Emergency preparedness mindset and actions

When people think about preparing for disasters and emergencies, items on their ìto doî lists tend to be tangible: Create a ìgo kitî for each family member. Develop an emergency communications plan. Have at least two ways to evacuate from the neighborhood.All of those are important tasks. However, the mental aspect of emergencies is often overlooked. In times of crisis, the human brain behaves differently than it does during less stressful times. This can lead to muddled thinking, poor decision-making or even a complete mental ìshutdown.îFortunately, there are ways to improve mental readiness for emergencies and disasters. Firefighters accomplish this through regular training on a variety of scenarios. Figuring out how to resolve even the most unlikely of situations strengthens problem-solving abilities, which in turn helps them perform better during incidents.People who arenít emergency responders can improve their mental preparedness for unexpected events using similar techniques. One way is to think of possible scenarios ñ from the seemingly mundane to life-threatening events requiring immediate action ñ and then decide how to respond. For example:

• How do I get home if my usual route is blocked for a water main break?
• Where will my family go if we canít get home at all?
• What do I do if a violent person comes into my workplace?
• What will I need to take if we have to evacuate our home because of a wildfire?

Another way to ease the stress of an emergency or disaster is to simply make preparations for unexpected events. It seems contradictory to prepare for things that cannot be predicted, but the mere act of having a plan and an emergency kit provides a sense of control in the face of the uncontrollable, and reduces decisions that must be made at a stressful momentís notice. Practicing those plans etches them into memory while highlighting where improvements can be made.National Disaster Preparedness Month 2017ìMany of the worst disasters in history started out quite modestly.î — Amanda Ripley, author of ìThe Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes ñ and WhyîNo one starts their day by thinking they might have to activate their family emergency plan sometime in the hours ahead. But maybe everyone should. The people who survive and recover best from disasters of all kinds are those who plan for them in advance and cultivate a mindset of preparedness and resilience.September is National Disaster Preparedness Month, and this yearís theme is ìDisasters donít plan ahead. You can.î Emergencies donít happen on a schedule; but, with a little time and effort, people can prepare for the unexpected.Here are 10 ways to improve emergency preparedness.

• Make/update an emergency plan, and donít forget to include pets. Easy-to-use templates for plans, wallet information cards, emergency financial plans and more can be found at https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan
• Create/update a family emergency communication plan that includes an out-of-town contact to coordinate communications with family members. (See website above for a guide.)
• Sign up for (or update) emergency notifications from the El Paso-Teller County E911 Authority Emergency Notification System: http://www.elpasoteller911.org/
• Keep an emergency kit at home, at work and in the car. Check out https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit for items to include.
• Have an evacuation plan that includes at least two ways out of the neighborhood and workplace.
• Create or update a home inventory. Worksheets, apps and tools are available online from insurance companies and other organizations.
• Learn skills such as CPR, First Aid, using a fire extinguisher and how to shut off utilities.
• Take ìUntil Help Arrivesî training online at https://community.fema.gov/until-help-arrives#wbt
• Practice emergency plans, evacuation plans and family communication plans on a regular basis; and update them as needed.
• Work with neighbors to develop and coordinate emergency plans. Include neighbors who are elderly and those with special needs, and make sure someone checks on them.

(Sources: Ready.gov, ReadyColorado.com)For more preparedness tips and information, visit the following websites:

• http://ready.gov ñ FEMAís emergency preparedness web site
• http://readycolorado.com ñ The official State of Coloradoís preparedness website
• http://redcross.org ñ National Red Cross website