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Ten
Steps in Preparing for a Disaster
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1.
Prepare your own family for a disaster: Staff members can not be
expected to perform their duties when they are worried about the
well-being of their own families. Have you been through the Illinois
CES Disaster Preparedness Program or the American Red Cross Family
Protection Program? Do you have a plan in place for your own
family's security?
2. Prepare your own office for a disaster: Does your CES
office have a weather radio that can receive special weather
warnings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)?
Do you have evacuation plans for tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires?
Does the office have a smoke alarm, a fire extinguisher, and a
carbon monoxide detector? Does the office have a first aid kit, a
flashlight, blankets, water, food, etc., in case someone gets
stranded there during a winter storm? Does anyone in the office know
CPR? Does anyone know where the nearest hospital is located and what
number to dial for an ambulance, etc.?
3. Know the hazards that are present in your area of the
state: Illinois has had 23 Presidential Declarations in the last 26
years. The hazards that Illinois is exposed to are varied. Every
county in Illinois has experienced a tornado sometime in the last 50
years, and nearly three-quarters of the state has faced "major"
flooding in the last 25 years. Illinois has several earthquake
faults including the infamous New Madrid fault. Anyone can learn
more about the hazards that are present in a particular area by
contacting the local Emergency Services Disaster Agency (ESDA)
representative, American Red Cross representative, or by going
through the state sponsored Family Protection Program.
4. Know the disaster related players in your area of the
state: There are several important players. Of primary concern to
CES staff is getting to know the county ESDA coordinator. The
Illinois CES and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA)
have signed a memorandum of agreement encouraging local unit leaders
and local ESDA coordinators to
work together. Other important players are the Illinois Association
of Regional Councils (ILARC) and the American Red Cross. Memoranda
of Agreement have been signed with ILARC and are pending with the
American Red Cross - again encouraging local unit leaders to work
with local staff members from these organizations. Do local
authorities know to share disaster information with their local CES
office so that you can help spread information? Do they know how CES
can contribute to disaster preparedness and recovery efforts?
5. Know about state CES disaster efforts and how they can
help you: Did you know that there is a Cooperative Extension
Disaster Readiness Task Force made up of unit leaders, educators,
specialists, regional directors, administrators, and professors
interested in disaster preparedness from across campus? Did you know
that this group has worked to forget state relationships with
important disaster agencies, developed new fact sheets, developed a
World Wide Web page on the Internet, and developed training
opportunities for CES staff on disaster preparedness? Did you know
that CES is a member of the Illinois Volunteer Organizations Active
in Disasters (IL VOAD) group and a member of the Illinois Disaster
Education and Action Committee (IDEA)? There is a disaster task
force distribution list available on the IDEA system. CES staff can
ask the task force questions via this medium and get quick
responses.
6. Know about CES resources that are available for disaster
preparedness and recovery efforts: Do you know about the kinds of
information and programs that are available and how you can access
these them? Do you know where your copy of 24 disaster fact sheets
(issued March 1995) are? Have you tried to access the Disaster
Resources Web Site?
7. Develop a Disaster Operating Plan for your office: How
will you function and what will you do during an emergency
(especially on a weekend)? What kinds of programmatic efforts would
you make if your community faces a disaster? Who would you contact
for assistance? How would your office function during a power
outage? How would you coordinate your
activities with other agencies or organizations involved in disaster
recovery efforts?
8. Be an active member of your local USDA emergency team: A
responsibility of CES is to work with other USDA agencies as a team
at the local level. Do you meet regularly with your local USDA
emergency team?
9. Know how to find out more about state and federal disaster
programs: There are a multitude of state and federal programs
designed specifically for disasters such as the National Flood
Insurance Program and DisasterUnemployment Insurance. There are also
state agencies such as the Department of Mental Health and the
Department of Insurance that spring into action when a disaster is
declared. The Disaster Task Force on campus can help you identify
programs that may be of use to you and your community.
10. Know how local policies and legislation effect your
community's ability to prepare, respond, and recover from a
disaster: Is your community a "participating community" with the
National Flood Insurance Program (did you know that your community
must be a participating community in order for consumers to be able
to purchase flood insurance)? Is your community able to receive
warning signals from the National Oceanographic Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) (29 counties in Illinois are unable to receive
these signals)? Does your county board support a full-time ESDA
coordinator?
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