Katy 2nd Ward Preparedness Plan – Family Summary Sheet
This document is a brief summary of the Katy 2nd Ward Preparedness Plan prepared by the Katy 2nd Ward Preparedness Committee under the direction of the Ward Welfare Committee.
Distributing Information: Home teachers will be asked to account for the delivery of this Katy 2nd Ward Preparedness Plan – Family Summary Sheet to their hometeaching families. This and other preparedness information compiled by the Katy 2nd Ward Preparedness Committee is being made available on the Internet at
http://www.oocities.org/esarlls3/EmergencyPrep/. Other documents on the web site include the Katy 2nd Ward Preparedness Plan and Emergency Preparedness Information for the Houston Area.Member Responsibilities: Members are encouraged to have a year’s supply of food, clothing, and, where possible, fuel, including a portable generator. All members should have a 72-hour kit for each member of their family. This should be reviewed and restocked at least annually. This kit is for use in the event of immediate evacuation or extended utility outage. It does not replace the prophetic council for each family to have a year’s supply of food and other commodities available. Suggestions are included in the Internet link mentioned above.
Priorities: After a disaster ward resources are used to respond to needs in the following order: 1) Assist those injured or in physical danger. 2) Account for all Ward families and individuals. 3) Assess the shelter needs of all members of the Ward. 4) Assess needs for commodities and water for ward members. (Preferably each family should have their own 72-hour kit to supply their needs) 5) Assess damage to homes of Ward members and respond to emergency needs. 6) Assess damage to homes of neighbors and respond to emergency needs. 7) Assess damage to Church property and report findings to the Bishop.
Before the Storm: When an emergency is anticipated, the bishop activates the Ward Emergency Plan by contacting the High Priest Group Leader, Elder’s Quorum President and Relief Society President. This action should be initiated a couple of days before the storm if possible.
Priesthood and Relief Society leaders contact their home and visiting teachers through established communication channels. Each home/visiting teacher contacts the families/sisters assigned to them to assess their status, evacuation plans, special needs and resources. If you have not been contacted, contact your home/visiting teacher and report your situation to them. The home/visiting teachers then report their findings to their organization leaders.
After the Storm: First resolve emergency needs for your family and neighbors. With emergencies resolved, contact your home/visiting teaching families again to determine their status. Again, report status and needs to your organization leaders. If you cannot contact someone, consult with your organization leader about how to confirm the family’s status. Also, contact your home/visiting teacher and report your status. With emergencies resolved and status reported, you are ready to start clean-up efforts for your family and neighbors unless directed otherwise by ward leaders.
Guiding Principles: Police, fire, and other emergency personnel are in charge of directing volunteer efforts. We are there to supplement their efforts or to act for them if they are not present. We are volunteers and not generally trained in emergency work. Attempting to help beyond the level of our expertise can be detrimental.
Family Contact Person(s): After a disaster, local phone calls may be difficult. You should have a few contacts out of the area that you will keep updated with location and status information. Make sure all family members know these contacts and their address and phone numbers. Inform others who may be trying to inquire about your status following an event.
Suggested Reading: In the Priesthood Session of the October 1998 General Conference, President Hinckley discussed proper use of savings and debt. We recommend all families to heed his counsel. This document is available at:
http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-22-20,00.html.Emergency Preparedness Topics for Discussion
Homeowner’s/Renter’s Insurance:
Be aware of your deductible. Be prepared to have to pay the deductible amounts to restore your home. Know what is and is not covered by your policy. Consider having replacement cost insurance. Is additional insurance required for windstorm coverage? It is in some coastal areas. Most hurricane damage comes from flooding, not from the high winds. Winds tend to diminish soon after the storm comes ashore, but the risk of flooding can actually be much worse further inland as the dying hurricane releases its moisture in torrential rains over a wide area. Federal disaster assistance is usually in the form of a loan that must be repaid with interest. It is not a substitute for flood insurance, which also covers losses from small, localized flood events. Federal flood insurance is the only insurance that covers flood losses; homeowners insurance doesn’t. There is a 30-day waiting period on all new flood insurance policies, so initiating a policy in advance of severe weather is essential. Flood insurance may be purchased through insurance companies and agents. For information contact your insurance agent or the NFIP at 1-800-427-4661. Having a documented inventory of your possessions and their condition simplifies the claims process. If you have a video or photo camera, you might want to videotape and/or photograph your home’s various rooms and their contents. Include pictures of furnishings, electronics, clothes, and your most valuable household items. Remember to record items in closets and drawers. Also gather any receipts for major purchases. Be sure to keep your list, videotape, photographs and receipt copies in a safe place, such as a safe deposit box, or with a friend or relative. The preferred storage for valuable documents is in a secure off-site location, such as a safe deposit box. A less desirable option is to have them stored in a waterproof, fire-resistant container and available for easy evacuation. Valuable documents may include home inventory documentation; Insurance policies; Identification & Health Insurance Cards; Emergency Cash; Important family documents: Birth Certificates, Passports, Naturalization Papers, Medical Records, Diplomas, Family History Documents. The safest place to be when a tornado hits is inside. Identify a safe spot in your house where you can take cover if you need to. Basements are a good choice because they are below ground. Other options include closets, bathrooms or hallways on the first floor, as long as they are away from windows. During a tornado watch, store your car in a garage or underneath a carport to protect it from hail or flying debris.Fire:
Have fire extinguishers available. Check and test them annually. Train responsible family members on how to use them. You fire department can help with this. Install smoke detectors on each level of the house and near all bedrooms. Check them monthly and replace batteries at least annually. Know how to turn off utilities at the main switches or valves in case you have to evacuate or are instructed by emergency officials to do so. Avoid storing water in containers that decompose or break, such as paper or plastic milk containers or glass bottles. Soft drink bottles work well. One gallon of water per day per person is needed for drinking and cooking. Stored water should be rotated at least every six months. Store some water in plastic drink bottles in the freezer. This will help keep the freezer cold in case of a power outage. These are also handy to use in coolers for picnics. The preferred method of water purification is to use halazone tablets. These are available at most drug and sporting goods stores under a variety of brand names. Have a home escape plan for your family in the event of a fire in the home. Practice the plan on a regular basis. Make sure everyone in the family is familiar with the plan. Decide on places for family members to meet. You should have two places to meet: nearby in case of a fire and outside the neighborhood in case you can’t return home. Make sure everyone knows when to meet where. Also inform your family contacts of your meeting places and their addresses and phone numbers. Emphasize that family members should get themselves out in the event of a fire. Do not go running through the house looking for others. Go to a neighbor’s home and call 911. Practice opening windows, taking off screens and, if on a second story, using ladders. This is especially important for children, who can have trouble working window locks or collapsible ladders without practice. A food storage program is intended to support the family during a time of economic difficulty. Enough food and commodity supplies to last a year should be collected over time. After shelter, food and transportation are frequently the largest expense a family faces. Buying a few extra months of food can be a burden. But by shopping wisely and adding to your food stash over time, you can make this less expensive. One of the best resources for large quantities of food is warehouse club stores, such as Sam’s, and food co-ops. Store what you eat and eat what you store. Unless you regularly grind wheat and cook with it there are probably other things that make more sense to include in your food storage program. Be aware of expiration dates on your stored food so you can rotate it early enough to avoid spoilage.