Disaster Preparedness for the Family
This comprehensive course is designed to empower citizens to take proactive steps in preparing for a wide range of potentially deadly disasters in Commanche County, Oklahoma. It emphasizes the importance of family preparedness, covering emergency response times and national, state, and local agency expectations, ensuring you are well-prepared for any disaster.
This course is not just about theoretical knowledge. It’s about practical skills and knowledge crucial for survival in emergencies. The topics are long and varied and include tornados, terrorist attacks, pandemics, cyber-attacks, blackouts, winter storms, and much more. Understanding these topics is not just important; it’s necessary in today’s world. By the end of the course, you will feel informed and aware of the potential threats and connected to your community, part of a more significant effort to ensure everyone’s safety.
- Understand the natural hazards and man-made threats most likely affecting your home, workplace, and neighborhood, recognizing the importance of this knowledge in keeping your family safe.
- Gain knowledge about cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure and services that may cause physical damage or deny critical services you rely upon.
- Discuss emergency response times and national, state, county, and city response expectations.
- Learn the key protective actions for specific hazards, including identifying the type of event and if there is immediate danger.
- Make a preparedness plan to make your entire family for an emergency or disaster plan in place, providing a sense of security and readiness.
Scott Burrows Phone: 580-280-1006 or Email: N7DOD@arrl.net
Course Outline Detailed
| Introduction – Answer the question on why you need to be prepared for disasters at all. |
| § List of Disasters § Arbitrary Disaster Rankings § Website References |
| Staying Alive – Develop practical preparation goals for achieving your preparedness efforts. |
| § Examples of Threat Assessment § Attacks on the Critical Infrastructure § Survival in a Bucket § Thirteen Basic Steps |
| Food – Determine your short-term and long-term food needs, especially if stores cannot restock food items. |
| § Challenge § How Much Food Should You Store § What Types of Food § How Do You Store It § How Long Will Food Last § Food Safety and Terrorism § Miscellaneous § Quick Summary |
| Water – Estimate your water needs for drinking, hygiene, and sanitization for both short-term and long-term situations. |
| § Challenge § Sanitization § Hygiene § Water Storage § Treating Water § Contamination § Purification § Water Sources § Quick Summary |
| Shelter – Protect yourself from the environment, whether it is the heat of summer, the frost of winter, or the drenching rain of spring while deciding to shelter in place or relocate. |
| § Challenge § Assessing and Making Improvements § Safeguarding Your Shelter § Evacuation § When You Have No Place to Go § Tents, Tarps, and Teepees § Quick Summary |
| Light – Determine your power needs for operating steady, reliable lights during darkness. |
| § Challenge § Comparing Light Sources § Chemical Light § Quick Summary |
| Electrical Power—Before power is fully restored, determine your electrical power needs to keep warm, wash clothes, cook food, and light your house. |
| § Challenge § Terminology § House Power § AC Power Sources § Quick Summary |
| Heating/Cooling – Determine how to keep your family warm or cool in various temperature conditions to prevent injury or death. |
| § Challenge § Body Temperature § Cooling § Heating § Preventing Pipes From Freezing § Cooking § Quick Summary |
| Air – Protect yourself from air pollution to prevent raspatory problems for those sensitive to air pollution, chemical spills, biological agents, or volcanic eruptions. |
| § Challenge § Air Pollution § Incident Driven Events § Understanding Radiation § Quick Summary |
| Sleep – Decide the strategies and techniques to combat the lack of sleep that affects you physically and emotionally. |
| § Challenge § Recommendations § Sleep Deprivation § How Long Can You Go § Quick Summary |
| Medical/First Aid – Be able to recognize medical emergencies, stabilize patients, and perform appropriate care to treat a wide variety of medical situations. |
| § Challenge § Medicine § When to Call For Help § Apply First Aid § First Aid Conditions and Treatment § First Aid Kit § Quick Summary |
| Communication – Determine your incoming and outgoing communication needs when a disaster threatens your communication ability. |
| § Challenge § Commercial Broadcasts § Emergency Services § Internet Resources § Communication Equipment § Quick Summary |
| Financial Preparedness – Set aside emergency funds for unexpected expenses, excess repairs, and emergency survival resources. |
| § Challenge § Prioritizing § Are You Financially Prepared § The Money Plan § National Economic Uncertainty § Bartering § Quick Summary |
| Transportation – Establish reliable transportation with accurate information and navigation to escape immediate threats. |
| § Challenge § Transportation § Navigation § Information § Important Papers § Being Prepared on the Road § Freeing a Stuck Vehicle § Stranded § Quick Summary |
| Protection – Determine which situations you might be required to protect yourself, your family, or your property from common criminals perpetrating violence. |
| § Challenge § Types of Violent Threats § Depending on the Police § Your Rights and Responsibilities § Firearms § Gun Safety § Deadly Choice § Conceal Carry § Less Lethal Weapons § Quick Summary |
| Special Needs – Evaluate family members, neighbors, or friends with special needs, such as older people, people with disabilities, or others with fewer capabilities to help assist them. |
| § Challenge § The Elderly § People with Disabilities § Children § Pregnant Women § Pets § Quick Summary |
| EMP Attack and Solar Storms – Discuss the threats and preparation for EMP attacks and massive solar storms, which could cause your life to be disrupted, if not forever changed. |
| § Challenge § Timely Topics § Electromagnetic Pulse § Solar Storms § Quick Summary |
| Family Emergency Plan – Develop a family emergency plan to help prepare and respond to emergencies or disasters, including meeting locations, emergency contacts, evacuation plans, communication plans, supplies, and other items. |
| § Household Information § Family Members § Emergency Plans § Emergency Contacts § Emergency Meeting Places § Medical Information |
Updated: January 18, 2025