Train Employees For Disaster Preparedness

Train Employees For Disaster Preparedness

9.27.2007

Just came across this article and thought it was really good. It’s so important to have employee disasters plans especially for those who must work through a hurricane. When developing such a disaster plan it is vital that the plan also include how the employees are going to take the necessary time to prepare for a hurricane at their own home and how they will safe guard their loved ones during the crisis.

COMMENTS WELCOMED!

Are you or have you been in a hurricane disaster? Do you know someone who is recovering or has been affected by a hurricane in the past?

Please share your thoughts and stories here on this blog.

All I ask is that everyone be respectful and sensitive of each other and that identifying information about a person who is not the author be limited to protect their privacy.

Pease, Blessings & Be Safe!

Terrie

Web Site: www.trainforahurricane.com

Web Bog: http://trainforahurricane.blogspot.com

She is an international expert in dying, death, loss and critical incident individual and community disaster preparation and response, with over 60 courses, books and training manuals to her credit. Her neweest book is Train For A Hurricane. She has 20+ years experience in assisting those in need. Dr. Modesto is available for consultations, lectures media interviews.

©2007 Train For A Hurricane.com All rights reserved

All writings here are copyrighted by Terrie Modesto and Train For A Hurricane.com. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Training for Disaster: Are your employees trained for a hurricane?

September 05, 2006

By David Barron

http://www.presentations.com/msg/content_display/training/e3iba76Bqzy2OvMsHS34K7MhQ==

A Category 5 hurricane is bearing down on your office. Most of your employees have not shown up for work, and the ones who have are anxious to get home and evacuate. You are in urgent need of getting your business ready for what could be a disaster of epic proportions, but don't know where to start or how to get everything done in time before the storm hits.

Is this your company? If so, you need to start planning now. Last year, we all learned that a major hurricane, even if it does not hit your city directly, can turn the entire area upside down. Companies dealt with unprecedented human resources issues during Rita, with employees scattered along evacuation routes or temporarily living in company offices. In the aftermath, we all learned valuable lessons that prudent companies will put to use in drafting a plan for dealing with the labor issues during the next hurricane. The key is adopting policies and procedures beforehand that will minimize confusion in a few key areas.

Requiring Employees to Work During A Hurricane

Every employee's first instinct in a hurricane will be to protect his or her family and property. However, each business must have a critical group of employees on the job during an emergency to protect the company's assets. Whether it is an IT manager charged with guarding the safety of the company's data, or a maintenance supervisor responsible for ensuring that dangerous chemicals don?t explode or leak, most businesses will need someone on the scene during a storm.

It is therefore important for each company to identify critical personnel and explain the expectations of them in the event of a hurricane. Texas law prohibits a company from retaliating against an employee who is absent from work because he or she obeys an evacuation order, unless the employee is providing emergency services or is "a person necessary to provide for the safety and well being of the general public." Know what the law is in your state.

Art Speaks Of Hurricane Pain

Hurricane Katrina In Art

The soul must often find expression in ways that go beyond the mere words that are used everyday. When there is a monumental incident in an individual or community’s life hose affected either personally or as distant grievers is expressed in art. This form of art is known as Thanostic art’ The word ‘thanostic’ comes from the word ‘thanos’ which is Greek for death. At Ohio State University there is a special event September 26^th, 2007 from 11:00AM to 6:00PM at the Wexner Center. It will offer ten vignettes of the lives of different residents along the Mississippi coast who suffered and lived out the horrors of the Hurricane Katrina experience. I have not personally seen this artistic rendition but I know from other thanostic art displays it can be some of the most revealing and inspiring means f communicating a poignant truth about life during and after a disaster especially a hurricane.

I hope that at this event and others like it will be not only shared in person on the local and regional levels but can find a way to be made available to the world through the internet. If these 10 vignettes were offered for viewing through a secured disaster contribution manner to help the special disaster needs of Hurricane Katrina survivors then I know I would be the first in line to participate in such a noble cause.

Congrats to Ohio State University and the talented artist Liza Johnson, Ben Mor and Ivor Shearer for their gift of art and the courage to share these consciousness raising presentations to the community at large!

For more information see the following announcement:

Peace, Blessings And Be Safe!

Terrie

Artists Respond to Hurricane Katrina

http://www.osu.edu/events/eventView.php?Event_ID=388901

Event: Artists Respond to Hurricane Katrina

Brooklyn-based Liza Johnson's South of Ten (10 mins., 2006) offers ten vignettes from the everyday lives of residents of coastal Mississippi. New Orleans filmmaker Ivor Shearer's Waterline Simulacrum (32 secs., 2006) is a powerful visual reminder of the extent of damage in New Orleans. One of the first filmmakers to gain access to the catastrophically devasted Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans was Ben Mor, who's based in Los Angeles. His Help is Coming (8 mins., 2006) presents a telling view of the harsh reality that victims of the disaster faced and the empty promises on which they relied.

Date and time: September 26, 2007

11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Location: Wexner Center

Contact: Not given

Phone Number: 614-292-3535

Event category: Arts

Event Type: Film

Hurricane Must Have

9.25.2007

Now a days you go into a store and WOW there are so many things that scream out at you saying "Oh buy ME". Yea right, a fancy coffee maker that can tell you the time for coffee in 20 languages or a Don't forget to walk the Dog button alarm for the kitchen door. OK so there are other things even more interesting in the stores that make life much more interesting, fun and easy to live. I'm grateful for them all.

Yet one this that is not a fun thing, not sexy or will be used every day but EVERONE who has weather should have. Yep, it's a NOAA weather radio.

We live in a complex and complicated world not just due to weather but all kinds of stuff including disasters and terrorism. So by having something that can save our lives or in some other way safeguard us is special. Don't you think that such an item should be put at the top of our list of MUST HAVE ITEMS?

You got to admit that a coffee that can tell you the time for coffee in 20 languages or reminds you abut the dog really can't save your life or that of a loved one but this simple little radio sure can. Hey I don’t own stock in any of these weather alert radio companies, but I do own stock in doing all I can to keep myself safe, I hope you do too! SO---GET ONE!!

COMMENTS WELCOMED!

Are you or have you been in a hurricane disaster? Do you know someone who is recovering or has been affected by a hurricane in the past? Please share your thoughts and stories here on this blog. All I ask is that everyone be respectful and sensitive of each other and that identifying information about a person who is not the author be limited to protect their privacy.

Peace, Blessings & Be Safe!

Terrie

Web Site: www.trainforahurricane.com

Web Site http://trainforahurricane.blogspot.com

Dr. Terrie Modesto, Critical Incident Thanatologist She is an international expert in dying, death, loss and critical incident individual and community disaster preparation and response, with over 60 courses, books and training manuals to her credit. She has 20+ years experience in assisting those in need. Dr. Modesto is available for consultations, lectures media interviews.©2007 Train For A Hurricane.com All rights reservedAll writings here are copyrighted by Terrie Modesto and Train For A Hurricane.com. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Orlando Sentinel - Hurricane Blog - A minute-by-minute account of developments in Central Florida brought to you by the Orlando Sentinel:
" Tornado shows need for weather radio
posted by John A. Cutter on Sep 21, 2007 3:44:13 PM Discuss "http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_weather_hurricane/

Lake County sent this news release this afternoon:

EUSTIS — Officials from the Lake County Department of Public Safety, Emergency Management Division, are reiterating the need for residents to use NOAA weather radios after the fourth tornado in Lake County in less than a year occurred last night.

"Thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, bomb scares, chemical spills and brush fires. These are just a few of the potential hazards residents can face in Lake County," said Jerry Smith, Director of the Emergency Management Division.

"Having a battery operated, tone-alert NOAA Weather Radio in your home is like having your own personal tornado siren - only it will alert you of all these impending dangers. In every Lake County home, a NOAA Weather Radio should be as common as a smoke detector."

A weather radio broadcasts National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other non-weather related hazard information 24 hours a day. When a threat is determined, National Weather Service forecasters interrupt routine weather programming and transmit a special tone that automatically activates weather radios. This instant emergency notification can give you and your family valuable seconds to seek shelter.

Some of the recommended features for a weather radio include: Tone alarm – Activates weather radio to sound, even if the audio is turned off. Selectable alerting of events – Allows an operator to turn off the alarm for certain events, which might not be pertinent. For example, if an individual lives in a coastal county, but not right at the beach, he or she might not wish to know about Coastal Flood Warnings. Battery backup – Since power outages often occur during storms, having a receiver with battery backup can be crucial. SAME technology – Specific Alert Message Encoding allows operator to specify the particular area for which to receive alerts. For more information about weather radios, log on to www.lakecountyfl.gov or www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/.

Besides Hurricane Winds

Besides Hurricane Winds

So often when we think of a hurricane we think of the torrential rain and the horrific winds that can blow a house a part in a matter of moments. Well that is true and something to be concerned about if your area is under a hurricane situation.

Yet even when a storm has not officially reached a hurricane status and is called a tropical depression or storm it is still a dangerous situation. You see, it is not only the hurricane winds that affect a community. There is great danger of a tornado hitting the area when the weather conditions are affected by a tropical storm occurrence.

Besides the hurricane the tornado can even be believe it or not even more destructive. With a hurricane you know days in advance that a hurricane is possibly headed for your area. You have time to do your hurricane preparations and if necessary to seek hurricane evacuation shelter elsewhere when necessary. In a tornado that is a very different story.

In a tornado you may have only moments to seek shelter and it can blow not only roofs off but whole houses and buildings can disappear in the blink of an eye. Tornados can be as dangerous as a hurricane. Tornados are often associated with conditions that are also ripe for a hurricane or a tropical storm. They are nothing to play with. Tornados may not last as long as a hurricane while it is passing over head but if a tornado touches down the destruction can have the same affect as a hurricane. No matter if a hurricane or a tornado the pain and suffering that can be experienced by all those who survive a weather disaster can be painful for months and even years.

We have no control over the weather, BUT we do have control over how we act as human beings. We can ignore the possibility of a disaster hitting our region and community in general and even more so deny the possibly that it could affect us personally. That is one option. A very dangerous and foolish option to be sure.

The other option is to be prepared. For what it would cost for a movie and a bucket of popcorn per month a family of 4 can establish a well prepared home for any disaster that might come their way. If a family is prepared then no matter how long it takes to get the aid agencies and government support to arrive, one thing is very certain and that is the family will not be stranded without anything. They will survive with what they need to make it through a difficult time.

What would you rather have a fleeting memory of a movie and popcorn or a family that is safe and secured? I vote for the family safety!

COMMENTS WELCOMED!

Are you or have you been in a hurricane disaster? Do you know someone who is recovering or has been affected by a hurricane in the past?

Please share your thoughts and stories here on this blog.

All I ask is that everyone be respectful and sensitive of each other and that identifying information about a person who is not the author be limited to protect their privacy.

Pease, Blessings & Be Safe!

Terrie

Web Site: http://www.trainforahurricane.com/

Web Site http://trainforahurricane.blogspot.com/

Dr. Terrie Modesto, Critical Incident Thanatologist

She is an international expert in dying, death, loss and critical incident individual and community disaster preparation and response, with over 60 courses, books and training manuals to her credit. Her latest book is: Train For A Hurricane. She has 20+ years experience in assisting those in need. Dr. Modesto is available for consultations, lectures media interviews.

©2007 Train For A Hurricane.com All rights reserved

All writings here are copyrighted by Terrie Modesto and Train For A Hurricane.com. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Hurricane Season Quite -- Cheap Time To Stock Up on Hurricane Supplies!

9.25.2007

Hurricane Season Quite -- Cheap Time To Stock Up on Hurricane Supplies!

Those of us who live on the US Atlantic East Coast have been very fortunate in many ways this hurricane season. We have not had any serious hurricanes to contend with. No one certainly wants to have to live through the torrential rains and howling rains of a hurricane.

Yet hurricanes DO have their benefits. Many in the South have been experiencing record breaking long runs of unbearable heat. This summer 100F temperatures were repeated day after day ‘down South’. In the Mid-Atlantic States the drought of 2007 has been a devastating one. Hurricanes bring relief to parched and hot lands.

No one wants the destruction of a hurricane but there are silver linings for many when a hurricane arrives. Those silver linings certainly help the farmers and even the fishing crews since the much of the fresh water fishing has also been impacted by the drought and higher concentration of certain chemicals in the water due to little rain.

According to the meteorologists we are still looking at some storms to be aware of. Some may turn into tropical storms and spread much needed rain to the Atlantic seaboard. That will be good news to some farmers. One storm in particular that is still 1500+ miles away appears to be developing in a manner that could possibly become a hurricane later on. No one knows for sure but it is one that we need to be aware of.

We still have two months this hurricane season. If it is a quite hurricane season, than all the better. We have more time to get our supplies in at the cheapest prices possible. End of the summer season is a great time to check prices and purchase large ticket and / or often used hurricane preparation items:

Ø generators

Ø coolers

Ø propane tanks

Ø Tarps

Ø Plastic outdoor storage boxes are great places to store the propane tanks, tarps and other bulky but necessary items that are very helpful in hurricane emergencies.

With children already back to school, many of the remaining back to school supplies may be at reduced prices sine store managers want o empty those shelves for the holiday merchandise stocked high in their storage rooms eagerly waiting to be made available for sale. , this is also a great time to pick up:

back packs that can be used as your Get & Go’ bags should you need to evacuate in an emergency at some point. Remember every member of the family should have their own Get & Go pack including each pet!

After Halloween is a good time to pick up the hard candies and other snacks at half to 90% off pre-holiday prices. Place them in air tight storage containers and put them in the back of the freezer. They will last a long time and you will have them at the cheapest prices of the year.

Discount dollar stores are now displaying their Halloween and Christmas stock. They are desperate to get rid of as much of the summer stock as possible. Pick up several of the inflatable large floating cushions - loungers that are easy to keep folded until needed. These are great air mattresses to have should you need to sleep outside or your bed is damaged in a hurricane storm. Check to see if the rechargeable or hand operated hand pumps are on sales as well. Sure beats blowing up air mattresses by lung power!

If you don’t have ply-wood for your windows etc, now is the time to pick it up at some of the lowest prices in years. With the housing slump and so far no major hurricanes this season in the US to place heavy demand on ply-wood, the prices have not been so reasonable for years. Measure all your doors and windows to make sure you are buying the quantity you will need and then buy the wood at discount prices. Then store as flooring in your attic or in the rafters of your garage. Cut or at least mark off the correct sizes you will need for every window and door. MARK EACH OF THE PIECES OF WOOD so in the midst of the hurricane preparation rush you will know exactly what piece of wood goes where. You might even want to make a list and place it in a plastic zip bag and keep it with the wood along with the nails or screws, etc so everything is located right where you need them. By making plywood used as additional or temporary flooring in your attic or garage rafters, you can then place much of your hurricane supplies on top of the plywood and everything is ready to go should you need it.

COMMENTS WELCOMED!

Are you or have you been in a hurricane disaster? Do you know someone who is recovering or has been affected by a hurricane in the past?

Please share your thoughts and stories here on this blog.

All I ask is that everyone be respectful and sensitive of each other and that identifying information about a person who is not the author be limited to protect their privacy.

Pease, Blessings & Be Safe!

Terrie

Web Site: http://www.trainforahurricane.com/

Web Site http://trainforahurricane.blogspot.com/

Dr. Terrie Modesto, Critical Incident Thanatologist

She is an international expert in dying, death, loss and critical incident individual and community disaster preparation and response, with over 60 courses, books and training manuals to her credit. Her latest book: Train For A Hurricane. She has 20+ years experience in assisting those in need. Dr. Modesto is available for consultations, lectures media interviews.

©2007 Train For A Hurricane.com All rights reserved

All writings here are copyrighted by Terrie Modesto and Train For A Hurricane.com. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.