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Preparing for
Health Emergencies
Across the country, local, state and national government agencies have
been working together for years to protect our citizens from any event
that endangers the health of our community, including disease outbreaks,
manmade disasters or natural disasters. Locally, the Sandusky County
Health Department works with the Sandusky County Emergency Management
Agency as well as law enforcement, local hospitals and other partners to
be prepared for a health emergency or disaster and to ensure the safety
of our residents.
Sandusky County
Health Department staff regularly participates in emergency response
training and exercises to ensure preparedness and a timely response for
any event that threatens our residents.
How You Can Be
Prepared
Individuals and families should also be prepared for health
emergencies. If you live alone, getting the flu or a bad cold and
having to stay in bed for a few days could be a health emergency if you
are not prepared. Plan ahead, and make sure you have the necessary
things including food and water easily available at home so that you
could remain in bed and take care of yourself.
Being prepared
also means you are aware of how diseases are spread. This way, you can
take precautions to avoid spreading or getting germs. Maintain good
health habits, and be sure to cover your sneeze with a tissue and
dispose of it promptly. Wash your hands often. Cover your cough by
coughing into your elbow or sleeve and not into your hands.
You can also
help yourself and your family by preparing for a longer stay at home in
the event of a natural disaster such as an ice storm or flood or even a
pandemic flu outbreak. There are many good resources available online
to help you prepare and offer checklists for what to put in your
disaster kit.
Ready.gov
is an easy online way to find out more about being prepared. The U.S.
Department of Homeland Security has created this site to educate
citizens about how to be prepared in case of a national emergency.
Ready.gov
has this advice about making a preparedness kit. When preparing for a
possible emergency situation, it's best to think first about the basics
of survival: fresh
water, food, clean air and warmth.
Recommended
Items
to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit:
-
Water, one
gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for
drinking and sanitation
-
Food, at
least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
-
Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with
tone alert and extra batteries for both
-
Flashlight
and extra batteries
-
First Aid
Kit
-
Whistle to
signal for help
-
Dust mask,
to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape
to shelter-in-place
-
Moist
towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
-
Wrench or
pliers to turn off utilities
-
Can opener
for food (if kit contains canned food)
-
Local maps
Additional Items to Consider
Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:
-
Prescription medications and glasses
-
Infant
formula and diapers
-
Pet food
and extra water for your pet
-
Important
family documents such as copies of insurance policies,
identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable
container
-
Cash or
traveler's checks and change
-
Emergency
reference material such as a first aid book or information from
www.ready.gov
-
Sleeping
bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if
you live in a cold-weather climate.
-
Complete
change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and
sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a
cold-weather climate.
-
Household
chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water
to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an
emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of
regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use
scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
-
Fire
Extinguisher
-
Matches in
a waterproof container
-
Feminine
supplies and personal hygiene items
-
Mess kits,
paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
-
Paper and
pencil
-
Books,
games, puzzles or other activities for children
Sandusky County Emergency response plan-The SCHD welcomes comments
from the public regarding our Emergency Operations Plan. Please send
your feedback to
khoward@sanduskycohd.org
Publications
You Might Find Useful
Some files are
large and may take a few moments to download. Thank you for your
patience.
o
Anthrax Q&A*
o
Your family disaster plan
o
Your family disaster supplies kit list
o
Su epuipo de suministros para la familia en
caso de desastres*
o
Food and water in an emergency
o
Agua y alimentos en una emergencia*
Protecting Your
Health Through Disease Monitoring
Sandusky County
Health Department staff also work to protect your health through
monitoring certain communicable diseases in our County, and alerting you
if there is a potential outbreak. |
