MARINE CORPS RECRUIT SAN DIEGO -- Depot personnel are building their readiness capabilities, not just for the wild fire season, but for other natural disasters that are common in California, including earthquakes and flash floods.
In late October 2007, the depot was host to more than 400 evacuees, to include civilians, military families, and retirees.
As a result of lessons learned, training and exercises, significant improvements were made to overall disaster procedures, said James Stewart, depot life skills instructor.
“Each Battalion has a safety coordinator and a Family Readiness Officer to inform members and their families on ways to be safety conscious,” said Stewart.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention’s web site is designed to help families plan in the case of fires or other disasters. According to CDF, each county in the state has its own fire plan.
Within each county, however, families must prepare for such an event. The U.S. Fire Administration suggests that families have a fire escape plan and practice it regularly.
The basic plan outlines where a family will meet near their home in case of an emergency; have an established rally point in case they are unable to enter their neighborhood; and lists of phone numbers to call outside their local area to report their location and condition in case of a disaster.
In addition to a plan, families should have a survival kit that is easily accessible and travel convenient.
“The survival kit should be made to the family’s needs,” said Stewart.
Items to include are: important documents, credit cards, if possible, water, non-perishable foods, flash light, blankets, respirator, and hygiene items.
TRICARE recommends including these additional health-related items:
· Copies of each family member’s TRICARE and military ID cards, medical records or other health insurance cards
· List of doctors’ names and contact information
· List of emergency contacts and phone numbers
· List of family members allergies
· A 30-day supply of any prescription medications or over-the-counter medications such as anti-pain, antacids, etc.
· A 30-day supply of insulin, if applicable
· List of model and serial numbers for medical devices such as pacemakers
All paper items should be kept in plastic bags and placed inside waterproof backpacks or duffle bags in easy-to-find locations so they can be grabbed quickly.
“Keep documents in a fire-proof box,” said Stewart. “Or make copies of them and send them to a contact out of your local area.”
Being prepared for a disaster now will help out in the long run. Once a kit is prepared it will be ready for use at any time, and if it isn’t used will always be ready. Making the kit is simple enough that when it is used, it is easy to replace.