What's the difference between an emergency and a disaster?
An emergency is a catastrophic event that can be addressed within the
household or by requested assistance from outside the area (first responders -
fire, Sheriff's Department, medical or utility personnel).
A disaster is a catastrophic event that is significant enough to prohibit or
delay immediate response by first responders from outside the area. A disaster
is beyond the abilities of the household and it requires assistance from
neighbors.
This page is all about preparing to meet a disaster.
Preparing Your Household for a Disaster
When disaster strikes, the first thing you need to do is take care of your
loved ones. This need not be difficult, with a little advance planning. Pick one
or both of these easy-to-use guides (these links will download PDF files) to get
you on your way:
One of the items often overlooked in disaster planning is "financial." It is
good to have cash in the disaster kit. No less than $100, in small denomination
bills. Also, many kits don't include road flares. It's a good idea to have some
in the kit (properly contained).
Don't forget to remain familiar with the locations you are storing items such as
personal valuables, e.g. jewelry, irreplaceable heirlooms, last will and
testaments, passports and other important papers, and so forth.
Your purchase of disaster preparedness equipment
through Amazon.com can benefit the Griffin Neighborhood Association.
Your goal should be to safely survive for seven to ten days with limited or no
assistance from outside the immediate area. You can meet this goal if you plan
ahead. And, you can more easily meet this goal if you work with your neighbors.
Map Your Neighborhood
In a disaster, your most immediate source of help are the neighbors living
around you.
The "Map Your Neighborhood" program provides a great start for those people
who would like to organize a small number of neighbors to prepare for disaster.
Some of the "Map Your Neighborhood" program is more applicable to urban and
suburban settings, instead of rural areas such as ours. However, this program
has already been successfully implemented in the Griffin area.
Learn the “9 Steps to Take Immediately Following a Disaster” to secure
your home and to protect your neighborhood. It is hard to think clearly
following disaster and these steps will help you to quickly and safely take
actions that can minimize damage and protect lives.
Identify the Skills and Equipment each neighbor has that would be useful
in an effective disaster response. Knowing which neighbors have supplies and
skills helps your disaster response be timely, and allows everyone to
contribute to the response in a meaningful way.
Create a Neighborhood Map identifying the locations of natural gas and
propane tanks for quick response if needed.
Create a Contact List that helps identify those with specific needs such
as elderly, disabled, or children who may be home alone during certain hours
of the day.
Work together as a team to evaluate your neighborhood during the first
hour following a disaster and take the necessary actions.
