Citizens Emergency Guide
CONTENTS
In the event of an emergency, you will be alerted by at least one of the following: • Town siren • Telephone* • Weather-alert radio • Public address system * automated telephone alert system will be operational in 2006.
1 Tune your radio to one of the Emergency Alert Stations 2 Follow the instructions provided Those are the first important steps to take when you are notified of an emergency. However, there are steps you can take ahead of time to make sure you are prepared to be safe during any type of major emergency situation. This booklet serves as a step-by-step guide to help you be prepared.
Contents Are You Prepared? ....................................................................page 4 How You Will Be Notified .......................................................page 4 Know Safety Skills ....................................................................page 5 Emergency Supplies................................................................page 6 Household Emergency Plan .................................................page 8 Household Plan Form .............................................................page 10 Steps to Safety ...........................................................................page 12 Special Needs & Concerns .....................................................page 16 Animal Safety .............................................................................page 16 Shelter-in-Place .........................................................................page 17 Evacuation Information .........................................................page 18 Important Phone Numbers ..................................................page 23
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The Local Emergency Planning Committee and the towns of Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Halifax and Vernon have created an All-Hazards Emergency Response Plan to help ensure the safety of their townspeople. As a resident of one of these towns, you are part of the plan, too, and the ultimate responsibility for your safety is yours.
The EAS radio stations for this area of Vermont are: WKVT ........... Brattleboro ...............92.7 FM WTSA ........... Brattleboro ...............96.7 FM WVAY............ Wilmington ........... 100.7 FM WTSA ........... Brattleboro ............ 1450 AM WKVT ........... Brattleboro ............ 1490 AM All stations are on the air 24 hours a day.
The all-hazards plan addresses emergency preparedness for a number of potential hazards, such as floods, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, train derailments, radiological events, and chemical spills, among others. Many of these emergencies have happened in this area in the past and could happen again.
Know Safety Skills
Safety skills are good to have for any emergency, large or small. There may be times when you may be able to help your loved ones or other
Evidence shows that people who know and practice what to do in an emergency are less likely to panic and more likely to be safe. When the alert is sounded signaling an emergency, knowing what to do is your best protection.
people in need before first-responders arrive.
Learn first aid and CPR Take a first aid and CPR class. Local American Red Cross chapters often offer classes on first-aid or CPR, or can provide information about where you can receive training. Official certification by the American Red Cross provides, under the “Good Samaritan” law, protection for those giving first aid.
How You Will Be Notified When you hear an alert, turn on your radio to an Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio station for instructions. You will be alerted by at least one of the following ways:
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*Automated telephone alert system will be operational in 2006.
ARE YOU PREPARED? | HOW YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED | KNOW SAFETY SKILLS
Are You Prepared?
Learn how to use a fire extinguisher Every home should have a fire extinguisher. Be sure all members of your household know how to use your fire extinguisher and where it is kept. You should have, at a minimum, an ABC type. Contact your local fire department for training or questions.
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An emergency supply kit is a collection of basic items and nonperishable food that you might need during an emergency. In some hazardous situations you might not have electricity— to power lights, refrigerators and stoves—water and telephones. It is a good idea to include items to last for three to seven days. Keep items in a plastic bin or a designated cabinet in a cool, dry place. Renew, replace or refresh supplies periodically to keep them fresh.
EMERGENCY SUPPLIES | HOME KIT | WORK KIT | VEHICLE KIT
Emergency Supplies
Because an emergency situation can happen unexpectedly, prepare supply kits for home, work and vehicles.
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Work kit
Vehicle kit
Prepare a small kit in a container that is easy to grab and take with you in the event you must be evacuated from your workplace. Items to keep in this kit include easily portable food items, such as granola or power bars and crackers, water, special diet items, hand wipes, a small first-aid kit, portable radio and flashlight.
The trunk or back seat of your vehicle is a good place to store an emergency kit in the event you are stranded and can’t get to the reception center in Bellows Falls or elsewhere right away. This kit should contain nonperishable food items, water and first-aid supplies along with flares, jumper cables, and seasonal supplies such as a blanket or tarp.
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Keep the members of your household safe by creating a personal or family emergency plan. A plan not only helps inform but also reduces anxiety when an emergency happens. Sit down with household members to explain the potential dangers in the area and discuss the need for a plan. Discuss how you may be advised to evacuate to an emergency shelter or, in the event of a radiological incident, to Bellows Falls Union High School in Westminster. Then, fill out the accompanying Emergency Plan Guide and post it where everyone can see it. Review and practice your plan regularly so each household member will remember what to do. Check the www.knowwhattodo.info website frequently for updates.
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Here are some things you might want to consider as you create your plan:
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Discuss what to do when the emergency alert is given.
• Draw a house floor plan with escape • Review possible evacuation routes. If routes, in the event of a fire. you have children, discuss how they will be transported by bus if they are at school. • Establish two places for everyone to meet: one near the house and one outside the immediate area. • Discuss how you might contact each other if you are not together when an emergency happens. Create contact cards to keep with you at all times. • Have a friend or family member outside the area who can serve as a central contact in the event you are separated during a disaster.
HOUSEHOLD EMERGENCY PLAN
Household Emergency Plan
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Establish places for everyone to meet: one near the house and one outside the immediate area.
• Advise children on what to do if they are home alone when the alert is given.
• Assign responsibilities ahead of time, • Contact your childcare provider as to such as who will update emergency learn the plan in place for transportasupplies or who will take care of pets. tion to a reception center.
• Review the information in the Steps to Safety section, so every household member knows what to do for every type of emergency that could happen in the five-town district.
• Identify the reception center in Bellows Falls and ones in nearby Keene, N.H., and Greenfield, Mass., in the event of a radiological disaster.
• Make note of any prescription medicines you might need to take with you as well as any important papers.
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Fill out this form as you review the information with your family or household members. Be sure children know what to do if they are home alone and the siren sounds. Preparing this form will avoid confusion and anxiety in an emergency. When the alert is given, I tune my radio to _______________________________ Our out-of-area contact person is ______________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ Pets will be brought to _______________________________________________ Prescription medicines needed are _____________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ For emergency Rescue, Fire and Police, I will call:
HOUSEHOLD PLAN FORM
Household Plan Form
The plan for childcare children is _______________________________________
911
Our family doctor____________________________________________________
Our contact person’s number is ________________________________________ Our family meeting place near our home is ______________________________
Family Member Information:
__________________________________________________________________ Our family meeting place away from home is ____________________________
Name: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Work/School phone: __________________________________________
My local Emergency Management OďŹƒce number is _______________________
If I am told to evacuate... *My reception center is located at ______________________________________
Cell phone: ________________________________________________ Name: __________________________________________________ Work/School phone: __________________________________________ Cell phone: ________________________________________________
*My best evacuation route is __________________________________________
Name: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Work/School phone: __________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Cell phone: ________________________________________________
*School-age children will be taken to ___________________________________
Name: __________________________________________________ *May change based on wind direction or location of hazard.
Work/School phone: __________________________________________ Cell phone: ________________________________________________
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Different hazards call for different actions in order for you to be safe. The following are hazards you are most likely to encounter in Windham County with information on what safety steps you can take. For more in-depth information, please visit the Are You Prepared? section of www.knowwhattodo.info.
Floods • Tune in to your EAS radio station and follow instructions. • Check your emergency supply kit. • Consult your household emergency plan. • If you have time, bring in or secure outdoor equipment or furniture. • Turn off utilities, if instructed to do so. • Move valuables to upper floors or higher elevations. • Fill clean containers with clean drinking water or sanitize bathtubs and fill with clean water. • Listen to your EAS radio station for updates. • Be prepared to evacuate if so ordered.
If you are outdoors: • Move to higher ground. • Do not walk in moving water six inches or more deep to prevent being knocked down or swept away. • Stay away from downed power lines which may be live and a danger for electrocution. If you are in a vehicle: • Go to higher ground. • Avoid flooded roadways. • Do not drive in rising floodwaters to avoid being swept away. • If caught in rising water, leave your vehicle and seek higher ground.
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Thunder/ Lightning • Tune in to your EAS radio station and follow instructions. • Go indoors immediately. • Close and lock windows and doors against wind and lightning. • Stay away from windows and doors. • Avoid showering, bathing or washing dishes, as water is an excellent conductor of electricity. • Do not touch anything metal. • Unplug appliances including televisions and computers that could be damaged by lightning. • Turn off air conditioners. • Do not use electrical equipment because lightning could follow the wire. • Use only cordless or cell phones. • Continue to listen to your EAS radio station.
If you are in a vehicle: • Pull off the road away from trees and power lines. • Stay in your car until the storm subsides. • Avoid flooded roadways. If you are outside: • Go to a building or vehicle. • If you can’t get to a building, avoid tall trees, open land and open water. Take shelter under a thick growth of small trees and squat as low to the ground as possible, but do not lie flat on the ground. • Stay away from anything that could be a lightning rod: golf clubs, fishing rods, tractors, bicycles. • Stay away from rivers, ponds and lakes.
Winter Storms/ Extreme Cold • Tune in to your EAS radio station and follow instructions. • Stay indoors out of cold and weather. • Dress warmly. • Conserve fuel. • Maintain proper ventilation if using kerosene heater to prevent buildup of deadly carbon monoxide. • Drive only if necessary to avoid an accident or being trapped in your car. • If you must drive, use main roads with caution. • Continue to listen to your EAS radio station.
If you are outdoors: • Dress warmly with layers of lightweight clothing. • Wear water-repellent outer garments. • Wear mittens and hat. • Cover your mouth to protect your lungs. • Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia. • Avoid overexertion. • Drink fluids to prevent dehydration. • Keep dry. If you are trapped in your vehicle: • Pull off the road, if possible. • Stay in your vehicle. • Run engine occasionally to keep warm. • Beware of carbon monoxide poisoning. • Keep exhaust pipe clear of snow. • Do not waste battery power. • Exercise to maintain body heat. • Huddle together to keep warm. • Avoid overexertion. • Drink fluids to prevent dehydration.
Power Outage • Tune in a battery-operated radio to your EAS station and follow instructions. • Turn off electrical equipment, including computers, monitors, TVs and other electronic devices. • Leave a light turned on to know when the power is restored. • Use flashlights or battery-operated lights, avoiding open flames. • Do not run a generator inside your home or garage. It releases deadly carbon monoxide fumes. • Avoid opening refrigerator and freezer to keep food cold. • Keep perishable foods at 40 degrees or below. • If the outage is more than 2 hours, pack perishable food items, such as meats, fish, eggs, dairy products and leftovers in a cooler with ice. • In winter, wear several layers of lightweight clothing to keep warm. • Follow safety procedures for woodburning fireplaces and stoves. • Maintain proper ventilation if using a kerosene heater to prevent carbon monoxide buildup. • In summer, try to remain cool by moving to the basement or lowest floor. • Listen to your EAS radio station for updates.
STEPS TO SAFETY | FLOODS | THUNDER/LIGHTNING | WINTER STORMS/EXTREME COLD | POWER OUTAGE
Steps to Safety
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Wildland fires:
Structural fires:
• Remove away from your house any items that might catch on fire. • Close doors and windows. • Remove drapes and curtains from windows. • Turn off gas and pilot lights. • Leave a light on for visibility in smoke. • Water down flammable roofs and siding • Place waterproof valuables in a pool or pond.
• Install smoke alarms on every floor and in bedrooms. • Purchase collapsible ladders for upper levels. • Buy ABC-type fire extinguishers • Draw a floor plan with two escape routes. • Pre-select a meeting place outside the house.
When a fire happens: • Alert other members of the household. • Get out as quickly as possible. • Once out, stay out. Do not re-enter the building even to rescue pets. • If in a public building, always know where the emergency exits are located. • Always evacuate through the nearest exit if the fire alarm sounds. • Stay low to the floor when escaping. • Cover your mouth with a cloth to avoid inhaling smoke. • Close doors behind you to delay the fire from spreading. • Feel doors before opening slowly. • Do not open if door is hot or if there is smoke at the top or bottom. • Open a window to escape or to be rescued. • Call the fire department from outside the house. • Meet the first fire truck and tell firefighters what is happening. • If clothes catch on fire, stop, drop to the ground, and roll.
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If you are outside: • Crouch in a pond or river; you cannot outrun a fire. • Cover your head and upper body with wet clothing. • If you are not near water, take shelter in a cleared area or on a bed of rocks. Lie flat and cover yourself with wet clothing or soil.
BioHazards The Vermont Department of Health office in Brattleboro recommends that people listen to their Emergency Alert System radio station for advisories regarding vaccinations, medications or shelter-in-place in the event of an epidemic, a pandemic (global outbreak of disease) or bioterrorism. Different illnesses require different steps for prevention. For more information, visit www.healthyvermonters.com. In general, the best way to be prepared is to maintain good health habits. • Vaccinate against the flu each fall. • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. • Stay home when you are sick. • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. • Wash your hands often to prevent the spread of germs. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, which are most susceptible to germ contact. • Have available alcohol-based hand wipes or gel sanitizers to keep hands germ free when soap and water are not available.
Hazardous Materials Different chemicals require different precautions. The following is a good rule of thumb: • Go inside immediately. • Tune in to your EAS radio station and follow instructions. • Close all doors and windows to prevent contamination. • Shelter in a room on the lowest level of your home that has as few windows or doors as possible. • Turn off or block all sources of outside air, such as window fans, air conditioners, clothes dryers, exhaust fans, etc., to prevent outside air coming in. • You may be instructed to seal the room by covering doors, windows and any vents using plastic sheeting and duct tape. Fill any cracks or holes. Note: This is advised for short-term shelter (2-3 hours) only to prevent carbon dioxide buildup. • Keep pets indoors. • Shelter livestock and give them food and water from a covered source. • Children in school will be sheltered at the school and cared for by school personnel. • Stay inside until notified over the EAS radio station. • Be prepared to evacuate if ordered to do so.
If you are traveling in a motor vehicle: • Keep the radio tuned to an EAS station. • Close windows and vents and turn off heater or air conditioner. • Seek shelter in a nearby building. If none is available, leave the area. If you are outside: • Stay at least a half-mile upwind, uphill and upstream from the affected area.
Radiological Materials • Tune in to an EAS radio station. If you are instructed to shelter-in-place: • Go inside and close all doors and windows to prevent contamination. • Shelter in a room on the lowest level of your home which has as few windows or doors as possible. • Turn off or block all sources of outside air, such as window fans, air conditioners, clothes dryers, exhaust fans, etc., to prevent outside air from coming in. • Listen to your EAS radio station for announcements and instructions. • Keep pets indoors. • Shelter livestock and give them food and water from a covered source. • Children in school will be sheltered at the school and cared for by school personnel. • Stay inside until notified over the EAS radio station. • Be prepared to evacuate. If you are traveling in a motor vehicle: • Keep the radio tuned to an EAS station. • Close windows and vents and turn off heater or air conditioner. • Seek shelter in a nearby building. If none is available, leave the area. If you are outside: • Stay at least a half-mile upwind, uphill and upstream from the affected area.
STEPS TO SAFETY | FIRE | BIOHAZARDS | HAZARDOUS MATERIALS | RADIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
Fire
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Provisions are in place for all persons with special needs or who need assistance in an emergency. An important first step is to register with the advocate officer at your local fire department. Find out what assistance is available to you, for example, transportation to a shelter or special notification methods. All personal information is strictly confidential. There are also a number of things you can do to be prepared in advance. • Create a network of neighbors, family, friends or co-workers who can help you in an emergency. • If you are blind or hearing impaired, special equipment may be available for you. • If you are mobility impaired or don’t drive, make arrangements ahead of time for transportation.
Shelter-in-Place
Depending on the emergency situation, local emergency management personnel may decide that the best way to keep people safe is to have them shelter-in-place. There are different steps you can take to be safe, depending on the type of emergency. You can read information specific for each hazard beginning on Page 12 of this guide. In general, if you are advised to shelter-in-place, go to your home or to a secure permanent structure as quickly as possible. Go immediately if the alert is for a
• If you have special dietary needs, make sure you have an adequate emergency food supply.
chemical or radiological event.
• Make provisions for medicines that require refrigeration.
In all cases, follow the instructions given on your EAS radio station. Keep your
• Keep specialized items such as wheelchair batteries or oxygen tanks ready. Make a list of the model numbers of any medical equipment.
radio with you throughout the emergency and continue to listen for advisories and announcements.
Animal Safety As you create a household emergency plan, it is important to consider the safety needs of your pets. Here are some guidelines in the event you are instructed to evacuate or to shelter-in-place. With the exception of seeing-eye or hearing-aid animals, many reception centers or emergency shelters will not allow pets inside to protect the health and safety of people in the shelter. • Compile a list of places outside the area where • Fit your pet with a sturdy collar that has liyou can take or leave your pet, such as boardcense, rabies vaccination tag and full identiing kennels, friends or relatives, or motels and fication tags. hotels that accept animals. • Have updated identification information in• Prepare an emergency kit for your pet with cluding the pet’s name, your name, address up-to-date vaccination and medical records, and phone number, and the phone number collars and leashes, three-day supply of water, of a relative outside the area who can be confood and any medication your pets might be tacted if you cannot be reached. taking and food, bowls, litter and litter box. • Have a sturdy pet carrier. 16
Be a Good Neighbor Check to see if there are people in your neighborhood who might need help during an emergency. These might include people who are elderly, who are ill or homebound, who have medical or physical disabilities, or who lack transportation. Creating a neighborhood network of people who can help one another helps to ensure the safety of everyone.
You can help by: • Notifying people of an alert • Offering assistance • Providing transportation • Making necessary telephone calls
SPECIAL NEEDS AND CONCERNS | SHELTER-IN-PLACE | ANIMAL SAFETY | BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR
Special Needs & Concerns
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Some emergencies such as flooding, an incident at Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, or major chemical spills may require evacuation. When you hear the alert, tune in to your Emergency Alert System radio station. Public safety officials will tell you if evacuation is necessary and what to do.
Reception centers
What to do when told to evacuate
What NOT to do when told to evacuate
• As you prepare to leave, stay
• DO NOT evacuate unless
tuned to messages on your EAS
Reception centers or emergency shelters may vary depending on the type of emergency.
tions for evacuation routes. In the event of a radiological emergency, the primary reception center for the five-town district is Bellows Falls Union High School in Westminster, where the American Red Cross will provide food, cots and first aid. Circumstances such as
directed to do so.
radio station and follow instruc• DO NOT try to pick up children at their schools. • If you are at home, gather together all household members.
Instead, meet them at the reception center.
wind direction, flooded roads, or your location in your town will affect the recommended evacuation route. Listen to your EAS radio station for instructions.
• Children in school will be transported to the designated
or police departments
Keene, New Hampshire, or Greenfield, Massachusetts.
reception center where you
who need lines for people
can pick them up.
who need immediate help.
You may be advised to evacuate in the event of flooding, severe weather conditions or a HazMat-related incident. Once again, listen to your EAS radio station for the location of emergency shelters and evacuation routes.
What to do as you leave your house Turn off lights and unnecessary appliances. Close and lock windows and doors. Depending on the type of emergency, you may be instructed to turn off utility service for gas and electricity at your home and shut off the water at the main house valve. Note: Never attempt to turn natural gas back on yourself. A qualified professional must turn it back on for you. 18
• DO NOT call local fire
In some cases, you may be directed to out-of-state reception centers located in
Check with neighbors to see if they need assistance. Offer to share transportation, if possible. Ask a neighbor for a ride if you need one.
Listen instead to your EAS • Check ahead of time with your
radio station.
childcare provider to know what plan is in place for the
• DO NOT call 911 unless
transportation of children.
you need emergency assistance.
• Household members not at home will be directed to the
EVACUATION INFORMATION | RECEPTION CENTERS | WHAT TO DO | WHAT NOT TO DO
Evacuation Information
reception center. • Keep your car radio tuned to an EAS station.
If you cannot get a ride or need special assistance, call the advocate officer at your local fire department. Shelter any livestock. Obey all traffic control persons along your route. 19
An emergency evacuation may require you to be away from your home for a
Plans for children in school In the event of a radiological emergency, schoolchildren will be transported by
few hours or several days. With assistance from the American Red Cross, the
bus to reception centers if an evacuation is necessary. DO NOT TRY TO PICK UP
reception center will provide you with food, cots and first aid. Therefore, take
CHILDREN AT SCHOOL. Instead, plan on meeting your children at the reception center
only essential items with you when you leave. Such items might include:
at Bellows Falls in Westminster. Listen to the Emergency Alert System radio station for instructions and information regarding the designated reception center. Children living in Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Halifax or Vernon but who attend school outside the area will be held at the school until their parents pick them up.
This Emergency Guide Household Emergency Plan
If evacuation is necessary for any other type of emergency, children may be transported to a shelter close by. Listen to your EAS radio station for information and instructions. If instructions are to shelter-in-place, children
Family contact cards
will be sheltered at the school and cared for by school personnel.
A change of clothing
Plans for children in child care
Toilet articles
Check with your childcare provider BEFORE an emergency happens about an
Prescription medications
to provide transportation for childcare centers and homes that request it. Visit
Special dietary foods Baby supplies
evacuation plan. The Emergency Management Office in each town has offered the www.knowwhattodo.info website for updates. Information will be posted as soon as it is available.
Pet supplies
Plans for nursing homes
Checkbook, credit cards
facilities will be transported to host facilities with appropriate staff and medical
and important papers Blankets, pillows and towels
If evacuation is necessary, residents of nursing homes and residential care equipment. Because of their medical needs, residents will not be transported to the reception center in Bellows Falls. However, the reception center will be notified as to where residents are transported and will have that information available for family members.
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WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU | PLANS FOR CHILDREN IN SCHOOL AND CHILDCARE | PLANS FOR NURSING HOMES
What to take with you
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When you hear the alert, tune in to an EAS radio station and follow instructions.
Emergency Phone Numbers
911
for Rescue , Fire or Police
Create a household or family emergency plan and an emergency supply kit.
For non-emergency information: VT State Police in Brattleboro .............................(802) 254 - 2382 NH State Police ...........................................................(800) 525 - 5555 HazMat Hotline...........................................................(800) 641 - 5005 Poison Control Center.............................................(800) 222 - 1222 VT Health Dept. in Brattleboro...........................(802) 257 - 2880 American Red Cross (disaster services).........(802) 254 - 2377
Be prepared for any type of hazard in southeastern Vermont.
Website ................................................... www.knowwhattodo.info This website contains more in-depth information including evacuation plans, printable plans, local planning information and resources, as well as a section for kids.
Knowing what to do can reduce anxiety and help to keep you as safe as possible. 22
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9/05 ŠCopyright 2005 HowellMartin