Be aware: Disasters can happen anytime, anywhere Published Sept. 4, 2014 By Senior Airman Timothy Young 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- The best action to keep loved ones or family members safe during and after a natural disaster or intentional act of violence is being prepared before it occurs. National Preparedness Month, held in September, is an annual campaign started by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. "It's highly probable that a person will experience some sort of major emergency in their lives, so having a designated month raises awareness and helps prompt people to take action to prepare themselves and their family," said Capt. Grant Bloom, 99th Civil Engineer Squadron Readiness and Emergency Management Flight commander. "You can't control the circumstances in which you experience an emergency, but you can control how prepared you are to respond when one occurs." The goal of the month-long observance is to raise awareness of the importance of personal preparedness and to increase the number of people who are prepared for emergencies. This year's theme is "Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare." "National Preparedness Month is a joint effort by federal, state, local, and private organizations to bring awareness to the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies," said Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Zerby, 99th CES Emergency Management Plans Center NCO in charge. "Many of the people affected by natural disasters, terrorist attacks and major accidents do not foresee these events ever happening to them, and consequently do not take the time to prepare themselves and their families. Advanced emergency preparation can not only lessen the impact of a disaster, but in some instances it could be the difference between life and death." It is highly recommended that Airmen and their families establish an emergency communication plan and family emergency plan as the first steps in preparing for any possible disasters. Family communication plans are pre-determined procedures that every member of a family will take in the event they are separated when a disaster strikes. The communication plan will provide each family with a means of communicating with each other in the event that a major disaster occurs or there's a breakdown in communication, Zerby said. "I highly recommend that everyone make an emergency communications plan for your family this month. Websites like www.beready.af.mil or www.ready.gov do half the work for you; you just have to tailor it to your individual circumstances," Bloom said. "Disasters often sever or degrade lines of communication, and family members may be separated when a disaster hits, so having a plan will make it easier to work through the fog and friction of the disaster to reconnect with your family or notify extended family that you're ok." Las Vegas has a large number of tourists on top of an already highly populated city, making the possibility of phone communication becoming overloaded and almost unusable during a disaster, Zerby said. If the communication lines go down, stop trying to call and just send out a text. "Text messages get out a lot easier then phone calls do," Zerby said. "That way you're not tying up the phone lines that authorities and first responders need." In the case of complete communication failure, a predetermined gathering point may be the only chance of a separated family being reunited. "What we recommend is for families or businesses to come up with a primary location that they are all going to meet up in the case [of a disaster]," Zerby said. "[It is best to] have two locations - a neighborhood location and a regional location. That way everyone knows if they can't get ahold of each other [where they] are all going to meet up and do accountability of their family." Family disaster plans should be tailored for each threat or hazard that is prevalent in each family's location. "In Vegas, the main natural disasters that pose a major threat to the area are earthquakes and flash floods," Zerby said. "Additionally, major accidents and terrorist attacks should be considered as well." One cause for concern in the Las Vegas area is the Frenchman Mountain fault. Located east of Nellis Air Force Base, the fault is a potential earthquake danger to the entire region. "For earthquakes we have a fairly high threat. We are the third in the nation for earthquake threats," Zerby said. "While we don't get very many strong ones, there is a potential for one." For every family emergency plan, include site-specific emergency plans for each area that is frequently visited, such as schools, daycare providers, workplaces and apartment buildings, which should all have site-specific plans already in place. Additionally, family plans should address the following: · Escape routes · Family communications · Utility shut-off and safety · Insurance and vital records · The elderly and people with special needs · Safety skills · Caring for animals · Assemble an emergency supply kit For more information on becoming prepared for a disaster, or for family communication plan outlines, visit http://www.BeReady.af.mil or http://www.fema.gov/.
