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| Monthly Safety Message: Disaster Preparedness | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Disaster Preparedness
Why It’s Essential Big disasters can happen here. Are we listening? Are we ready? Local government and relief agencies have taken disaster preparedness to heart. They are working hard to prepare for the many kinds of “all risk” disasters that may be lying in wait — from earthquake to terrorism, to wildfire, storms, floods and/or the Avian flu. But government and relief agencies can't do everything. And despite their best efforts, there will be chaos for at least the first 48 hours after any major disaster. Again, look at what happened after Hurricane Katrina, which everyone knew was imminent, allowing time to prepare or evacuate. We in California will never experience a hurricane. But it is a matter of time until some of us experience our equivalent of a Class V hurricane: “The Big One,” the devastating earthquake we know will arrive some day. And our Big One will occur without the forewarning that accompanies a hurricane. The Rodgers Creek Fault runs right through Windsor. It has been cited as the most likely source of a 7.0 magnitude or greater quake during the next 30 years. In other words, we could be at the epicenter of The Big One. Disaster Response in Windsor Half of the fire department’s volunteers live west of Highway 101. With Station 2 out of service, those volunteers would have to be able to get to Station 1 in order to help. Getting from one side of town to the other will be very difficult, if not impossible. In addition, 99 percent of our volunteers work outside of Windsor; they will not be here if The Big One comes during the day. The on-duty battalion chief—the chief who directs firefighter and rescue operations and who is typically the incident commander in disasters—will be responsible for close to 55,000 people and 160 square miles because his responsibility will include our neighboring Rincon Valley Fire Protection District. A 7.0 earthquake is projected to do extensive damage to all County freeways and highways, causing nearly 400 complete road closures. It will be very difficult for rescue equipment to reach us. It could take days for help to arrive. Our neighboring communities will also sustain severe damage, so they will be unable to help. 9-1-1 will be swamped. In spite of everyone’s best efforts, there will be no emergency assistance available to most of the population for 2 or 3 days, maybe longer. What Should YOU Do? Put together survival kits. Make sure everyone knows where they are kept. Carry some basic survival items in your car: water, food, flashlights, bandages, etc. After an earthquake, the floor is likely to be littered with broken glass. Put a spare pair of shoes and a flashlight—basic necessities should the earthquake occur in the middle of the night—in a plastic grocery bag and tie it to the headboard of each family member’s bed. Remember that without electricity there is no gasoline, no ATM machine, no way to buy groceries, no way to charge your cell or cordless phone battery. Keep an emergency supply of cash on hand. Have a “wired” phone available. Keep the tank of your car at least half full at all times. These are just a few suggestions. There are many resources that provide comprehensive information about emergency preparedness. The telephone book is an excellent resource, as is. each of the following websites:
“No matter how much the Fire Department, Police Department, and the Town of Windsor plan, no matter how much we prepare, our resources will be completely overwhelmed immediately following a major disaster,” Windsor Fire Marshal Matt Gustafson warns. “We strongly urge everyone to take disaster preparedness seriously, for peace of mind now and in the event of a disaster.” Click here for Safety Tips. Past Monthly Safety Messages:
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webmaster@windsorfire.net
with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2003 - 2007 Windsor Fire Protection District. Last modified: 01/30/07. Website Design: Graphicsmiths |
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The
Windsor Fire Protection District routinely advocates disaster
preparedness. In addition, we have heard a lot about disaster
preparedness recently, in conjunction with the 100-year anniversary
of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (which actually was more
devastating to Santa Rosa than to San Francisco). While the 1906
earthquake stories serve as a reminder, recent experience
underscores, in a profound way, the necessity of being prepared.