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Emergency Preparedness Information

Click here to download or order a copy of the Disaster Preparedness Handbook, distributed by the Washington State Department of Health.

Also recommended is the "Family Emergency Preparedness Plan" booklet. Although printed nearly 10 years ago, this contains a series of checklists useful in your emergency planning.

The Washington Military Department Emergency Management Division web site also features a variety of topical brochures which may be of interest to you.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency offers a selection of Preparedness Guides and selected links on their web site.

The American Red Cross also provides a wealth of online information regarding emergency preparedness.

Click here for King County's "3 Days 3 Ways" site, which states, "The message is simple, be ready to survive on your own for a minimum of 3 Days following a disaster. For large disasters, you may not receive any government assistance for up to 7 Days."

Tracking Seasonal Flu

What are the incidents of flu in the U.S. or in this state? Click here for Google's Flu Trends tracking page.

Tracking H1N1 (Swine) Flu

The swine flu is caused by the influenza type A H1N1 virus. Influenza viruses frequently mutate, which is why vaccines developed against previously characterized viruses quickly lose efficiency and we see new vaccines every year.

The rapid mutations are also the reason why the swine flu is now able to efficiently spread to and between humans. And that is the key issue. It’s not a mutant form of a previous influenza strain that has been spreading between humans before. So first of all, humans, unlike swine, have little innate resistance to this virus. Secondly, there are no specific vaccines. The vaccines already on the market offer only marginal protection, if any, because they were developed against different i.e. human strains.

It takes approximately three months to develop a new vaccine for humans. In the meantime the virus can spread and could mutate into a more deadly strain against which a new vaccine is not effective. One scenario is for this strain of H1N1 to lay low, in the Northern Hemisphere, during the summer, but mutate with seasonal flu in the Southern Hemisphere. The result could be a much worse flu season than normal, in the Northern Hemisphere, beginning in the Fall.

Although there is no reason to panic, there is definitely reason to be cautious and prepared.

World Health Organization pandemic alert web page and a page of guidance documents and frequently asked questions.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) H1N1 web page.

Pandemic Flu Information Forum - a moderated forum regarding the flu.

University of Minnesota Centers for Infectious Disease Research & Policy - a large quantity of information regarding the spread of pandemic influenza, laboratory testing and precautions, lessons from past pandemics, etc.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services web site for Pandemic Flu (particularly the swine and avian flu).

Washington State Department of Health Swine Flu information page.

Thurston County's H1N1 Flu information page.

King County Pandemic Flu preparedness page - good downloadable materials for preparing for a pandemic.

H5N1 Avian Flu Virus Therapy; Conventional and Herbal Options

The GNA Emergency Preparedness Project

The Griffin Neighborhood Association, in conjunction with the Griffin Fire Department, Griffin School District, Thurston County, The American Red Cross and other organizations has undertaken a project to assist those living and working in this area to prepare for emergencies.

A series of community meetings, both large and small, will be organized in the following months. Coordinated with the assistance of the Griffin Fire Department, Thurston County and other local agencies, these meetings will help us to prepare, with our families and neighbors, for a variety of emergencies.

Our goal is to safely survive for seven to ten days with limited or no assistance from outside the immediate area. We can meet this goal if we plan ahead and work together.

Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Survey

A first step is to complete and return the Griffin Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Survey for your family. This survey will help the GNA to identify folks with special skills and equipment who may be willing to help in event of an emergency. The survey will also help to identify those with special needs.

Click here to download your copy of the Griffin Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Survey. Print out a copy for you and copies for your neighbors. Mail or fax your completed survey to the Griffin Neighborhood Association (click here for our address and fax number).

Not yet a member of the Griffin Neighborhood Association? Click here to become a member.

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Last modified: 01/14/10