BE INFORMED STEP 3 After the earthquake • Expect aftershocks. • Use the phone only for emergency calls. • If internet and TV are down, listen to radio for instructions and news reports. • Turn off interrupted utilities as necessary. Don't turn off your gas unless it's leaking! Once shut off at the source a professional must turn it back on which could take days. • Check your building for cracks and damage, including the roof, chimneys and foundation. • Stay calm and lend a hand to others. Shelter in place: Sheltering in place means staying inside a building and making the building as safe as possible until help arrives. Local authorities may issue a shelter-in-place order during a release of a hazardous material where air quality may be threatened. If you receive official instructions to shelter in place, take the following precautions: • Take your children and pets inside immediately. • Close all windows and doors in your home as well as the fireplace damper. • Turn off all ventilation systems. • Go to an above-ground room (not the basement) with the fewest windows and doors. Be sure to take your 72-hour kit with you. • Wet some towels and jam them in the crack under your door. • Tape plastic sheeting or garbage bags over the door, window, exhaust fan, vents and outlets. • Stay in the room until you are told all is safe. Pandemic Influenza (Flu) A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. If severe, it can cause closures of schools, churches and even businesses. To help stop the spread of pandemic virus you can: • Stay home if you don't feel well. • Keep children home when sick. • Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. • Clean your hands often and use hand sanitizer regularly. • For more info visit pandemicflu.utah.gov. UTAH DEPARTMENT OF 12 HEALTH WWW.BEREADYUTAH.GOV TWITTER.COM/BEREADYUTAH Fire Safety Wildfire The threat of wildfires is very real for people living in rural Utah. Utah averages about 1,900 wildfires each year. There are several safety precautions that you can take to reduce the risk of fire losses. • Be informed. • Listen to local radio/TV. Follow emergency instructions. • Have an evacuation plan. • Be ready to flee immediately. • Locate safe areas in advance. • Plan how to get in touch with family if separated. Prevent fires • Don't let trash accumulate. • Store flammable liquids outside in special containers. • Move stacks of firewood away from the structure. • Have a no-smoking rule for your home. Home fires • Install and test smoke alarms properly. • Install at least one on every level of your home, as well as inside and outside each sleeping area. • Test alarms monthly. Replace batteries once a year. Replace alarms every 10 years. • Have fire extinguishers near the kitchen and garage. • Have escape ladders for windows higher than eight feet above ground. • Make a fire escape plan for your home. • Have two escape paths from each room. • Pick an outdoor meeting place. • Hold fire drills regularly to practice your plan. For information about other types of natural and manmade hazards in Utah visit: www.BeReadyUtah.gov Emergency Alert System (EAS) Local officials can activate the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to warn the public of imminent danger and to provide life safety information through television and radio. When disaster strikes, tune your radio for official information delivered by EAS. Get INVOLVED STEP 4 www. CitizenCorps. Utah.gov What Is Your Role In A Disaster? Citizen Corps Mission citizen corps The mission of Citizen Corps is to harness the power of every individual through education, training, and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and disasters of all kinds. Citizen Corps asks you to embrace the personal responsibility to be prepared; to get training in first aid and emergency skills; and to volunteer to support local emergency responders, disaster relief, and community safety. www.CitizenCorps.Utah.gov In Utah there are currently: 70 Councils which serve 1,607,882 people or 72% of Utah's population. During his 2002 State of the Union address, President George W Bush called upon every American to commit at least two years of their lives - the equivalent of 4,000 hours - to the service of others. The events of the past few years have motivated Americans to help others and to make their communities to safer, stronger, better prepared, and to answer the President's call to serve. The Five Pillar Programs of Citizen Corps: Community Emergency Response Teams COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM CERT: We all have a role. FACEBOOK.COM/BEREADYUTAH CERT is a training program consisting of 24 hours of instruction that prepares you to help yourself, your family, and your neighbors in the event of a disaster. During an incident, emergency service personnel may not be able to reach everyone right away. By being trained in CERT, you will have the skills to help emergency responders to save lives and protect property. 13 WWW.BEREADYUTAH.GOV TWITTER.COM/BEREADYUTAH FACEBOOK.COM/BEREADYUTAH