Are you prepared for an earthquake?

A lot of people forget that here in the Salt Lake Valley we live on a fault line in earthquake territory, we could experience a 7.0 magnitude earthquake at anytime. To help our community as a whole be more prepared for such an event, we are participating in the Great Salt Lake Shakeout Earthquake drill next Tuesday April 17th.

To participate in the earthquake drill the Red Cross is opening up shelters, visit a Red Cross shelter during the drill to teach your family all about emergencies and preparedness.

It's a great opportunity to show your kids what it would be like if

disaster struck and you had to evacuate your home with only the clothes on your back. Teach your kids the importance of being prepared and to be aware of possible disasters.

Click here to register

Stay in a Red Cross Shelter During the Shakeout

The Great Salt Lake Shakeout is an Earthquake Drill for the Wasatch Front that close to 1 million people state wide are participating in.

The Red Cross is participating and testing their ability to shelter and feed large numbers of people.

Help the Red Cross Practice, and teach your family preparedness skills.

Stay in a Red Cross Shelter! Bring only your 72 hour kit, or if you don't have one just the clothes on your back. Experience what it would be like to stay in a shelter, and teach your kids about emergencies and preparedness.

The Red Cross needs people to stay in their shelters anytime between April 17th-19th, stay as long or as little as you'd like.

Sign up at the link below!

2012 Shakeout Exercise

Fire Safety and Prevention

In Utah the disasters your American Red Cross responds to the most are family house fires.

Fires kill more Americans each year than all natural disasters combined, and affect people from all backgrounds and geographic locations.

Here are some tips on how to protect yourself from fire hazards and be prepared if a fire were to ever start in your home.

Prevention Tips

• Smoke Alarms- make sure you have a working smoke alarm in every room. Once a month you should use the test button to check each smoke alarm. And at least once a year, all smoke alarm batteries should be replaced.
• Be Careful of Candles- If you do light candles or incense's in your home make sure they are on s stable surface away from things that are flammable. Never leave them burning if you leave the house, the room or go to bed.

Cooking Safety

• Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• Stay in the home while simmering, baking, roasting or boiling food. Check it regularly and use a timer to remind you that food is cooking.
• Keep anything that can catch fire—like pot holders, towels, plastic and clothing— away from the stove.
• Keep pets off cooking surfaces and counter tops to prevent them from knocking things onto the burner.

Be Prepared! In addition to knowing and practicing fire prevention tips, you and your family should also have a fire escape plan that you practice twice a year.

For more information on fire safety and making an escape plan click here!

Make a New Year's Resolution to be a College Student who's Red Cross Ready

Getting prepared for a disaster is an important thing for everyone to do.

 As a college student venturing into the young adult world, being prepared for a disaster probably isn't on your mind. It's one of those things I'm sure you're used to your parents taking care of, but it's something you need to think about. Many students shy away from making a preparedness kit because they don't have the money or time to spend on it.

Here are some ways you can cheaply and easily start becoming prepared for a disaster. 

• Be informed about what emergencies are likely to happen in your area
• Get a kit, or make your own that includes at the least these basic items
• A Flashlight with back up batteries
• A basic First Aid Kit
• Copies of your Important Documents(birth certificate, social security card, etc)
• Extra Cash
• Make a Disaster Plan with your housemates
• Know where your emergency kit is
• Know where the shut off to the electricity and gas is 
• Choose a place to meet during in case you are separated

 For more information and details about how to be prepared click here

10 Things You Can Do in 5 Minutes

I was recently reading an article in a magazine about things you could do if you had 5 minutes to spare. Included in the list were: brush and floss your teeth, write a thank you note, and call a loved one. The list included simple things to do but important tasks that sometimes get overlooked. What would you do with a 5 minute break?

I decided to create my own list of preparedness items you can do if you have an extra 5 minutes in your day. See I told you it was easy! Check it out!

1. Change the batteries in your smoke alarm
2. Make sure items in your food storage are not expired
3. Make a list of emergency contact information for you and your family members
4. Assemble a small emergency pack with items around your house like a flashlight, water, etc.
5. Read up on Red Cross earthquake safety information
6. Fill up your gas tank
7. Make a fire escape plan and discuss it with your kids and family
8. Put fresh batteries in a flashlight and put it next to your bed
9. Sign up for a CPR class
10. Order a first aid kit online

What else can you do to be prepared with just 5 minutes to spare?

Proud to Be a Part of the Red Cross

In the past year that I have been working with the American Red Cross in Salt Lake I have seen amazing things happen. I have witnessed inspiring people drop everything they were doing to to respond when a fire destroyed a family's home. I have seen volunteers like Evelyn Halstead from Utah travel across the country to help in National Disasters. I have had the pleasure of working with some of the most extraordinary volunteers. And I have been witness to the comfort given after an individual's livlihood is destroyed by flames or flood.

As an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Red Cross I have preached preparedness on this blog and to the community with disaster presentations and fun facts to keep my friends and fellow Utahns prepared. I have learned so much about the Red Cross and all of the programs the organization can offer.

All of this is why giving to the Red Cross this holiday season with the Holiday Giving Campaign comes so easy. I urge all of you to make the choice to give gifts this season that save the day! A donation to the American Red Cross means blankets to families who may lose their home this winter due to a disaster, calling cards to soldiers overseas or water supplies to those affected by International Disasters.

Make your holiday dollars count with a donation to the incredible work of the Red Cross!

It's a Sandwich in a Can!

I just stumbled upon a piece of preparedness gold! In this month's Utah Business Magazine there is an article about the Utah based company, Mark One Foods. The company sells the Candwich; a sandwich in a can! The company's website says, "the Candwich has a long shelf life that is perfect for emergency food storage needs in the event of natural disasters." In other words the Candwich will make a perfect addition to your 72-hour kit. Thank you Utah for again showing me the goodness of being prepared! Canned PBJ here I come!

Preparedness Month Tips

To me, being prepared for any type of emergency, whether it's a fire, flood, or evacuation, starts with getting a 72-hour kit. At the Red Cross store online you can buy all sorts of tools and supplies for your 72-hour kit; including radios, water storage, lights, and first aids kits.

For those of us on a budget, I want to introduce you to the Family Dollar.  When I was in there the other day getting stuff for a bachelorette party I was throwing for my sister, I was amazed at how many items they had that are essential to have in your 72-hour kit.

If you want my recommendation for a cheap way to put together an all encompassing 72-hour kit here it is: Order the Deluxe Personal Safety Kit from the Red Cross online store. This kit comes with a bag that can be used as a back pack. Once your kit comes in the mail; head down to Family Dollar to add other essentials. I recommend putting in extra batteries, advil, deodorant and toothbrush, as well as a deck of cards or a book to keep you from being bored. Do you have kids? Throw in a coloring book and crayons. And as winter is approaching, pick up a hat and a pair of gloves. Family Dollar also has great deals on granola bars and other non-perishable foods to add in there as well.

Given the recent fire in Herriman, at the Salt Lake County Emergency Preparedness Fair this weekend, I had many people ask about what to take when you have to evacuate. While bringing your 72-hour kit is a great recommendation, other supplies could be more important for an evacuation.

The items in your 72-hour kit are meant to serve as all the supplies you would need to survive for three days in case a large disaster were to prevent the Red Cross, the National Guard, FEMA, etc from getting to everyone in a timely manner. For evacuations, my recommendation is to have copies of important documents like your driver's liscene, insurance cards, home ownership paperwork, etc. Grabbing any photos or family heirlooms is also a great idea however, getting yourself and your family members out of the house is most important.

Make a Plan

Here's a new post from our guest blogger Jeff Gurney. Being "Red Cross Ready" consists of three parts, Get a Kit, Make a Plan, and Be Informed. Below is Jeff's plan, what's yours??

The second part of being prepared in case of an emergency is to make a plan. This has two parts to it.

I had not set up my plan. So after discussing it with my family and educating myself on what was the best way to go about this. This is what I came up with.

First is to make a plan on how to get out of your house and if at work on how to get out of the building you are in. In the case of your house you will want to find the easiest and fastest way out of your house. You will also want to have alternate routes out of your house if the primary route is blocked. This could include safety ladders positioned in windows of bedrooms or other rooms. These are only necessary if those rooms are on the second floor. Some houses have basement windows that are well below ground level and should have permanent ladders in all windows.

Having fire extinguishers located in vital areas through out the house is also important in case of fire. Make sure that all family members know this escape plan and where the ladders and extinguishers are located. An important part of this plan is also a pre-planned meet up point away from the house.

The second part of the plan is if the house or building is not safe to occupy and you need to stay somewhere else. Pre-plan a location such as a relatives house near by or a shelter that all family members can meet up in. Know where your locale Red Cross shelter is located. Have all important documents photocopied and in a zip-loc water proof bag. It is important to have these in an easy to find location. Things like birth certificates, copy of a drivers license, social security card, mortgage papers and insurance cards.

Have more than one first-aid kit on hand. It is good to have one for the house as well as one for the car. If you are unable to get to the one in the house then you can get the one from the car if anyone is injured.

It is a good idea to also have important telephone numbers handy in case of emergency. These phone numbers might include the police, fire department, and close relatives. At times of emergency you will find that your 72 hour kit comes in handy.

If there is an earthquake and severe damage is done to your home, make sure that you have a wrench to turn off the gas and also make sure that you turn off the electricity to the house from the main breaker panel. These two things can save you from having even more damage done to your house after the earthquake is over.

If there is a large earthquake and damage is done to your house, make sure you do not re-occupy your home until it has been checked out and authorities have deemed it safe to go back in. If there are any questions about this process talk to your local building inspector.

It is a best practice to have periodic drills or dry runs to make sure that everyone is on the same page and understands the plan. This also gives you a better idea of the things that work, and the ones that need to be changed to better fit the family's needs.

Be Prepared

As you may already know, September is National Preparedness Month. I can't count the number of times I have said "Be Prepared" this month, and it's only the first week. Everytime I say it, I get this song from the Lion King stuck in my head. So check out our website, listen to Scar, and "Be Prepared!!"