With the 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan in the headlines, we extend our heartfelt empathy and condolences to the people of Japan. We are also reminded of our own vulnerability in California. As much as we’ve talked about the beautiful resort area of Palm Springs, we must also be mindful of the potential of an earthquake throughout California. Small tremblors tend to go relatively unnoticed and we tend to grow complacent. But what about a significant quake? It’s a good time for some reminders.
We all know that we must assemble an “Earthquake Preparedness Kit”, but most people aren’t sure what to include. The list below provides the essentials.
Perhaps most important is a plan:
1. Where will you meet if your family is not together when an earthquake strikes?
2. Have you arranged to have a list of all your prescription medicines, dosages and instructions online on a service such as GoogleDocs where you or someone out-of-area can access it for you or your doctors?
3. Do you have an evacuation plan if you are in a building or a gated community?
4. Does your Homeowners Association have a plan for checking on the safety of all in the development?
5. Have you appointed an out-of state contact who can coordinate communication in the event of phone and/or Internet service being down?
6. Would a gas power generator make sense to include in your kit?
7. Have you taken a first aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) course?
For more ideas, please see “10 Ways You Can Be Disaster Prepared” on the California Emergency Management Agency Website.
