8A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL February 10, 2016
Are you ready?
D ISASTER P REPAREDNESS
Learning how to shelter in place
At Home
The appropriate steps depend
on the emergency situation. If
you hear a warning signal, lis-
ten to local radio or television
stations for further informa-
tion. You will be told what to
do, including where to fi nd the
nearest shelter if you are away
from your “shelter-in-place” lo-
cation.
If you are told to “shelter-in-
place,” act quickly. Follow the
instructions of local authorities.
In general:
Bring children and pets in-
doors immediately. If your chil-
dren are at school, do not try to
bring them home unless told to.
The school will shelter them.
Close and lock all outside
doors and windows. Locking
may provide a tighter seal.
If you are told there is danger
of explosion, close the window
shades, blinds, or curtains.
Turn off the heating, ventila-
tion, or air conditioning system.
Turn off all fans, including bath-
room fans operated by the light
switch.
Close the fi replace or wood-
stove damper. Become familiar
with proper operation of fl ues
and dampers ahead of time.
Get your disaster supplies kit,
and make sure the radio is work-
ing.
The room should have 10
square feet of fl oor space per
person in order to provide suf-
fi cient air to prevent carbon
dioxide buildup for 5 hours. In
this room, you should store scis-
sors, plastic sheeting pre-cut to
fi t over any windows or vents
and rolls of duct tape to secure
the plastic. Access to a water
supply is desirable, as is a work-
ing hard-wired telephone. Don’t
rely on cell phones because cel-
lular telephone circuits may be
overwhelmed or damaged dur-
ing an emergency. Also, a power
failure will render most cordless
phones inoperable.
Take everyone, including
pets, into an interior room with
no or few windows and shut the
door.
If you have pets, prepare a
place for them to relieve them-
selves where you are taking
shelter. Pets should not go out-
side during a chemical or ra-
diation emergency because it is
harmful to them and they may
track contaminants into your
shelter. The Humane Society of
the United States suggests that
you have plenty of plastic bags
and newspapers, as well as con-
tainers and cleaning supplies, to
help deal with pet waste.
If you are instructed to seal
the room, use duct tape and
plastic sheeting, such as heavy-
duty plastic garbage bags, to
seal all cracks around the door
into the room. Tape plastic over
any windows. Tape over any
vents and seal electrical outlets
and other openings. As much as
possible, reduce the fl ow of air
into the room.
Make sure all family members
know what to do in an emer-
gency whether they are at home,
school, work, or outdoors. This
includes knowing the number of
an out-of-town friend or rela-
tive who has agreed to serve as
an emergency contact. It can
be easier to reach someone out
of town during an emergency
than to reach someone locally,
including family members. The
contact can collect the informa-
tion on where and how every-
body is and help reassure and
reunite families.
Call your emergency contact
and keep the phone handy in
case you need to report a life-
threatening condition. Other-
wise stay off the phone, so that
the lines will be available for
use by emergency responders.
Keep listening to your radio
or television until you are told
all is safe or you are told to
evacuate. Do not evacuate un-
less instructed to do so.
When you are told that the
emergency is over, open win-
dows and doors, turn on venti-
lation systems, and go outside
until the building’s air has been
exchanged with the now clean
outdoor air. Follow any special
instructions given by emergen-
cy authorities to avoid chemical
or radiological contaminants
outdoors.
At School
The appropriate steps depend
on the emergency situation. If
you hear a warning signal, lis-
ten to local radio or television
stations for further informa-
tion. You will be told what to
do, including where to fi nd the
nearest shelter if you are away
from your “shelter-in-place” lo-
cation.
Check with the school or
day-care center to learn their
plans for dealing with a hazard-
ous materials emergency. Their
“shelter-in-place” plans should
include the following:
Close the school. Activate the
school’s emergency plan. Fol-
low reverse evacuation proce-
dures to bring students, faculty
and staff indoors.
If visitors are in the building,
provide for their safety by ask-
ing them to stay.
Ideally, have access to the
school-wide public address sys-
tem in the room where the top
school offi cial takes shelter.
Have at least one telephone
line under the school’s listed
telephone number in one of the
shelter rooms available for a
designated person to answer the
calls of concerned parents. If
time permits, it is not possible
for a person to monitor the tele-
phone and the school has voice-
mail or an automated attendant,
change the recording to indicate
that the school is closed and that
students and staff are remaining
in the building until authorities
say it is safe to leave.
Classrooms may be used if
there are no windows or the
windows are sealed and cannot
be opened. Large storage clos-
ets, utility rooms, or meeting
rooms could be used. A gymna-
sium without exterior windows
would also work well. Access to
bathrooms is a plus.
Have all children, staff and
visitors take shelter in pre-se-
lected rooms that have phone
access and stored disaster sup-
plies kits and, preferably, access
to a bathroom. Shut the doors.
Have all shelter rooms closed.
Lock all windows, exterior
doors and any other openings to
the outside.
If told there is danger of ex-
plosion, make sure window
shades, blinds or curtains are
closed.
Turn off heating, ventilating
and air conditioning systems.
Systems that automatically pro-
vide for exchange of inside air
with outside air must be turned
off, sealed or disabled.
If instructed by offi cials, use
duct tape and plastic sheeting
to seal all cracks around the
door(s), windows and vents into
the room. As much as possible,
reduce the fl ow of air into the
room.
If children have cell phones,
allow them to use them to call
a parent or guardian to let them
know that they have been asked
to remain in school until further
notice and that they are safe.
This may reduce the potential
number of incoming calls.
Schools should assign one or
two people to collect informa-
tion on who is in the building
when an emergency happens so
that fi rst responders can know
everyone is be accounted for, if
necessary
One teacher or staff member
in each room should write down
the names of everyone in the
room and call the school’s des-
ignated emergency contact to
report who is in that room.
Everyone should stay in the
room until school offi cials, via
the public address system, an-
nounce that all is safe or say ev-
eryone must evacuate.
Once the word has been given
that all is safe, everyone should
go outside when the building’s
ventilation systems are turned
back on. Follow any special in-
structions given by emergency
authorities to avoid chemical
and radiological contaminants
outdoors.
In the
Workplace
The appropriate steps depend
on the emergency situation. If
you hear a warning signal, lis-
ten to local radio or television
stations for further informa-
tion. You will be told what to
do, including where to fi nd the
nearest shelter if you are away
from your “shelter-in-place” lo-
cation.
Check with your workplace
to learn their plans for deal-
ing with a hazardous materials
emergency. Their “shelter-in-
place” plans should include the
following:
Employers should close the
offi ce, making any customers,
clients or visitors in the building
aware that they need to stay un-
til the emergency is over. Close
and lock all windows, exterior
doors and any other openings to
the outside.
Avoid overcrowding by pre-
selecting several interior rooms
with the fewest number of win-
dows or vents. The appropriate
location depends entirely on
the emergency situation. If a
chemical has been released, you
should take shelter in a room
above ground level, because
some chemicals are heavier than
air and may seep below ground.
On the other hand, if there are
radioactive particles in the air,
you should choose a centrally
located room or basement.
Knowing what to do under spe-
cifi c circumstances is an impor-
tant part of being prepared. The
rooms should have adequate
space for everyone to be able
to sit, including an estimated
number of visitors. Large stor-
age closets, utility rooms, pan-
tries, break rooms and copy and
conference rooms without exte-
rior windows would work well.
Access to bathrooms is a plus. It
is ideal to have hard-wired tele-
phones in the rooms you select;
use cordless phones (but not
cell phones—the system may be
overloaded in an emergency),
if necessary. The rooms should
be equipped with a disaster sup-
plies kit.
A knowledgeable person
should use the building’s me-
chanical systems to turn off all
heating, ventilating and air con-
ditioning systems. The systems
that automatically provide for
exchange of inside air with out-
side air, in particular, need to be
turned off, sealed or disabled.
Unless there is an imminent
threat, employers should ask
employees, customers, clients
and visitors to call their emer-
gency contacts to let them know
where they are and that they are
safe.
If time permits and it is not
possible for a person to monitor
the telephone, turn on call-for-
warding or alternative telephone
answering systems or services.
If the business has voicemail
or an automated attendant, it
should be switched to a record-
ing that indicates that the busi-
ness is closed and that staff and
visitors are remaining in the
building until authorities advise
it is safe to leave.
If you are told there is danger
of explosion, close any window
shades, blinds or curtains near
your workspace.
Take your workplace disaster
supplies kits and go to your pre-
determined sheltering room(s)
and, when everyone is in,
shut and lock the doors. There
should be radios or TVs in the
room(s).
Turn on the radios or TVs.
If instructed to do so by offi -
cials, use duct tape and plastic
sheeting, such as heavy-duty
plastic garbage bags, to seal all
cracks around the door(s) and
any vents into the room. Seal
any windows and/or vents with
sheets of plastic and duct tape.
As much as possible, reduce the
fl ow of air into the room.
Businesses should assign one
or two people to collect infor-
mation on who is in the building
when an emergency happens so
that fi rst responders can know
everyone is be accounted for, if
necessary.
One person per room should
write down the names of every-
one in the room. Call your busi-
ness-designated emergency con-
tact to report who is in the room
with you and their affi liation
with your business (employee,
visitor, client, customer).
Keep listening to the radio or
watching TV for updates until
you are told all is safe or you are
told to evacuate.
When you are told that all is
safe, open windows and doors,
turn on heating, ventilating and
air conditioning systems and go
outside until the building’s air
has been exchanged with the
now-clean outdoor air. Follow
any special instructions given
by emergency authorities to
avoid chemical or radiological
contaminants outdoors.
In a Vehicle
Admittedly, taking shelter in
a vehicle may be an uncomfort-
able experience, particularly in
very hot or very cold weather.
Still, such discomfort is safer
than possibly exposing your-
self to chemical or radiological
contaminants in the outside air.
Having a portable disaster sup-
plies kit in your vehicle could
make the experience less un-
pleasant.
The appropriate steps depend
on the emergency situation. If
you hear a warning signal, lis-
ten to local radio or television
stations for further informa-
tion. You will be told what to
do, including where to fi nd the
nearest shelter if you are away
from your “shelter-in-place” lo-
cation.
If you are very close to home,
your workplace or a public
building, go there immediately
and go inside. Follow the “shel-
ter-in-place” recommendations
for that location.
If you are unable to get in-
doors quickly and safely, then
pull over to the side of the road.
Stop your vehicle in the safest
place possible. If it is sunny out-
side, it is preferable to stop un-
der a bridge or in a shady spot to
avoid being overheated.
Turn off the engine.
Close windows and vents.
If possible, seal the heating,
ventilating, and air conditioning
vents with duct tape or anything
else you may have available.
Listen to the radio periodi-
cally for updated advice and
instructions. (Modern car radios
consume very little battery pow-
er and should not affect your
ability to start your car later.)
Stay where you are until you
are told it is safe to get back on
the road. Be aware that some
roads may be closed or traffi c
detoured. Follow the directions
of law enforcement offi cials.
Supplies for your vehicle
could include:
Bottled water and non-perish-
able foods such as granola bars.
Seasonal supplies: Winter
- blanket, hat, mittens, shovel,
sand, tire chains, windshield
scraper, fl orescent distress fl ag;
Summer - sunscreen lotion (SPF
15 or greater), shade item (um-
brella, wide brimmed hat, etc).
Flashlight, extra batteries, and
maps.
Disasters are hard to predict and usually are
out of your control. But you can take steps
to keep you and your family safe.
Preparing for disaster
Learn about specifi c health threats and what you
can do to reduce the risk to your health and safety.
Make an emergency plan.
Learn basic fi rst aid skills such as CPR.
Always look to local authorities and health experts
for specifi c, up-to-date information for your area.
We’re here to help when you need us.
1515 Village Drive
Cottage Grove
541-767-5500
Make sure all the pieces are in place to render you and your family prepared in the event of a natural disaster.
• Listen to radio or television newscasts for the latest weather information, and follow all evacuation directions and suggestions.
• Keep a stock of non-perishable food items as well as bottled water on hand inside your home.
• Keep a 72 Hour Kit on hand inside your home that is easy to get to in the event of a disaster.
For more information and tips on disaster response and preparedness, contact your local emergency services center.
South Lane Fire & Rescue • 233 Harrison Ave, Cottage Grove 541-942-4493 • 55 South 1st Street, Creswell 541-895-2506
Twitter: @southlanei re
Facebook: southlanecountyi reandrescue