what they will be doing, and how it will affect your family. The same for your workplace. If neither have a pandemic plan you can use the opportunity to raise awareness of the benefits of having a pandemic plan before its needed.
• Get involved! Be engaged in your community. All disasters are local, and the response starts with you, your neighbors, your community first. Consider volunteering at local disaster relief agencies, for example the Red Cross. Not only will you be helping others, you will develop a stronger support system with your fellow volunteers and learn valuable skills. Your local Search and Rescue group is another great way to gain valuable experience.
• Positivity journaling has many benefits in times of stress. Every day you can write down 5 things you are grateful for, something you did for someone else or a positive memory, be creative! Keeping on top of your emotional wellbeing is very important during a pandemic, for yourself and those around you.
• Install local centric apps on your mobile devices like “neighborhood” so you can easily ask for help and stay up to date with your neighbors. Local disaster alert applications are always a good idea as well and almost all regions have one, check with your local emergency management agency if you need help.
• Reach out to your neighbors and come up with a plan to help each other, specifically if they are elderly or disabled, pandemics can make everyday things much more difficult for them. Consider making yourself available for “pandemic safe” grocery runs for example.
• Get a hobby or interest you can do at home. Staying busy and productive helps you keep mentally and physically healthy. Painting, learning a new instrument or language. If you end up being quarantined use the time to do or learn the things you always wanted to. Further yourself!
• While having a financial buffer should always be part of your emergency preparedness plan, it is also of importance during a pandemic. You may have to stay isolated at home, unable to work, you may get laid off. While hopefully you will be able to get some form of support if the worst happens, it is still essential to have a financial buffer. Three months of expenses at least. In addition, having a financial buffer is one primary indicators of resilience, those with the finances to weather a disaster are generally more resilient in most metrics.
• Help your family and friends get set up and comfortable with video conferencing and other long-distance forms of communication before social/physical distancing is required. This can be a great way to stay and touch and feel connected.
• Get your first aid! – It is possible that during a pandemic, hospitals may be over loaded. Having the ability to perform basic first aid can limit the stress and urgency of a hospital visit or reduce the need for one at all. Other education can also be helpful, consider first aid, caring for others and yourself or wilderness first aid if you spend a lot of time outdoors.
• Add items to your first aid kit that you would need in a pandemic if you do not already have them. A thermometer, N95 masks, nitrile gloves are a good start. Get enough for the entire family, and some extra for others.

Projects:

Some of the projects I am working on.