72-Hour Kit There are many different types of disasters and emergencies. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends that EVERY person has an emergency kit designed for 72 hours (3 days) as it can take some time for help to arrive after a disaster. Our region is at risk for earthquakes, flooding and severe storms. Additionally, house fires burn quickly, so having important items stored near an exit is good practice. If you are working in a child-care center, or have one in your home, it is a good idea to consider the needs of those children in the event of an emergency. This is a three-part project. Part 1: Prepare Your Own Emergency Kits In this assignment, you will write up what is needed for your own Emergency Kit. The purpose of this assignment is to prepare you for the unexpected. Each person’s living quarters is unique; please figure out what is going to work best for you and your family. If there is a portion that is simply not feasible at this particular time (for example, there is no place to store your important documents near the front door), explain what you will do instead, or what you plan to do when you are in a different situation. My hope is that one day you will put together this kit and actually have it for your family if you do not have one right now. Create a checklist and organize it by where you will store items Research FEMA’s 72-hour emergency list to use as a guide. Add or subtract items to your personalized list as needed. Organize your list of items based on where you will locate them in a time of need. Include more specifics about the items and why this location is ideal for you. Example: This example does not include everything in it. Pantry Food and Water Supply Due to concerns of heat exposure to food and water supply, I have decided to store my three days worth of food and water in my regular pantry, which is located inside my temperature-controlled home. This pantry is adjacent to the garage so loading up the car with these items in the event of an emergency will be quick. The bottom shelf has been designated to store 9 gallons of water, which is enough for my three-person family. Since my normal food supply is not separate from my emergency supply, it is important that I keep myself well-stocked. This will also help rotate food according to expiration dates. Current inventory includes: Back-up Rx medication (must be stored in cool place) 6 cartons rice milk 4 lbs dried beans 25 cans beans 25 cans veggies 12 cans soup 12 cans tuna 20 lbs rice … (plus more) Also located in the pantry room is the fire extinguisher and two flashlights for easy access. Garage Emergency Supplies Emergency supplies are located in two clearly marked tubs on the bottom far right of shelving unit. This will allow for quick and easy loading into our car in case of a planned evacuation. Tub 1: 3 sleeping bags 1 Tarp Rope (…plus more) Tub 2: Old tennis shoes/socks Warm/cool children’s clothes Warm/cool adult clothes (…plus more) Car Emergency Pack local maps cell phone charger first aid kit (…plus more) Part 2: Create a Written Disaster Plan Fire Escape Plan Prepare a written fire escape plan including a map of how to escape your home. Which doors and windows will you use to escape and where is your designated meeting location? Think about the bare-minimum essentials of what you would take with you if you had a minute to leave your home. What would those items be and where would you store them? How will you contact family and friends post-emergency to let them know where you are? Does anyone in your home need assistance to evacuate? Are there neighbors you would check on after telling your family where you are going? The Hunker Down Plan and Advanced Notice Evacuation Plan Prepare a written plan of how you would survive a natural disaster both by staying put in your home, and by evacuating your home. Where would you go? How will having your kit items be useful to you? Child Care Program Emergency Plan Explain in what capacity you would like to work with children. Create an Emergency Plan (either for your current employment or hypothetical employment). For example, if you are working at a child-care facility, create a comprehensive emergency plan. What is the protocol for a fire, earthquake, severe storm, flood and security threats? For this assignment, we will focus on the fire emergency plan. Specify how many children the facility is licensed for and create a list of what should go into an Emergency Supply Kit for that number of children. How often should staff be trained on the emergency plan, teacher roles, and location of disaster supplies? How often would fire drills be held with the children? How would this information be communicated so it is informative yet non-threatening? In the event that children need to be evacuated, where would they go? What supplies would you take? How would you communicate with parents and local authorities? What would you do if the phone lines or cell towers are down? What would you say to children to keep them calm and increase safety? Once the emergency is over and children have been picked up, what would you inspect before reopening the facility? Your grade will be based on the completeness of your kit and escape plans, your visual documentation and discussion of items needed. Will you be ready if disaster strikes? Grading Breakdown for 72-Hour Kit – 125 pts 125 pts Completed Emergency Plans: Check-Lists and Plans Content: Is the checklist comprehensive? Is the written disaster plan well-thought-out and complete? Is the assignment well-written and well thought of? Note: All papers will be graded on the technical aspects of the assignments, such as spelling, grammar, etc… See the syllabus for more information in those areas. No more than 2 quotes per assignment.