Preparing for a Natural Disaster

Battalion Chief Mike Finnerty

San Diego California Fire-Rescue Department

Battalion Chief for San Diego Fire Rescue

in San Diego, California

Firefighter 40+ years

San Diego Firefighter 35 years

U.S. Air Force Firefighter 4 years

Cal Fire Firefighter 1 season

Planning Section Chief with Urban Search

and Rescue (US&R) Program

World Trade Center Moore Oklahoma Tornado

As a Battalion Chief

I manage six fire stations within a region of the city of San Diego known as “Battalion 3”

There are seven battalions in the city of San Diego which covers an area of approximately 300 square miles near, and adjacent to, the border with Mexico in southern California

I respond to all significant emergencies within my area of the city and also support all other areas of the city

Through mutual aid, I also can respond to any major emergency in the state of California as a strike team leader or single resource

Strike Team Leader: I am assigned to manage five fire engine crews as part of a “Strike Team” in response to major fires or any other major emergencies, such as wildland fires and earthquakes, throughout the state of California

Single Resource: Can be assigned directly to an “Incident Management Team” to assist in managing any major emergency anywhere in the country

In these roles I have responded to many of the major disastrous fires in California since 1999

As a member of the DHS/FEMA Urban

Search and Rescue Program

The Urban Search and Rescue program is comprised of firefighters, civilians, and search dogs, with specialized training to search for and rescue people trapped in collapsed buildings in urban or populated areas

The task forces have responded to earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, structural collapses, landslides, mudslides and floods

I was a member of California Task Force 8 as a the Planning Team Manager for 20 years and responded with the Task force to:

9-11 attack on the World Trade Center

Hurricane Katrina

Was also a member of Management Support Teams that responded with UR&R Task Forces todisasters to coordinate their response and responded to

Hurricanes Matthew, Sandy, Ike, Dean

Oso mudslide

2009 Presidential Inauguration

Responding to Disasters and Witnessing

the Impact

These assignments have sent me to disasters throughout the country, having responded to the majority of the national disasters since1999

I have gained real-world experience on what happens during a disaster, and how people can cope with the aftermath of disasters

I have seen that most of the population is poorly prepared to survive the aftermath of a disaster on their own

Most assume that the government will be able to immediately respond and support them. That is not the case.

Local and State government will be overwhelmed with rescuing the trapped and injured

You can expect to be on your own for at least 3 days, and could easily stretch to a week or more

What will be the effects of a Disaster

Loss of Electricity:

No power your home

No water to your home

No clean water available

No use of the toilets

Loss of Gas:

Can’t cook food, heat your home, or heat your water

Loss of clean water:

No water you can drink, cook with, wash dishes with, wash clothes with or bath with

Key Essentials to Survival

You must have clean water to drink

Death from dehydration will begin in as soon as 3 days without water

You must have food to eat

Death from starvation will begin in as little as a week without food

Death is certain after 3 weeks without food

You must have shelter from the elements

In extreme heat or cold without shelter, death can occur within hours

One key survival strategy

Create a survival cache that contains the key items needed for survival

Place the survival cache in a secure container

Store the container in a secure location in your home

The must have capabilities for a survival

cache in your home

The ability to gather and store water

The ability clean/filter water without the need for boiling it

The ability to store your clean/filtered water

Edible food that can be stored for long periods and requires very little preparation

The ability to boil water and cook food

Protection against the elements

30 gallons of gasoline to fuel your car and your cooking device

Where to get the items for your survival

cache

Local hardware store

Local sporting goods store

Internet

The ability to gather and store water

5 Gallon Bucket Lid to seal bucket

The ability to clean / filter water

LifeStraw

Family

Platypus

Gravity Works

Katadyn

Base Camp

The ability to store your clean/filtered

water

Sources of edible food

Meals – Ready – To – Eat

5+ years shelf life

Freeze Dried Food30 year shelf life

The ability to boil water / cook food (

Gasoline Fuel )

Coleman

Dual Fuel Stove

Sources of Disaster Preparedness

Information

Oregon Hazards and Preparedness

http://www.oregon.gov/oem/hazardsprep/Pages/2-Weeks-Ready.aspx

Oregon 2 Weeks Ready Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/2WeeksReady/

Oregon 2 Weeks Ready Twitter Feed

https://twitter.com/2WeeksReady

American Red Cross Prepare! Resource Guide

https://p.widencdn.net/5rdg1y/redcrossprepareguide

Oregon Prepare Your Pantry Guide

http://www.oregon.gov/OEM/Documents/Prepare_your_Pantry.pdf

Oregon Prepare to Hydrate Guide

http://www.oregon.gov/OEM/Documents/Prepare_to_Hydrate.pdf