In
the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Emergency
Tips (911) for Disasters
by
Irshad Mahmood - Director, Siraat-al-Mustaqeem Dawah Centre
Disasters
do happen. How
prepared are you? How prepared is your
family?
Add emergency contact in your Cell Phone against ICE (In Case of
Emergency)
Please
take a few minutes to think about your safety and
the safety of your family. A
few minutes
talking and planning with your family this week will mean a lot when an
emergency hits.
Emergency
Contact Numbers:
Fire
911 or __________________
Police
911 or
__________________
Ambulance
911 or
__________________
Building
Security
__________________
ICE
(in case of emergency)
__________________
(in your
cell phone)
If
you are ill, who should be contacted?
Name: _______________________________
Phone:
_______________________________
Weather
Conditions:
You
must be well prepared according to the weather conditions.
COLD-Winter:
You
might need to bundle up of several layers of warm cloths and
jackets/coats etc., in extreme deep freeze cold to avoid frostbite or
hypothermia. If you really have to go outside, wool, silk or fleece
layers are preferable. Avoid cotton because it doesn’t hold
body
heat well and doesn’t dry quickly if it gets wet. Also, be
sure
the outer layer of your clothing is tightly woven, or wind resistant.
Mittens are warmer than gloves. If you really have to use Gas
Heater, Coal or Wood for Heating, make sure
it is safe and you
must leave your window enough open for the Carbon Dioxide and
Carbon Mono Oxide,
since
it may kill you and your loved one. Alternative option would be to go
to those nearest
public shelter which really have all the arrangements.
Also
make sure all appliances are properly shutdown. It is also advised to
have gas stove and gas water heater and mini electric stove, so that if
electricity goes off then at least you should be able to cook and have
hot water as well and if gas goes off then can prepare foods on mini
electric stove at least. Dripping water from hot and cold tap may
prevent pipe bursting due to extreme cold up to certain limit if there
is no freezing drainage.
HOT-Summer:
You might need to have alternate arrangements during extreme
hot weather to avoid sun stroke.
Basic kit:
You
may have some of these items already, such as a
flashlight, battery-operated radio, foods, water and blankets. The key
is to
make sure they are organized and easy to find. Would you be able to
find your
flashlight in the dark?
Make
sure your kit is easy to carry. Keep it in a backpack,
duffel bag or suitcase with wheels, in an easy-to-reach, accessible
place, such
as your front hall closet. Make sure everyone in the household knows
where to
find the emergency kit.
Basic
items
you will need to survive for 72 hours:
- Water
– at least two liters of water per person per day
(include small bottles that can be carried easily in case of an
evacuation
order)
- Food
that won’t spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and
dried foods (remember to replace the food and water once a year)
- Manual
can opener
- Flashlight
and batteries
- Candles
and matches or lighter (remember to place candles
in sturdy containers and to put them out before going to sleep)
- Battery-powered
or wind-up radio (and extra batteries)
First aid
kit:
- Special
items such as prescription medications, infant
formula and equipment for people with disabilities
- Extra
keys for your car and house
- Some
cash in smaller bills, such as $10 bills (travelers
cheques are also useful) and change for payphones
- A
copy of your Emergency Plan including contact
information, escape routes, meeting place
Recommended
additional kit supplies:
It
is
always a good idea to have extra supplies on hand.
Here
are some recommendations:
- A
change of clothing and footwear
for each household member
- Sleeping
bag or warm blanket for
each household member
- A
whistle (in case you need to
attract attention)
- Garbage
bags for personal
sanitation
- Two
additional liters of water
per person per day for cooking and cleaning
- Safety
gloves
- Toilet
paper and other personal
care supplies
- Basic
tools (hammer, pliers,
wrench, screwdrivers, fasteners, work gloves)
- Small
fuel-driven stove and fuel (follow manufacturer's directions
and store
properly)
Car kit:
If
you
have a car, prepare a small kit and keep it in the trunk.
The
basic car kit should include
the following items:
- Food
that won’t spoil, such as
energy bars
- Water
- Blanket
- Extra
clothing and shoes
- Candle
in a deep can and matches
- First
aid kit with seatbelt
cutter
- Warning
light or road flares
- Small
shovel, scraper and
snowbrush
- List
of contact numbers
Recommended
additional items to keep in your car:
It
is always a good idea to have extra supplies on hand.
Here are some recommendations:
- Sand,
salt or cat litter
- Antifreeze/
windshield washer
fluid
- Tow
rope, jumper cables
- Fire
extinguisher
- Roadmaps,
whistle and flashlight
What
Disaster?
A
disaster is an event that could hurt people and animals
as well as cause damage. For example, during a flood, water could
damage a
house's basement. During an earthquake, a falling object could hurt
someone.
Floods and earthquakes are therefore disasters.
What is an
Emergency Plan?
- An
Emergency Plan is a document describing how to respond
to an emergency. Reading it will help everyone be prepared for
potential
disasters. For example, who will warn all people if a flood occurs at
your
building? Where should people go if your building is not usable? Who
should be
contacted? An emergency plan is used to answer questions BEFORE a
disaster.
- If
response actions are planned for every disaster,
everyone will be prepared and know what to do. Does your municipality
have an
emergency plan? Contact municipal authorities to know if there is one
in force.
What can I
do?
You
can prepare an emergency kit and learn how to react in
case of a tornado, flood, earthquake or ice storm.
Is your
Emergency Kit ready?
- Develop
an emergency kit to support you and your family for
72 hours. Everyone should know where the emergency kit is stored. Make it easy to find.
- Do
you know which disasters can occur in your region? Know
what your municipality has in effect for emergency plans.
- Then,
learn what to do in the event of a disaster.
The
libraries and municipalities will have books on
disasters.
Protect
your Home from Disaster:
Disasters
happen. There is not much we can do about that.
But there are things we can do to protect our homes and reduce the risk
that
they will be damaged. Reducing the risk is called "mitigation."
Although some mitigation is very expensive and complicated -- like
moving your
home to a different piece of land that is higher or away from a river
-- some
things are easy. Here are some things you and your family can do to
mitigate
your risks.
House Fire:
- Check
the proximity of electric cords, curtains, tea towels
and oven cloths to ensure they are at a safe distance from the stove.
- Be
careful of long, flowing sleeves on dressing gowns, Shawl
(Dopattaa) etc. contacting gas flames.
- Never
leave your kitchen unattended even for a second, if
the stove is on.
- Make
sure the stove is turned off, if you are leaving the
kitchen.
- Make
sure nothing is on the stove, if you are leaving the
kitchen.
- Don’t
allow anyone to smoke inside the home. Make your
house a NO smoking house.
- Always
use a qualified electrician for all electrical
wiring work. Never attempt to do it yourself. Double adaptors and
power-boards
can overload power points. Install safety switches and correct fuses.
- Always
use a qualified gas technician for all plumbing
work. Never attempt to do it yourself.
- Faulty
appliances cause fires. Either have them repaired or
discard them. Destroy faulty appliances before disposing of them.
Electrical
appliances bought at garage sales or markets should be professionally
checked
before use. Never place cords under carpets or rugs. Faulty plugs and
cords
should be replaced. If a fire starts, turn off power at power point or
switchboard immediately, if safe to do so.
- Avoid
electric blankets. Don’t sleep with electric blankets
on or leave the house without switching them off. Never leave weighty
objects
on the bed when the electric blanket is on. Have your blanket checked
by an
authorized repairer or service center if you suspect overheating.
Always follow manufacturer's instructions for care and storage. Ensure
each blanket is
inspected annually at the beginning of the cooler months.
- Store
all flammable liquids such as petrol, kerosene or
methylated spirits away from heaters, hot water service pilot flames
and other
naked flames. Check the label before use and storage. Use extreme care
when
decanting.
- Always
clean lint filters after each load. Avoid drying
bras in your dryer as the under-wire can get caught and start a fire.
- House
fires are also started from cooking. It is easier to
start a fire with a gas stove because of actual flames being used. Food
that
boils over a pot can start a fire. It is also possible to start a fire
by
having a towel or oven mitt too close to the flame.
- Avoid
Deep Fries, since oil may get fire.
- Take
special precautions if you are living in the wooden
house (not made of full bricks) as in the west due to cold weather,
most of the
houses are made of wood.
Floods:
- Don’t
put valuable items and appliances in the basement
where they are more likely to be flooded.
- Power
and water don’t mix! Have the main breaker or fuse
box and the utility meters raised above the flood level for your area,
that
way, if your home floods, water won’t damage your utilities.
- Buy
flood insurance. To learn more about flood insurance
call insurance agencies.
Hurricanes
and Tornadoes:
- Don’t
lose your roof to high winds! Have hurricane straps
installed to keep the roof attached to the walls.
- Use
storm shutters to protect windows and glass. Use them
when severe weather is coming. The storm shutters protect against
flying debris
like tree trunks or other things carried by strong winds.
Earthquakes:
- Bolt
or strap cupboards and bookcases to the walls and keep
heavy objects on the lower shelves so they don’t fall on
people.
- Strap
your water heater to a nearby wall. This will keep
your gas water heater from falling on someone or starting a fire from a
broken
gas main.
- Have
your home bolted to the foundation. Anchor bolts cost
as little as $2 each. They should be installed every six feet on the
outer
edges of your house.
Wild Fires:
- Create
a safety zone around the house that separates your
home from plants and bushes that can burn easily. Clear dead brush and
grass
from your property. It will act as fuel for a fire.
- Keep
branches around your home free of dead or dying wood
or moss.
- Put
tile or flame-retardant shingles on your roof instead
of wood shakes or standard shingles. This will cut the chance that
burning
debris in the air will catch your roof on fire.
List of
Emergency Contacts:
Emergency Contacts:
In
the event you or your family members become ill, you may
wish to have a relative or friend notified of the situation. They may
be able
to offer additional information to the health care providers treating
you or
may be able to help with your care.
Name:
Name:
Telephone
Number:
Telephone Number:
Relationship
to you (or your family):
Relationship
to you (or your family):
Add
ICE
in place
of name of the person to contact and his phone number in your CELL
Phone.
Hospitals:
Name
of Hospital:
Name
of Hospital:
Telephone
Number:
Telephone
Number:
Pharmacy
Public
Health Hotline
Name
of Pharmacy:
Telephone
Number:
Telephone
Number:
Address:
If
you and/or a family member are ill, you may need others
to notify your place of work or any schools your children attend. In
addition,
during a pandemic, you may need to check periodically to determine if
these
facilities have closed their operations.
Work
Schools
Name
of Contact:
Name of School:
Telephone
Number:
Telephone
Number:
Name
of Contact:
Name of School:
Telephone
Number:
Telephone
Number:
Family
Emergency Health Information Sheet:
During
a flu pandemic or other health emergency, you may be
required to provide specific health information about yourself and
others in
your care to those offering health care services. This information is
essential
to health care providers when considering how best to treat you and
your
family. Fill in as much information as possible
for each
family member, using the chart below.
Name:
Date
of Birth:
Provincial
Health Card Number:
Blood
Type:
Allergies:
Existing
Medical Conditions:
Medications
(include dosage):
Name
and Contact Information for Current Health Care Provider(s):
Kid's
Corner:
Use
some materials to have conversations with your
children. Alleviate their fear by involving them in discussions in a
fun way.
Health
Concern:
Keep
your house hygienically clean, as much as possible. Two places where
bacteria may grow faster, are Bathroom/Toilet
and
kitchen as well. In old houses where there might be cracks or gaps
between floors and side walls may occur, especially in those houses
which are made from woods. Make sure to fill those gaps properly. For
filling minor gaps and cracks soft steel wool which is used to clean
dishes may be very helpful. Additionally you can get medicines for all
types of insects, mice etc. from pest control shops. Make sure to
protect these chemicals from children.
Read
Al-Quraan, the Miracle of Miracles and free from contradictions and
errors