Poster of the Month

Have a PLANMake a KIT Know the BASICS

Thismonth’sposterprovidesgoodadvice ongettingyourhome andfamily

disaster planning efforts offto a good start. Display theposter in your departmentto help raise awarenessabout the importance ofdisaster preparedness.

Download Poster

Links & Resources

FEMA Emergency Prep-aredness: Make a Plan, Build a Kit, and More

Community Preparedness:How to Get Started

Preparedness Advice from American Red Cross

ASPCAAdvice onPet Care During a Crisis

Video: Stocking Disaster Survival Supplies

Video: How to Shut off Your Utilities

December 2011-January 2012

Home EmergencyPreparedness

Safety SpotlightUCA UC System-Wide Publication of the Environment, Health & Safety Leadership Council

Emergency Preparedness

As Californians, we have experienced, or know someone who has experienced, natural disastersincluding floods, mudslides, wildfires, extreme weather, tsunamis and of course, earthquakes.

Add to these the possibility of human-caused disasters such as chemical releases,power outages, civil unrest and terrorism, and the mandate is clear: It’s up to all of us

to prepare our homes and families to react safely and responsibly during a crisis. Though we cannot mitigate all of the negative outcomes, we can take preparatory steps that help

ensure the well being of our families and communities during and after a disaster.

Whether natural or human-caused, a disaster can con-front us with confusing information and unexpected dan-gers. How we and our families react during and after thedisaster event can make the difference between tempo-rary difficulties and major trauma. While your workplaceshould have an emergency/mission continuity plan inplace, a well thought out response plan for your homeand family is just as important.Planning ahead gives you ameasure of power over your cir-cumstances in an emergency sit-uation and enables you to suc-cessfully care for yourself, yourfamily and your home.

The first step is to create anemergency response plan.Several websites offer excellentplan models and backgroundinformation (see sidebar), andcity or county emergencyresponse offices often provideinformation, training and com-munity disaster drills. Your neighborhood watch team,homeowners’ association or other community groupsenable important local coordination. The resources areout there; it’s up to each of us to use them to best advan-tage in anticipating and being prepared for emergencies.

Preparing a “disaster kit” is another excellent preparationstep, as is coordinating with your extended family, neigh-bors, schools and others in your community. Working

Continued page 2

Develop a Family Plan

Planning Ahead Helps to Safeguard Your Home and Family

Focus on Communication

Good communication before, during and after a disasterevent is vital to your family’s safety and peace of mind.In some emergency situations, both land lines and cellu-lar phone service can be temporarily lost. Since you maynot be able to call or physically reach members of yourfamily, it is vital that everyone know in advance whatactions to take. Develop a family communication plan

with pre-arranged ways of stay-ing in touch and a predeter-mined meeting spot.

Designate an out-of-state con-tact phone number throughwhich family members can con-nect if local telecommunicationsservices are overwhelmed.

Work with school personnel todevelop a contact plan andstand-by instructions for chil-dren who may be in class whendisaster strikes. Make arrange-ments for children to go to an

alternate location (neighbor’s house, child-care work-er, etc.) until you can return home. Practice and reviewyour plan often with your children and other family mem-bers. See the sidebar for websites offering excellentmodels for family communication plans.

During and after a crisis, you will need access to correct,authorized information regarding evacuation or shelter-in-place instructions, status updates and other vital infor-

Continued page 2

Nexis Systems

special offersfor UC

employees.

together helps maintain lines of communication andensure that family members are located and the elderlyor those with disabilities are cared for during a crisis.

In addition to planning for the immediate effects, it isimportant to prepare for indirect problems such asextended utility and cell phone outages, limited access tomedical care and roadway closures that interrupt deliver-ies of food, fuel and medicine. Contact your local firedepartment and your city or county emergency manage-ment office for emergency preparedness information andresources that apply to your community.

Space heaters, generators,fireplaces and wood stovescan emit carbon monoxide andother hazardous gases thatcause injury or death. Follow these precautions forsafe operation:� Locate generators outdoors

and far away from yourhouse. Don’t run the gener-ator in a garage, basement,deck or any area close tothe house where fumescould enter doors, windowsor vents.

� Have a licensed electricianwire the generator to yourhome electrical system toavoid electrical injury or fire.

� Only use the generatorafter you disconnect yourhome’s electrical systemfrom the main utility lines.

The Consumer ProductsSafety Commission has thisadvice for the safe use of fuel-burning space heaters:� Use a space heater with

a guard around the flamearea or heating element.

� Never use an extensioncord with a space heater.

� Place the heater on a level,hard and nonflammablesurface, not on rugs orcarpets or near bedding or drapes.

� Keep the heater at leastthree feet from bedding,drapes, furniture, or otherflammable materials.

� Choose a space heater thathas been tested and certi-fied by a nationally recog-nized testing laboratory.

� Follow manufacturer’sinstructions on ventilation toprevent pollutant build-up.

� Keep children and petsaway from space heaters.

� Turn the space heater offwhen you go to sleep orleave the area. Don’t placea heater close to a sleep-ing person.

� Have your gas or kerosenespace heaterinspected atleast once a year.

Use Heatersand GeneratorsSafely

During and immediately after adisaster event, the priority isgetting medical treatment, locat-ing family members and findingfood and shelter.

Planning a long-term responseis just as important. Roadway,bridge and airport closures, inter-rupted food deliveries, utilityoutages and lack of sanitaryservices are some of the chal-lenges you may have to live withfor several days or even weeks. Community Emergency Res-ponse Teams (CERTs) help tocoordinate long-term response.

Visit citizencorps.gov/cert/ formore information and to locate aCERT in your community.

The American Red Cross offersthe following recommendations for preparing an emergency kit:� Water—one gallon per person,

per day (3-day supply for evacu-ation, 2-week supply for home)

� Food—non-perishable, easy-to- prepare items (three-day supply for evacuation, two-week supply for home)

� Flashlight� Battery-powered or hand-crank

radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)

� Extra batteries� First aid kit� Medications (7-day supply) and

medical items� Multi-purpose tool� Sanitation and personal hygiene

items for all family members� Copies of personal documents

(medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed or lease to your home, passports, birth certifi-cates, insurance policies)

� Cell phone with chargers� Family and emergency contact

information� Extra cash� Emergency blanket� Maps of the area

Communication, from page 1

mation. Be sure your emergency kit contains a portableradio and batteries, so you can receive accurate informa-tion from official radio stations.

Finally, maintain contact with your UC department andother UC information sources. Once you are assured thatyour family is safe, your help will be needed to ensurethe safety of patients, students, irreplaceable researchand vital University operations and infrastructure. Be sureyour department or unit has an emergency contact planthat includes all staff members.

What Keep

should I

in my

HOMEEMERGENCY

KIT?

Special family needs, including:� Medical supplies (hearing aids with

extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, cane)

� Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers)

� Games and activities for children� Pet supplies (medications, collar,

leash, ID, food, carrier, food bowl)� Two-way radios� Extra set of car keys and house keys� Manual can opener

Additional items you can include:� Whistle� Dust masks� Matches� Rain gear and work gloves� Tools/supplies to secure the home� Extra clothing, hat and sturdy shoes� Plastic sheeting� Duct tape� Scissors� Household liquid bleach� Entertainment items� Towels, blankets, sleeping bags

Click on FamilyDoctor.org for advice on putting together a first aid kit

Family Plan, from page 1

In many parts of California, wildlandfires can threaten homes as well asUC facilities. Los Angeles County FireDepartment offers an excellent on-linebooklet: Ready! Set! Go! YourPersonal Wildfire Action Plan. Thisinformation-packed document pro-vides practical advice on preventionmeasures and emergency planning forareas where wildfires are prevalent.Click here to view or download theReady! Set! Go! guide.

Shelter-in-place means select-ing a small, interior room withno or few windows and takingrefuge there. It does not meansealing off your entire home. Ifyou are told to shelter in place,follow these instructions:� Close and lock all windows

and exterior doors. � If you are told there is a

danger of explosion, closethe window shades, blinds,or curtains.

� Turn off fans, heating andair conditioning systems.

� Close the fireplace damper. � Get your family disaster

supplies kit and make surethe radio is working.

� Go to an interior room thatis above ground level. Incase of a chemical threat,an above-ground room ispreferable because somechemicals are heavier thanair and may seep intobasements even if the win-dows are closed.

� Bring your pets with you,and be sure to bring addi-tional food, water andmedical supplies for them.

� It is ideal to have a hard-wired telephone in the roomyou select. Call your emer-gency contact(s) and havethe phone available if youneed to report a life-threatening condition, ascellular services may beoverwhelmed or damagedduring an emergency.

� Use duct tape and plasticsheeting (heavier than foodwrap) to seal all cracksaround the door and anyvents into the room.

� Keep listening to your radioor television until you areinformed that all is safe oryou are told to evacuate.Local officials may call forevacuation in specific areasat greatest risk in yourcommunity.

Click here for more Shelter-in-Place advice from theAmerican Red Cross.

What Does it Mean to

Shelter in Place

in Your Home?

Update Your Contact Information

In May of 2009, the massive Jesusita Fire raged through thehillsides of Santa Barbara, causing more than 30,000 people,including many UCSB employees, to evacuate their homes.

In the week that it took to control the fire, cooperationbetween UC Santa Barbara, local emergency response agen-cies, UCSB employees and the localpopulation demonstrated the impor-tance of working together on disasterplanning and response.

Since it was not directly threatened bythe fire, UCSB was able to render helpnot only to its students and employees,but to the community as well. Thecampus Emergency Operations Center(EOC) was activated and the emer-gency response team set responseplans in motion.

Updated web postings and periodicbulletins were issued to keep everyoneon campus, as well as concerned par-ents, informed and reassured. Inaddition, UCSB proactively establisheda call center for displaced SantaBarbara residents. Hotels and motelswithin 100 miles were completely full,yet many more evacuees needed tem-porary shelter. The call center connect-ed those needing shelter with UCemployees willing to host an evacuat-ing family until they could return home.

“If you weren’t evacuated yourself, you were sure to havefriends sleeping on your couch,” says Carrie Frandsen,UCSB Emergency Manager. “It was intense, stressful andconstantly changing. Our goal was to provide immediate sup-port and help with temporary measures until things could bestabilized.” The University also had unexpected guests: manySanta Barbara County agencies had themselves been evacu-ated from their quarters, so they used UCSB’s facilities tomanage the disaster.

Learn First AidTraining for adults and teens is oftenavailable through city or county emer-gency preparedness offices. TheAmerican Red Cross also offersonline and in-person courses. SomeUC campuses and medical centerscan connect you with campus- orcommunity-based training resources.Check with your UC CommunityEmergency Response Team (CERT)or UC Emergency/Continuity Officefor course information or referrals.

Prepare for Wildfire

UCSB staff worked with the American Red Cross and SantaBarbara County agencies to set up and operate shelters forthe general population and a medical shelter for those withspecial health care needs. “UCSB student volunteers con-tributed a lot in the medical shelter by just being there, talkingto the mostly frail and elderly evacuees, and keeping them

cheered up,” says Frandsen.

Asked about lessons learned during theJesusita Fire, Frandsen had this to say:“We were just reinforced in what wealready knew – that collaboration notonly makes things easier, it’s essentialto an effective response. Our relation-ships with the County’s EmergencyServices, Public Health and Fire Depart-ments are closer than ever. We’re alsocognizant of the need to continuepreparing for a more immediate threat.We were lucky this time that the campuswas not directly affected and couldserve as a resource to the community.We didn’t lose power or phone services,but we realize that could happen. We’llcontinue honing our response strategiesso we’re ready to tackle the next crisisthat comes along.”

UCSB routinely participates in jointresponse exercises with Santa Barbaraemergency response agencies. Throughtheir Community Emergency ResponseTeam (CERT) Program, UCSB staffmembers help people in their local area

learn preparedness and response skills. In fall 2011, theCERT annual exercise included more than 150 professionalparticipants and volunteers from UCSB, local fire agencies,County Emergency Management, the Red Cross and others.Click here to view a video of the CERT exercise. “We can’tanticipate everything,” says Frandsen, “But our goal is to doour utmost to respond quickly and efficiently when the needarises.”

Community Collaboration:UC Santa Barbara a ResourceHub During Massive Brush Fire

Above: Firefighters battle the fast-movingJesusita Fire. Below: Governor Schwarzenegger looks onas Santa Barbara County officials meet withthe media and the public to provide situationupdates.

Be Ready for an Emergency!

Be sure your personal contact infor-mation is up to date so you and yourco-workers can stay in touch duringan emergency. If you cannot be easilyreached, you may miss critical safetyand operational instructions. Workwith your supervisor and co-workersto maintain an effective departmentalemergency response plan thatincludes an updated emergencyemployee contact list.

Since 2003, UC Davis Health Sys-tem emergency response expertshave worked with Sacramento areaemergency response agencies topublish of Are You Prepared?,a comprehensive, easy-to-use emergency preparedness guide. “Our goal was to compile the bestrecommendations for families andbusinesses in our area and to emphasize the need for consci-entious planning,” says Jerrold Bushberg, Chair of the UCDavis Health System Emergency Preparedness Committee.“In addition to supporting the general community, we areespecially focused on helping our Health System staff withhome disaster planning. Knowing that their families are safeand prepared to cope with a disaster, our employees will bebetter able to respond to the needs of Medical Centerpatients during an emergency.” The 52-page guide providespractical advice on responding to public health emergencies,natural disasters and acts of terrorism. It includes informationon evacuation planning, accident prevention, first aid, how toreport an incident, home security, neighborhood emergencyresponse and much more. Recognizing the needs ofSacramento County’s diverse population, the guide has beentranslated into Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Mien,Hmong and Arabic. Though Are You Prepared? includes information specific tothe Sacramento area, the general guidelines it contains areapplicable anywhere in California. Dr. Bushberg encouragesall UC employees to take advantage of this resource. “It’s upto all of us to educate ourselves and help our families prepareto cope with the first 24 to 72 hours of an emergency, whereexperience has shown that outside assistance may not bereadily available.” Click here to link to the document.

ergonomics

chemical & labsafety

UC Safety Spotlight is published by UC Office of the President

© 2011, 2012, Regents of the University of California

February 2012

Shop and Tool Safety and Electrical Safety

COMING SOON!

Careless Chris

Careless ChrisPlans Poorly...anImaginary Scenario Know where to turn on your UC campus for the information you need to keep yourself, your

workplace and your environment safe and secure. Click on the campus links below toconnect to local program, educational and informational resources.

connect

occupationalhealth

Even something assimple as a wrenchor extension cordcould cause seriousinjury if used incor-rectly. Read ourFebruary 2012 issueto learn about tooland electrical safety.

“Whoneedsinstruc-tionsanyway?”thoughtCareless Chris. “Making upa family disaster kit is just amatter of common sense.”She was cruising the aislesof the big-box store, pilingcanned foods, batteries andpaper products into hercart. A few years went bybefore Chris came face toface with the consequencesof poor planning and inade-quate maintenance of afamily disaster kit.

Click here to read the story

UCOP

UC ANR

Click Here for moreemergency prepared-ness informationfrom UC Office of the President

UC Davis Health System Takes aLeadership Role in SacramentoArea Preparedness Guide

Feedback, Please

Send an email to safetyspotlight@ucdavis.eduto submit your commentson the December 2011 -January 2012 issue or tosuggest content ideas forfuture issues. We look for-ward to hearing from you!

Make the Most of Your UCEmergency CommunicationsResources

During an emergency, situationscan change radically and quickly.Your department may temporari-ly move operations or requireextra assistance. The campusmay issue transportation advi-sories, evacuation information orinstructions on when to report towork. Reliable, updated informa-tion during a crisis is essential tosafeguarding life and propertyboth at home and at work.UC emergency response plansaddress the need for official, continually updated messagesfor faculty and staff, students, families and other stakeholders.“Each department or unit should have a thorough, updatedemergency response plan, and communication measures arean essential part of that plan,” says Phillip Van Saun, UC SanDiego Continuity and Emergency Services Director. A good emergency plan combines new communication tech-nologies and campus procedures to ensure that people stayinformed through a crisis. All employees should be familiarwith their workplace plans and have home emergencyresponse plans in place. “I urge everyone to register theircontact information with their local UC automated notificationsystem—and keep it updated—so they can receive current,accurate information,” says Van Saun. “It is also essential topractice your department emergency plan periodically. Theonly way you’ll know your plan is effective is to test it.” Check with your Emergency/Mission Continuity office to learnmore about your UC emergency planning resources. Click here to view the UC San Diego Emergency/ContinuityServices home page.

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Members of UC San Diego’semergency response teammeet in the UCSD EmergencyOperations Center (EOC).The EOC serves as a centralhub for operations and com-munications during a crisis.