Anna Milles, of the American Red Cross, talks about emergency preparedness kits to a young group at the Holiday Fair last weekend. Heidi Zemach photo.
By Heidi Zemach for SCN –
The American Red Cross of Alaska chapter in Seward has been able to help out three or four local families following emergencies they suffered over the past year with emergency shelter, food and clothing, said Jeanette Hanneman its disaster assistance team captain. It’s rewarding to be able to help friends and neighbors in need after a flood or a fire, she said. SCN spoke with Hanneman and Alaska Red Cross disaster preparedness trainer Anna Milles last weekend at the Red Cross booth they held at the Seward Holiday Craft Fair. The booth offered practical emergency information and advice, and they held new emergency preparedness trainings geared for young children and their parents dubbed “the Pillowcase Project.”
The project is a new national preparedness education program for children in grades 3 – 5, which teaches youth about personal and family preparedness, local hazards, and basic coping skills. The project now covers most states in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Each presentation focuses on a hazard that is relevant to the local community. In Seward, the greatest potential for major disasters comes earthquakes and tsunamis, although fires and floods are common.
Each child received a canvas pillowcase which they were able to decorate, and then bring home to fill with their personal emergency supplies kit. The pillowcases had Disney characters on them, as Disney is the project’s sponsor. The pillowcases also had the Red Cross logo, and suggested practical ideas for what they might want to put inside it such as flashlight and batteries, a portable radio, food and water, and a toy or special item that might be comforting, said Milles.
“It’s a lot of fun,” she said of the project, which was originated by the New Orleans Red Cross chapter after Hurricane Katrina, then adapted for use in other regions.
The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the Kenai Peninsula Borough recommend that one stock enough food, water, clothing and fuel to survive on one’s own for at least seven days. That’s somewhat longer than the three-day survival period recommended for the rest of the nation, but still shorter than it might be before help arrives following a major disaster, such as a disruption to shipping to Alaska from Seattle following a major earthquake, should one occur along the Cascadia subduction-zone fault.
The basics of a home kit should include one gallon of water per person per day and water-storage and purification; canned foods or other items that don’t easily spoil such as freeze-dried fruit, crackers, and peanut butter or ready to eat meals. Other staples should include soaps, tooth brushes, toilet paper and a bucket with a lid to use as a toilet, knife and can opener, radio with batteries or solar powered, extra medications, feminine products, blankets, clothing, bug spray, emergency tools and additional cooking and generation units, with fuel. The kits also should contain extra copies of family members’ critical documents, and documents, food and supplies for pets.
Milles believes most people are on the right track when it comes to being prepared for an emergency, but there’s usually often room for improvement. “I think a lot of Alaskans do have supply kits,” she said. “The problem is people tend to raid their supply kits if they go camping or if they need the flashlight for something, or food, and they forget to restock. So we like to remind people to check on their supplies, and replenish them if they have a kit.”
Ready-made kits and various supplies are available at the American Red Cross website.
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