PREPAREDNESS PARTNER INSTRUCTORS SelfStudy

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PREPAREDNESS PARTNERINSTRUCTORSSelf-Study
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Purpose and Objectives

• The purpose of this self-guided course is to
  prepare you to facilitate high-quality disaster
  preparedness courses using American Red Cross
  course guides and materials.

• Course objectives
• Review American Red Cross recommended
  preparedness actions.
  
• Learn effective methods for presenting disaster
  preparedness topics
  
• Understand audience-specific approaches and
  concerns
  
• Review American Red Cross Bay Area disaster
  preparedness courses, exercises, and materials
  
• Review references for further information.

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Course outline

• PART 1 CONTENT
• Red Cross preparedness key messages
• PART 2 COMMUNICATING PREPAREDNESS
• Motivations to prepare
• Disaster denials and how to overcome them
• Tips on delivering disaster preparedness
  messages
  
• Audience-specific approaches and concerns
• PART 3 MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
• ARCBA course guides and exercises
• Resources for further information

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• PART 1
• CONTENT

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BE RED CROSS READY!

• The first step in preparing others is to learn
  about disaster preparedness and to prepare
  yourself.
  
• The American Red Cross recommends 3 simple steps
  to disaster preparedness under its Be Ready
  Cross Ready! campaign
  
• Get a Kit
• Make a Plan
• Be Informed

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MAKE A PLAN

• CHOOSE TWO MEETING PLACES
• Right outside your home, in case of a sudden
  emergency, such as a fire.
  
• Outside your neighborhood, in case you cannot
  return home or are asked to evacuate your
  neighborhood.
  
• Having predetermined meeting places will save
  time and minimize confusion should your home be
  affected or if the area is evacuated.
  
• CHOOSE AN OUT-OF-AREA CONTACT
• This is the person all members of the family
  should call in case of disaster. S/he should live
  far enough away that they would be unaffected by
  the same event. Also, make sure that they know
  that they will be your central point for
  collecting information on the well-being of
  family members.

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Additional planning tips

• Include your pets in your plan. Check with your
  veterinarian in advance for information on
  shelters and pet-friendly hotels.
  
• Know the plans of the places where you and your
  loved ones spend time, such as your childs
  school, your workplace, etc
  
• Check your disaster plans and replace water and
  food every six months.
  
• Review the details of your disaster plan with all
  family members. Make sure everyone knows the
  location of disaster supply kits and emergency
  contact information.
• Review and practice plans with all family
  members. Practicing is important, especially for
  children.
  

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GET A KIT

• Prepare to meet your own needs for at least three
  days.
  

The American Red Cross recommends the following
essential supplies Water 1 gal/person/day
Food no refrigeration, no cooking, no water,
nutritious, tasty can-opener Hygiene sanitat
ion supplies Warm clothes, sturdy shoes, gloves
Flashlight extra batteries Radio extra
batteries Special items medications, diapers,
eyeglasses, tools, etc.
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Additional tips on disaster kits

• Store your home disaster supplies in a sturdy but
  easy-to carry container. A large covered trash
  container, overnight backpack or duffel bag will
  work well.
• Keep a smaller version of the kit in your
  vehicle. If you become stranded or are not able
  to return home, having some items with you will
  help you be more comfortable until help arrives.
• Remember that you will also need disaster
  supplies at your workplace.
  
• These supplies are important to gather before
  disaster strikes -- whether you assemble them
  yourself or purchase a kit from the Red Cross or
  other supplier.

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BE INFORMED

• Know what disasters or emergencies may occur in
  your area
  
• Here in the Bay Area, we are at risk for
  earthquakes, house fires, wildfires,
  landslides/mudslides, flooding, bio-events (such
  as pandemic flu) and terrorism.
• 2. Learn how you can obtain important
  information during a disaster
  
• Possible sources of information include
• Television
• Radio
• NOAA Weather Station
• Printed Notices
• Internet
• Telephone/Text Messaging
• Local Emergency Warning Systems
• Person to Person

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BE INFORMED, contd

• 3. Learn basic safety steps for when disaster
  strikes.
  
• DURING AN EARTHQUAKE
• DROP, COVER, and HOLD ON Drop to the floor and
  get under something sturdy, like a table. Hold
  on to the table leg so that you will remain
  covered when the table moves during the shaking.
• If there is nothing sturdy to get under, crouch
  low up against an interior wall and cover your
  head. Stay away from windows and items which
  might fall and cause injury.
• Be prepared for aftershocks each time the earth
  shakes.
  

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BE INFORMED, contd

• IN CASE OF FIRE
• Escape safely if you can. Once out, stay out!
  Call the fire department from another location.
  Do not delay your exit to make the call!
  
• If you must go through smoke, crawl low under the
  smoke.
  
• Before opening a closed door, feel the door with
  back of hand before opening it. If it is cool,
  open the door slowly. If it is hot, keep the
  door closed and use an alternate exit.
• If all exits are blocked, stay in the room with
  the door closed. Signal for help with
  bright-colored cloth at the window. If there is
  a phone in the room, use it to call 9-1-1.
• As part of your disaster planning, you should
  identify two ways out of each room so that you
  will have an alternate escape route if needed.

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BE INFORMED, contd

• IF A HAZARDOUS MATERIAL IS IN THE AIR
• You may be advised to shelter-in-place
• Go inside seal all doors and windows turn off
  all venting systems i.e. air conditioning and
  listen to television or radio for instructions.
  
• IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO LEARN HOW AND WHEN TO
• Evacuate
• Turn off utilities.
• Use a fire extinguisher.
• Call for emergency help.

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BE INFORMED, contd

• Learn basic First Aid skills and CPR
• The American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter provides
  this training at sites all over the Bay Area.
  
• For more information and pricing
• visit www.redcrossbayarea.org or call
  1-800-520-5433
  

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• PART 2
• COMMUNICATING
• PREPAREDNESS

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Motivating Your Audience

• You might be facilitating a course for business
  colleagues, neighbors, parents, faith community
  or service club members. Wherever you teach and
  for whatever audience, remember that each person
  has his or her own reasons to prepare.

• Before reviewing these motivators, think first
  about your own situation.
  
• What have you personally done to prepare?
• What MOTIVATED YOU to take the steps you did?

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Motivators

• Were you motivated by CONCERN FOR YOUR FAMILY?
• Perhaps YOUVE BEEN THROUGH A DISASTER BEFORE and
  know how important it is to store food water in
  advance.
  
• Maybe you are an ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEE AT WORK and
  have been told youll need to report to work when
  disaster strikes and know that you also need to
  be personally ready.
• Or you might CARE FOR AN ELDERLY PARENT and are
  concerned about their post-disaster medical
  needs.
  
• Perhaps someone convinced you through an
  EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM or your child BROUGHT HOME
  MATERIALS from school.
  
• You may be determined to NOT BE A PART OF THE
  PROBLEM but to be able to care of yourself and
  loved ones.
  

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MAKING IT SIMPLE

• Most people in the Bay Area know that they live
  in earthquake country. Many also know that our
  area also faces the risk of wildfires, home
  fires, floods, landslides, terrorist attack,
  chemical spills, industrial accidents, and
  biological disasters.
• However, many put off preparing do not feel the
  urgency of preparing for disasters or because
  they have other things to do.
  

As preparedness instructors, you will need to
convince them to take steps NOW. You will need
to keep the messages SIMPLE and let them know
that preparing can be EASY once they get started.

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DISASTER DENIALS

• Also, people who have not been through a
  catastrophic disaster are often in denial about
  their personal disaster risk and the consequences
  of disaster for themselves and their loved ones.
  
• THEY ARE IN DISASTER DENIAL.

As preparedness instructors, you will need to
understand these denials and key messages to help
your audience overcome them.
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DENIAL 1

• THE DENIAL A disaster will not happen.

THE REALITY Disasters happen. They happen here.

• They have already happened. They have already
  happened here in the Bay Area.
  
• The Bay Area has experienced several large-scale
  disasters in recent years
  
• Loma Prieta earthquake
• Oakland Hills wildstorm
• Flooding along coast, in Marin, and in Solano
• Here in the Bay Area we face the risk of
• Earthquakes (62 chance in next 30 years)
• Fires home fires, wildfires
• Floods
• Landslides/mudslides
• Chemical accidents
• Terrorism
• Biological emergencies

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DENIAL 2

• THE DENIAL A disaster will not happen to me.

THE REALITY Disasters can happen to you.
As a preparedness facilitator, your most
important task is to help people personalize
their risk and motivate them to prepare.
One simple example of risk If you have electri
city in your home, have gas for heating or
cooking, use candles, smoke, or cook wearing
long-sleeved shirts, you are at risk for a fire
in your home. In addition, there is a 62 cha
nce of a catastrophic earthquake in the Bay Area
in the next 30 years the day the earthquake
strikes could be today. All who live and work in
this area are at risk. Failure to personalize
their disaster risk is the 1 reason people
dont prepare!
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DENIAL 3

• THE DENIAL A disaster will not be that bad.

THE REALITY Disasters can cause widespread
disruption in your community.
A catastrophic disaster such as this would cause
major disruptions Disrupted communication Road
closures, bridge closures, public transportation
not functioning No water drinking, sewage, clea
ning, hygiene No electricity affects lights, po
ssibly heat, cooking, gas stations, grocery
stores, ATMs, traffic lights, emergency medical
equipment, etc. No gas affects cooking, heat E
mergency services overloaded Facilities closed
clinics, schools, etc. Injury, loss of life Prop
erty damage/loss Separation of families
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DENIAL 4

• THE DENIAL If it happens and it is that bad,
  there is nothing that I can do about it.
  

THE REALITY You can do something about it NOW!
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DENIAL 5

• THE DENIAL Someone else will take care of me.

THE REALITY Each person must take
responsibility for his or her own safety and
preparedness.
Emergency workers will be directed to the most
urgent situations, and systems will be
overloaded. City governments and emergency
response agencies like the Red Cross will
activate their response plans to help meet
community needs. But help will not be there as
soon as shaking stops emergency workers will be
affected by the disaster just like all other
residents. Each person is responsible to be ready
to be on their own for at least three days.
In addition, those who are prepared will be
calmer and more able to help loved ones,
neighbors, and others.
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DELIVERING PREPAREDNESS MESSAGES

• Providing clear, relevant information in ways
  that connect with your audience will increase
  your effectiveness.
  
• Here are some tips about presenting disaster
  preparedness material

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GIVE POSITIVE, DIRECTIVE INFORMATION
In helping people to prepare for disasters, it is
important to let them know what they SHOULD do,
rather than what NOT to do. For example, Dont
panic! is a common negative message about
disasters. However, more is communicated through
the positive, directive wording, Remain calm.
A few additional examples follow
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Positive wording examples

• Dont run outside in an earthquake!
• If youre inside during an earthquake, stay
  inside and take cover.
  
• Dont use the elevator in case of fire. They
  wont work.
  
• In case of fire, use stairs.
• Dont try to drive through a flooded street.
• If youre driving and come to a flooded area,
  turn around and find another route.

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REPEAT MESSAGES

• You can reinforce a message by using a variety of
  tools, such as newsprints, brochures, videos,
  demonstration, activities, etc.
  

• For example, in teaching how to stay safe during
  an earthquake
  
• Explain that DROP, COVER, and HOLD ON is the key
  recommnedation for staying safe during an
  earthquake.
  
• Explain each step separately DROP means to
  get low to the floor COVER means to get under
  something sturdy like a table or desk HOLD ON
  means to hold onto the table or desk leg. Items
  often move during the shaking hold on and stay
  covered.
• Demonstrate each step for the class.
• Demonstrate other ways to stay safe
• While sitting in a chair, drop your head into
  your body, cover your head and neck with your
  arms and hands
  
• If there is nothing sturdy to get under, sit up
  against an inside wall, drop your head into your
  body, cover your head and neck with your arms and
  hands
• Conduct an earthquake drill with the class.
• You might also show a diagram or video to
  emphasize the steps.

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PROVIDE INFORMATION IN STAGES

• GIVE AWARENESS MESSAGES FIRST,
• THEN BEHAVIOR MESSAGES.
• First, deliver awareness messages, such as
  disaster risks. People need to be aware of the
  hazard, the nature of the threat, and how it will
  affect them. (This will help them overcome the
  denial, It wont happen to me.)
• Then, they are ready to hear about what to do.
• (This, of course, will help them overcome the
  feeling that theres nothing they can do.)

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CORRECT MISINFORMATION

• As instructors, it is important to recognize and
  correct misinformation about disaster risks,
  impact, and steps to prepare.
  
• Correcting misinformation also includes providing
  the correct information as well.
  
• Here are some of the bits of misinformation that
  we hear frequently out in the public. Also
  included are ways to correct the misinformation
  and provide accurate information and
  recommendations

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CORRECT MISINFORMATION EXAMPLES RESPONSES

• MISINFORMATION When the next earthquake hits,
  Ill be running for the doorway to protect
  myself!
  

CORRECTION The safest thing to do is to drop,
cover, and hold on. Doorways are NOT necessarily
the safest place. This is because (1) not every
doorway is structurally reinforced, (b) you need
to know how to brace yourself properly to avoid
injury from a swinging door, and (c) only one
person can fit in a doorway at a time.
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MISINFORMATION We have a wrench attached to the
gas shut-off valve at our house. That way we can
turn off our gas when theres an earthquake.
CORRECTION It is a great idea to have a wrench
available near the shut-off valve at your home in
case there is a gas leak. However, it is unnece
ssary and not recommend by the utility company
to shut off the gas UNLESS YOU SUSPECT A GAS
LEAK if you can hear the gas, smell the odor,
or see a broken gas line. The occurrence of an
earthquake itself is not reason enough to turn
off your gas. Remember, too, that you will need
a professional to turn your gas back on.
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MISINFORMATION We didnt have any damage after
the Loma Prieta quake, so Im not worried.
CORRECTION I am so glad that you did not have
any damage as a result of that quake. As you
likely know, others in our area were not so
lucky. Remember, though, that Loma Prieta was
not The Big One and was located far south of the
Bay Area too. The Bay Area itself has many fau
lt lines and we have a 62 chance of
larger-than-Loma-Prieta quake occuring within the
next 30 years that day could be today.
In addition, remember that a catastrophic quake
in the Bay Area will disrupt transportation and
services throughout the area so you would likely
be affected even if your home was not.
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MISINFORMATION My cell phone will work after a
disaster, right?
CORRECTION Communication systems are often
disrupted following a catastrophic disaster
either from damage to transmission systems or
overload to the system from so many calls. While
it is possible that cell phones will work after a
disaster, be sure to have a back up plan like a
designated family meeting place.
MISINFORMATION I have plenty of candles in my
disaster supply kit. Ill use them if the power
goes out.
CORRECTION It is indeed important to have an
alternative light source available since it is
likely that the power will be out after a
disaster. However, a flashlight is the safer
recommended source since candles are a fire
hazard and can therefore worsen the situation.
Remember plenty of extra batteries too!
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AUDIENCES

• There are indeed standard messages about disaster
  preparedness. However, the characteristics of
  your audience will affect some of the specific
  content you will provide and the approaches you
  will use.

• Most relevant characteristics for disaster
  preparedness
  
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Primary language
• Disabilities
• Socioeconomic status
• Area where they live
• Education level
• Area disaster history

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ACTION-ORIENTED

• The ultimate goal of our courses is for all our
  participants to be able to take care of
  themselves and their loved ones in times of
  disaster. Our courses provide motivation and
  information to enable them to prepare themselves
  before disaster strikes. Encouraging them to
  take specific action after the course can be
  helpful.

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WAYS YOU CAN HELP

• As the instructor, you can close the session by
  asking them to indicate one thing they can do
  THAT DAY or to have them make a promise to a
  fellow participant about what theyll do to
  prepare.
• If the participants are from an organization, you
  may be able to check on participants progress
  after 2 weeks, a month, and 3 months, providing
  encouragement and support along the way.

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• PART 3
• MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

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COURSE RESOURCES

• The American Red Cross Bay Area has a variety of
  disaster preparedness course resources for your
  use. These include course guides, exercises, and
  participant materials.
• Resources are tailored to different audiences and
  may also be adapted to meet additional needs you
  may have.
  
• We are available to assist you in tailoring
  approaches, course guides, activities, or
  materials to meet the needs of your group.
  Please call Andrea Zussman at 650-259-1771 for
  assistance.

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COURSE GUIDES

• Be Red Cross Ready General Preparedness
• For general adult audiences and the most often
  used 45-60 minutes
  
• Be Red Cross Ready General Preparedness Fire
• Additional information on fires takes an
  additional 20-30 minutes
  
• Be Red Cross Ready General Preparedness
  Earthquake
  
• Additional information on earthquakes takes an
  additional 2030 minutes
  
• Be Red Cross Ready General Preparedness for
  Seniors
  
• Developed especially for senior citizens
• Be Red Cross Ready with BINGO General
  Preparedness for Seniors
  
• Developed especially for senior citizens, uses
  BINGO format
  

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EXERCISES/ACTIVITIES

• My Home Preparedness Index for general audiences
• My Home Preparedness Index for seniors
• BINGO (R-E-A-D-Y) game for seniors
• Together We Prepare Bay Area preparedness film
  (26 minutes)
  
• Disaster supplies Show Tell
• Disaster JEOPARDY!
• Earthquake drill

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PARTICIPANT MATERIALS

• Actions for Emergency Preparedness
• My Emergency Contact Plan wallet card
• Are You Ready for an Earthquake?
• Are You Ready for a Fire?
• Disaster Preparedness for Seniors by Seniors
• BINGO (R-E-A-D-Y) game cards
• Please contact us about materials available in
  languages other than English.

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OTHER RESOURCES

• Resources for further information about disaster
  preparedness include
  
• www.prepare.org
• www.redcrossbayarea.org