Disaster Preparedness III

Do you have an Emergency Operation Plan (EOP) for your family????


Recently, I have been taking some courses to enhance my skills in EMS and in Emergency Management. One of the major things that I have learned is that many public safety officials, like myself, are prepared to prepare others in an event of an emergency/disaster BUT we are not prepared ourselves regarding our personal lives. We train, study, and prepare to help others but make the mistake with forgetting about our family and self well-being.


With that said, I wanted to put a STRONG VOICE to all of my public safety individuals and every one else to develop an EOP for your family. An EOP is a written document that many organizations use to show and tell them what and how to maneuver in the event that a disaster occurs (Natural, man made, fire, etcetera). This manual, that you'll develop for your family, should involve items that need to be in place for you to survive within a 96 hour time span (time FEMA allotted it will take for emergency personnel to get to you during a natural disaster). These items should include, but not limited to, generators, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, water, food that can last without being refrigerated, warm clothes & blankets, any medical items for the medically ill family member(s), and so on and so forth. Exit routes and items needed (e.g. ladders) not only need to be planned but also practiced. Also a contact person outside the immediate area, as I previously discussed in the last post.


Once you've developed your EOP you MUST practice it so each family member is aware of what to do, how to do it, and also to help you make some adjustments to your plan in case some of it did not work out the way you initially planned. Lastly, develop your EOP based on what is common in your area. For example, you wouldn't want to make an natural disaster EOP for a hurricane when you are more susceptible to tornadoes.


Take all of this into account and take it into action. This can make a world of difference WHEN an emergency strikes.


Peace & Blessings,

M. D. Martin