Emergency Preparedness for People with Special Needs

[Guest guest]

Kim Hammons wrote: Emergency Preparedness for People with Special NeedsPresented as a community service by, Crum, B.S., M.S., Ph.D.Able2learnlive (DOT) comParents of children with special needs devote so much time and energyto dealing with their

child's day to day home, community and school needsthat they often forget that special needs children may require additionalsupport in the event of a crisis. So, whether you live in hurricane,tornado or fire or earthquake zones here are some important things toconsider. Basically your family needs to have a shelter at home kitprepared and an evacuation kit prepared. Both of these need to be easilyaccessible. Make the decision ahead of time whether you will stay at home,evacuate to a safer environment or go to a Public or Special Needs Shelter.When preparing your emergency kit besides food, water, and clothingsufficient to last a two week period, you will need to bring your child'smedical and educational equipment. Here are some of the things you willwant to include:· Personal and medical identification (for children dog tags ormedi-alert bracelets are a good choice (this goes for nondisabled childrentoo, who could

be rendered unconscious in a catastrophe) .· Personal, medical and school records including a list of allphysicians and medications· Special items such as wheelchairs, feeding/IV pumps and relatedsupplies, nebulizer machines and related supplies, special foods/formulas,computers with rehab programs, portable neurofeedback equipment· Blanket, pillow, folding chair, cot, sleeping bags for eachmember of the family· Favorite books, toys, DVD players with DVD.s· Pet and pet cage, leash , water and food bowls and their food· Personal hygiene items such as towels, washcloths, toothbrush,toothpaste, diapers, bed pads, special care cleansers, soaps and creams· The original or yellow copy of a "Do Not Resuscitate" (DNR)order, if you have one· Health Care proxy stipulating who can make decisions for yourchild if you are incapacitated in a crisis (Also send a copy of this to thenamed health

care proxy)· Temporary guardianship papers indicating who will care for yourchild if you are injured or killed - be certain these papers include allnecessary contact information, and are notarized. (Also send a copy of theeto the named emergency guardian)· Portable oxygen tanks/oxygen concentrators· Photos of familiar people that may be calming to your child· An Ipod or MP3 player with music that soothes your child· Map of area and important phone numbers· Signal flare and flashlights· Three gallons of water per person· Paper cups, plates and plastic utensils· Manual can opener· toiletries - including 14 days supply of prescriptionmedications and hand sanitizer· Cell phone with batteries and charger· Change of clothing, rain gear, sturdy shoes for each familymember· In a waterproof container: battery-powered portable radio,flashlight and extra

batteries· First aid kit and manual and prescription medications· Credit card and cash. You might even want to put some cash ora prepaid debit card in your child's back pack in case they were everyseparated from you in an emergency. A cell phone with a GPS chip is also agood idea for the same reason.· Extra Set of car keys, house keys and office keys.· Extra pair of eyeglasses· Matches in a waterproof container.In our household, we address all of this in two ways. We have our "stayat home" emergency gear all stored together in one large closet thateveryone can huddle into; and our "let's get out of here" emergencygear packed in our own individual backpacks which sit in the garage rightnear the car so we can just grab them and run. You might consider asimilar system. Each of my children has an emergency list (typewritten forthe oldest and photographic for the youngest). They are responsible

tocheck their back pack and put it in the car each time we travel (even forday trip). This mean that we always have anything we need with us; andthat their bags are always up to date and ready to go in case of anemergency. Once again, when the hurricane hits and I say: "Check youremergency backpacks", it is a well established routine, that is automaticfor everyone so panic is minimized.It is also a good idea to plan ahead as to who will get each pet and thenecessary pet supplies. In our house (we have a menagerie), the youngestputs the three cats in a carrier and grabs their food and water. Theoldest grabs the rabbit and his supplies. I get the bird and the dog. Thekey is that everyone knows what to do ahead of time. To make this easier,we stick to the same distribution of responsibilities that we normally haveas part of the household chores. This makes it simpler for the children torecall.If your child

has special needs and there are special needs shelters inyour areas, you should apply for eligibility even if you think you wouldonly use it as a last resort. Registration guidelines for such SpecialNeeds Shelters usual vary by county, so you need to follow the specificguidelines for the county you reside in.Plan for Needed Evacuations· Discuss your child's disabling condition with yourpediatrician to determine what you need to have on hand for an evacuation· Pre-determine where you will evacuate to and how you will getthere. Bear in mind that roads may be blocked so you may need severalalternate routes. Additionally, public transportation may not befunctioning, so if you don't have a vehicle have standing arrangementswith someone who does.· Remember if you will be relying on a car, you may need to storesome extra gasoline in a safe location as gas stations may be withoutelectric and unable to pump

gas. Also, be certain to try and keep the tankson all your vehicles topped off.· Even if you were planning to remain at home, if the localpolice order an emergency evacuation of all homes, leave right away. Makecertain that everyone is wearing protective clothing and shoes appropriatefor the weather and that they have a first aid kit, ID, and some money withthem. Leave a note in your house indicating when you left, and where youare going in case anyone comes looking for you. Call your family membersand let them know where you are going and your anticipated route. Take youremergency supplies with you (these should be pre packed in your vehicle)Plan to Shelter at homeYour child may use special equipment that requires power. For thisreason purchase a generator, and stock up on batteries. Don't forget tohave food that can be eaten right out of the jar or the can; so that youdon't have to waste precious power

on cooking. For the same reason, acharcoal or propane grill could be a valuable asset for the days followingthe actual storm.If you are in an area likely to suffer from wind damage, contact yourState to determine if they have any assistance program to help increase thestructural safety of your home and to install wind resistant windows.If you live in an area likely to suffer from flooding, remember topurchase flood insurance. Store all your emergency supplies on an upperfloor or in the attic, and to purchase a raft or small boat that can bekept on your property. When you think this is going overboard, rememberthe Katrina victims.Important PapersNon driver's ID's, Passports, School ID's should all be in awaterproof plastic bag.You also need copies of your HO, FLOOD and Auto policies in a waterproofplastic bag.Also in plastic water proof bags: wills, contracts, deeds andinvestments,

bank account , credit card account numbers, birthcertificates, marriage certificates, divorce papers, custody papers,adoption records.Finally, you need photos of everything in your home, along with a writteninventory indicating the purchase price of all major (expensive items) incase you need to file an insurance claim. This should also be in a plasticbag.This plastic record bag should be placed a large backpack that you canjust grab and run with if necessary.A second copy of all these records should also be kept in a fireproofsafe - just in case you lose the carry along set. Being compulsive aboutsafety, I also recommend sending an extra set of all these documents to aclose friend or relative who lives in another State or town. That way, ifyou lose everything, they have backups for you.Right NowRight now before there are any warnings or advisories, get prepared bymaking certain you have

adequate levels of insurance, that your wills,guardianship and heath care proxies are current. Also make certain that youtake a Red Cross First aid and CPR class.Plan two escape routes from each room in your home. Draw these and postthem in each room. Next, make a game of practicing these routes and seeingif the children can increase their speed of exit. In case exit is notpossible or appropriate, identify which room is the safe place in yourhome, and have everyone getting there as quickly as possible with their ownperson emergency kit (with dried food/snacks, water, first aid kit,bandana, bug spray, suntan lotion, some utensils, can opener, emergency IDphone numbers and bracelet).It's a good idea to purchase a wind up radio that doesn't requirebatteries, as well as a National Weather alarm radio. The National WeatherService usually provides 12-24 hours advanced warning of known storms. Every

monthGo around the house with your children in tow to check the smokedetectors and carbon monoxide protectors, and your hurricane shutters, andhow to turn off the utilities. Practice escaping from a fire and meeting at a predetermined location.Practice meeting in the safe room with your personal safety kits in tow.Practice quickly loading the car with your emergency kit and driving atleast part of your evacuation route. This is particularly important becausespecial needs children have more difficult with transitions than otherchildren. They need all of these activities to be part of their normalroutine so they don't freeze or act out when an emergency does arise.Advisories, Watches and WarningsA watch means something could happen in 36 hours. This is the time tomake certain you have emergency phone numbers by each pone and to showeveryone how and when to turn off the utilities. It is time to do

a homehaszard hunt for items that can move, fall, break or cause a fire andrectify the situation.A warning means it is expected to happen within 24 hours.Once a warning is posted, complete any last minute packing andpreparation, review your evacuation plans, and while you are doing all thisverbally mediate what you are doing and why so that your special needschild knows that you are taking all the necessary precautions to prepareand protect everyone in the family. This is also a good time to reviewwith your child: how to call for help. Where the emergency numbers arelisted, and what personal emergency information they should have in theirpocket (or in a bracelet) at all times. Make certain that each familymember and babysitter knows the address and phone number of where you willbe staying during the crisis. Give each child their emergency informationcard which should include the phone numbers for family

members, along withtheir health insurance policy and policy number, diagnosis and notation ofany essential medications and dosages.To help your special needs child understand the types of emergencies thatmight arise in your geographic region, it is a good idea to get a selectionof books whether children their age successfully made it through similarstorms. You might also be able to find some good videos with a similartheme. Making the "crisis" more familiar the preparation routine, willincrease the likelihood of your child adapting to the situation whenneeded.Presented as a community service by, Crum, B.S., M.S., Ph.D.Special Needs CoachAble2LearnEmail: [mailto:Able2learnlive (DOT) com] Able2learnlive (DOT) comVoice and Fax: Website: [http://www.speciale ducationsupport. org/]www.specialeducatio nsupport. orgIf you are having trouble viewing this message, please go to http://community. icontact. com/p/able2learn /newsletters/ clubspacescom/ rss.xml. Kim Hammons IPUT Informed Parents

United Together Tampa, Florida www.iput.org www.yahoogroups.com Keyword: "IPUT"