10 Steps to Disaster

Preparedness
F I R A S M A K A R E M | S E N I O R V I C E P R E S I D E N T, P R O G R A M
MANAGEMENT LEADER

Citizens, businesses and communities can prepare

before disaster strikes.
Disasters affect millions of people each year on a personal, business,
local community or national level. The golden rule for successful
disaster management at all levels is to increase awareness, develop
actions plans and practice them. Waiting for a disaster to take place is
not the right time to plan. Communicating and building relationships
with those around you, whether they contribute actively to the plan or
are dependent on it, will have the most significant and positive affect
in determining your resiliency throughout an event. Below are 10
actions to keep in mind when planning to mitigate disaster and
resources to help prepare.
Be ready at home—Prepare, plan and practice. It is important for
individuals and families to increase their awareness, get educated,
engage in preparedness conversations and stay informed. Visit
ready.gov for toolkits and downloadable emergency plans.

Be ready at work—Does your office have an emergency and

evacuation plan? Have you communicated it? How do you stay in
contact with local authorities to determine what to do? Answering
these questions are detrimental to dealing with disaster.

Know your community’s vulnerabilities—Understanding what

types of disasters are most likely to affect your location will help
inform your plan. Enter your zip code to discover the potential
risks you face.
Learn about agencies and roles—Preparedness is a shared
responsibility among all U.S. government agencies. The U.S.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website has
information about how these agencies can help you prepare
effectively.

Find mitigation funding—A number of grant programs exist to

fund disaster mitigation activities, reduce losses and protect life
and property from future disaster damages. Review FEMA’s
hazard mitigation assistance website for more information.

Conduct a risk assessment—Conduct a risk assessment to

identify potential hazards and consequences and follow through
with action to mitigate risks.

Inform your plan with statistics—Did you know that the most
recurring and expensive disaster is flooding? Reduce disaster risks
and build resilience by understanding key data.

Plan for all types of risks—Emergencies are not all related to

natural hazards. Some are man-made (e.g., fires, industrial or
transport accidents, oil spills, explosions). It is important to be
prepared for all possible risk scenarios.

Understand continuity of operations (COOP) —COOP

describes the stability of essential functions in a community or
business. Know what these function are, who performs them and
what they require to operate during and after a disaster. Learn more
at FEMA’s website.

Research Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—NGOs are

key to every community’s preparedness, assisting with disaster
response and recovery. Learn more and get involved by visiting
the American Red Cross and Citizen Corps.
Disaster Preparedness Planning
September is National Disaster Preparedness Month!
Disaster preparedness is highlighted every year during the month of September. We encourage you
to take this time to make sure you have a plan in place to handle any impacts disasters may have on
the historic resources within your care. Here on our Disaster Preparedness Planning page,
we provide a variety of information and resources that can help with the planning process. When
disaster strikes, having a plan of action already in place can be an important first step toward
ensuring positive response and recovery outcomes!

What to do Before Disaster Strikes

Are you prepared?

Are you Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness (IS-22)

¿Está listo?

FEMA Preparedness Website

NPS Disaster Checklist: Preparing Your Historic Resources for Disaster

California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)

How to Write a Disaster Plan – National Trust for Historic Preservation

While fires, floods, and earthquakes pose significant threats to historic and cultural properties in
California, many other natural and man-made disasters also have the potential to damage or
destroy property within the state. Knowing the potential risks, anticipating them, and being properly
prepared before, during, and after a disaster could mean the difference between the total loss of a
resource and limiting or eliminating the resulting damage.

Essential preparedness planning and mitigation are key factors in ensuring that historic properties
are properly identified, evaluated, and treated immediately after a disaster occurs and in the
recovery period afterwards. While disasters may be unpredictable, important steps can be
 taken before a disaster occurs to minimize the threat of damage. Disaster preparedness is
everyone’s responsibility.

Although it is important for local governments and jurisdictions to implement planning and mitigation
measures before a disaster or emergency occurs, many of these measures should also be
implemented proactively by local communities or neighborhood organizations or by individual
owners of historic properties.

BE PREPARED

 Compile a list of key emergency contacts, determine which agency or what person is
responsible for what activities and make the information widely available. Maintain adequate
emergency supplies.

GET TRAINED

 With proper training and knowing what to do in the event of a disaster, emergency
responders will be prepared to assist their neighbors and help protect lives and property.

IDENTIFY, EVALUATE AND DOCUMENT RESOURCES

 In spite of the number of resources listed in the California or National Registers, many of
California's significant historic and cultural resources have yet to be identified and evaluated. Local
surveys are vitally important for disaster preparedness planning.

REGISTER QUALIFIED RESOURCES

 The pre-disaster listing in or a determination of eligibility for listing in the National Register of
Historic Places will streamline the environmental and historic preservation review process in the
event of any disaster undertaking on the property. This pre-disaster determination may be crucial in
how the resource is treated when significant damage is incurred as the result of a disaster. Prior
listing or determination will provide pre-disaster documentation of the qualified historic property to
ensure a proper evaluation in any regulatory process impacting the resource, including the factoring
of potential repair costs.

 All resources listed in or determined eligible for the National Register are automatically
included in the California Register of Historic Resources.

 Resources listed in or determined eligible for the California Register qualify for a variety of
preservation incentives.

PREPARE EMERGENCY PRESERVATION AND RECOVERY PLANS

 Assess vulnerability and determine risks.

 Perform pre-disaster rehabilitation and mitigation work, such as seismic retrofits or flood
controls, to reduce potential impacts to historic properties.

 Set aside funds, adopt disaster ordinances, develop strategies and incentive programs to
facilitate recovery efforts.

INTEGRATE PRESERVATION PLANNING WITH GENERAL PLANNING

 Incorporate preservation planning into general, specific, downtown, redevelopment, etc.

plans; planning and zoning regulations, and design guidelines.

 Develop local incentive programs to facilitate protection of historic resources.

Resources

Preparing for Natural Disasters

Disaster Guidance for Archival Collections and Record Repositories

Learn what to do before, during and after a disaster:

 Chemical Emergencies - Household

 Dam Failure

 Earthquake

 Fire or Wildfire

 Flood

 Hazardous Material

 Heat

 Hurricane

 Landslide
 Nuclear Power Plant Emergency

 Terrorism

 Thunderstorm

 Tornado

 Tsunami

 Volcano

 Wildfire

 Winter Storm

EARTHQUAKES

OES Earthquake Preparedness Program

Earthquake Bolt + Brace Program

How to Prepare for an Earthquake - FEMA

Cómo prepararse para un terremoto - FEMA

Earthquake Safety

Seven Steps to Earthquake Safety

Making Your Home Safer

Earthquake Safety Guide for Homeowners

Earthquake Recovery

Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Earthquake and Hazards Program

Seismic Retrofits Exclusion from Assessment
Planning a seismic retrofit improvement to your property? This letter from the State Board of
Equalization of July 2010 summarizes the changes to the new construction exclusion for seismic
safety improvements. The letter includes a sample exclusion claim form for local county assessors.
Specific forms for each county can be found on most county assessor web sites. If the form is not
available on your county assessor's web site ask for Exclusion Form BOE-64.

Overview
Disaster preparedness refers to measures taken to prepare for and reduce the effects of disasters.
That is, to predict and - where possible - prevent disasters, mitigate their impact on vulnerable
populations, and respond to and effectively cope with their consequences, at local, national and
international levels. DP is central to the work of the every individual National Society and
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

This work, key to development, essentially involves reducing the vulnerability of households and
communities in disaster-prone areas and improving their ability to cope with the effects of disasters;
strengthening the capacities of National Societies in disaster preparedness and post-disaster
response; determining a National Society role and mandate in national disaster plans; and
establishing regional networks of National Societies that will strengthen the Federation’s collective
impact in disaster preparedness and response at the international level.
DP provides an opportunity to design effective, realistic and coordinated planning, reduces
duplication of efforts and increases the overall effectiveness of disaster preparedness activities by
National Societies, households and community members. DP efforts can help minimize the impact of
disasters on communities and also result in saving more lives and safeguarding livelihoods during
any disaster situation and enable the affected population to return to a normal lifestyle within a short
time period. The IFRC supports the strengthening of DP at different levels.

How do I prepare?

Household

What do I need to know?

Basics
Disaster preparedness is a continuous and integrated process resulting from a wide range of risk
reduction activities and resources rather than from a distinct sectoral activity by itself. It requires the
contributions of many different areas - ranging from training and logistics, to health care, recovery,
livelihood to institutional development. Viewed from this broad perspective Disaster preparedness
encompasses:

• Recognizing the Red Cross/Red Crescent role in disaster preparedness as complementary to

government and thus will not replace state responsibilities. In addition, the National Society should
engage in debate with the government on the focus and nature of the National Response Plan and
encourage the assignment of a clear role and responsibilities to the National Society, supported by
appropriate legislation.

• Increasing the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of disaster response mechanisms at the
community, national and Federation level. This includes:
- the development and regular testing of warning systems (linked to forecasting systems) and plans
for evacuation or other measures to be taken during a disaster alert period to minimise potential loss
of life, livelihoods and physical damage.
- the education and training of volunteers, staff and the population at risk
- the training of first-aid and disaster response teams
- the establishment of disaster response policies, standards, organizational arrangements and
operational plans to be followed after a disaster.

• Strengthening community-based disaster preparedness through National Society programmes for

the community or through direct support of the community's own activity. This could include
educating, preparing and supporting local populations and communities in their everyday efforts to
reduce risks and prepare their own local response mechanisms to address disaster emergency
situations.
• Raising awareness of disaster hazards through public education, encouraging vulnerable people to
take preventative and mitigating actions where possible before disaster strikes. Ensure that the
Knowledge from prediction and early warning systems can be accessed, understood and acted upon
by local communities.

Disaster preparedness is achieved partially through readiness measures that expedite Disaster
response, rehabilitation and recovery and result in rapid, timely and targeted assistance. It is also
achieved through community-based approaches and activities that build the capacities of people and
communities to cope with and minimize the effects of a disaster on their lives.

A comprehensive disaster preparedness strategy would therefore include the following elements:

1. Hazard, risk and vulnerability assessments

2. Response mechanisms and strategies
3. Preparedness plans
4. Coordination
5. Information management
6. Early warning systems
7. Resource mobilization
8. Public education, training,& Drills and simulations
9. Community-Based disaster preparedness

Community-based disaster preparedness incorporates the concept of building on and using local
knowledge and resources in order to improve a population’s capacity to withstand the impact of
disasters. As first responders to a disaster (i.e., search and rescue teams and the provision of
emergency treatment and relief), communities need to be equipped to manage with the
consequences of small-, medium- and large-scale natural hazards when they strike.

The work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent at the community level is paramount in addressing
and being able to respond to vulnerabilities at the most direct level. Community preparedness
activities should include an analysis of risks, vulnerability and capacities (VCA). Early warning
systems should be accessible and understood by local communities, who can then act on warnings.
Public awareness and public education campaigns, organization and training of community disaster
response teams, and the development and testing of community response plans through simulations
are all actions that empower communities in the face of disasters.

To effectively support community level programming and scale up activities National Societies’
capacities must also reinforced. This includes strengthening the capacities of National Societies in
disaster preparedness and post-disaster response, determining the role and mandate of the National
Society in national disaster plans, and establishing regional networks of National Societies that can
support each other in times of disaster.

National Society capacities can be further reinforced through the establishment of National Disaster
Preparedness and Response Mechanisms. These include: self-assessment process (WPNS),
standard operating procedures, response and contingency plans, drills and simulations, logistics pre-
agreement, volunteer disaster response teams, among others.
Are you prepared for a natural disaster? I live on an island with an active
volcano. It would be foolish not to prepare. But, I haven't done so. Have you?

Even though we've had two tsunami warnings and two small (4.5 and 4.9)
earthquakes in the last year, until the disaster in Japan, my mind did not turn
to disaster preparedness.

Thailand, Katrina, Haiti, Queensland, Christchurch, Japan. Disasters seem to

be happening in rapid succession. It's possible more are on the way. We don't
need to panic. But, it's clear we need to prepare.

10 Basic Tips to Prepare for a Disaster

So how do you prepare for a disaster? This is what I've learned from my
recent research.

Disaster preparedness is actual complex if you start thinking about actions like
bolting down your gas water heater and bracing overhead light fixtures. All
these types of actions are important to consider, but the first step is to create
a disaster preparedness kit.

The following tips cover only the essential items you need to help you cope in
response to a disaster. There's more to consider, but these steps will give you
a good start. Remember, the bottom line is water, food, and shelter. After the
disaster in Japan, more than 2 million people were without water. Another
500,000 were homeless. These are real possibilities. So focus on the
priorities first. Then, add the other items to your kit.

Keep your supplies in an easy to carry kit. There's actually quite a lot on this
list so use your imagination when it comes to an appropriate container. Store
your kit in an accessible place, one that will be within reach once a disaster
strikes. It's also wise to have a set of basic emergency supplies in your car and
at work.

These are the most essential items:

1. Water

1-2 gallons of water per person, per day. A 3-day supply for evacuation, a two-
week supply at home.
2. Food

Easy to prepare, non perishable items and a mechanical can opener. Canned
soup, meat, vegetables, and fruit. A 3-day supply for evacuation, a two-week
supply at home. For food preparation, have on hand a simple barbeque,
charcoal and starter fuel or 1 propane unit with 2 canisters of propane and
some basic cooking utensils. Don't forget waterproof matches or lighters.
3. Shelter

An emergency blanket, sleeping bag or regular blankets, and tent.

4. Medical
First aid kit, a supply of essential medicines for at least a week, other crucial
medical supplies like an inhaler.

5. Light

Flashlights, extra batteries, and extra bulbs. Candles. Waterproof matches or

lighter.

6. Radio

A battery-powered AM/FM radio.

7. Cash

Cash machines won't work without electricity. Have a minimum of $50 on

hand in small bills plus phone change.

8. Cell Phone and Charger

Although a cell phone may not work in a disaster, it might also be your line to
life-saving support.

9. Sanitation and Personal Hygiene Items

Toilet paper, toothbrush, soap and other essential supplies.

10. Personal Documents

Driver's license, birth certificate, passports, insurance policies, proof of

address or lease, medication list and medical information, copies of credit
cards, checks.

Everyone's situation will vary so you need to adapt the list to your own
circumstances and the types of disasters that might occur in your
region. If you are able to drive, there's no guarantee you will be able to obtain
gas since fuel pumps depend upon electricity.

In addition to creating a disaster preparedness kit with the items like the ones
listed above, the Red Cross also recommends taking time to:
  create an emergency plan with your family;

 educate yourself and your family about the type of disasters that might
occur in your community;

 have one household member trained in first aid and CPR/AED.

Keeping It Simple
I suggest tying to prepare in a simple but complete way. Do only the necessary
without going overboard.

There's more to disaster preparation than this basic list, but I hope this list
will inspire you to begin or fine tune your preparations further.

Life is precious. Preparation saves lives. It's that simple.

Are you prepared for a disaster? Do you find it hard to prepare?

Are there other important items that you would add to the list?
How can we prepare in a greener way?