Do you need an aircraft carrier to be prepared?

One of the core fundamentals of the American Red Cross is disaster preparedness, and earlier this week the state of Wyoming showed quite the initiative in being prepared for 'anything'.


Wyoming House Bill 85 would have allocated $16,000 for a panel of legislators and emergency managers to study various measures, including a new state-issued currency, for handling a range of doomsday scenarios. Wyoming's Department of Homeland Security already has a statewide crisis management plan, but it does not include the so-called doomsday scenario. To add some humor, and introduce a 'poison pill', some legislators tried to introduce an amendment that mockingly asked whether Wyoming should purchase its own aircraft carrier and fighter jets (Wyoming is land-locked). Unlike most states that are in financial strife, Wyoming has $14 billion in savings and assets.

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead laughed off the idea of being the only governor to command his own aircraft carrier saying, "If we got an aircraft carrier, we'll need a bigger lake." The largest body of water currently in Wyoming is Lake Yellowstone which is deep enough to hold the largest Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. I thought it would be entertaining to visualize an aircraft carrier in a small lake...


However, the big natural disaster Wyoming potentially faces is the Yellowstone Supervolcano exploding... which is located directly under Lake Yellowstone (in recent years the geology under the lake has started to rise significantly). Who says you need to put an aircraft carrier in water? You could always airlift one and place it at a high, out of reach location such as Devil's Tower...


Unfortunately, House Bill 85 was narrowly rejected 30-27 in a final House vote. Maybe they watched the short-lived TV series Jericho, that featured the aftermath of nuclear attacks on the US with Wyoming taking over (SPOILER ALERT: ...after a Wyoming contractor examined similar 'what-if' scenarios and decided that instigating nuclear attacks would be good business sense).

OK - so an aircraft carrier might not make sense for Wyoming, but Oregon has considered one for disaster preparedness...

Scientific and Humanitarian Lessons from The Haiti and Japan Earthquakes

Our friends (and partners) at OMSI have piqued our collective Red Cross interest again with February 22nd's Science Pub Portland topic! "Scientific and Humanitarian Lessons from The Haiti and Japan Earthquakes" promises to be an elucidating and relevant lecture, held in the comfort of the Mission Theatre.  For more information and the address, visit: http://www.omsi.edu/node/1007. 

Grab a drink and a snack and get ready for a discussion about the scientific processes that led to these disasters as well as an overview of the overwhelming global humanitarian response. 
Dr. Wayne Pennington will also discuss how lack of public awarenesss or disaster preparedness magnified the Haitian earthquake's and Japanese tsunami's effects - and how this danger lurks globally for ill-prepared areas. 

Pretty relevant stuff, given that we are due for an enormous earthquake and ensuing tsunami in our little corner of the world! 
Red Cross also has a wealth of information on disaster preparedness; you can visit oregonredcross.org to learn about preparedness, schedule a class or presentation, buy safety products and print materials, and learn about blood donation.  As always, we love to remind you to "Be prepared for anything!" 

Photo courtesy of mcmenamins.com

Miss Oregon's "Old Spice" Parody for Miss America - Vote Now!

Miss Oregon 2011 Caroline McGowan showcases Portland (and some unparalleled whistling talent) through her Miss America video contest submission below!

Please share the video/vote for her as she represents the Red Cross at the Miss America competition here.

Caroline brings Portland cred to the national stage with a parody of the random/brilliant Old Spice video below (featuring Portland actor Isaiah Mustafa and created by acclaimed Portland ad organization Weiden +Kennedy)



Old Spice original video:



Please share Miss Oregon's video to encourage people to vote! Viral videos are only possible if we set the chain reaction!

Stumped On A Gift?

Do you have an "impossible-to-read" family member or friend on your holiday shopping list? Instead of just forking out some cash, take the advice of Miss Oregon Caroline McGowan, who is inspiring people around the state with her platform of community resilience and preparedness through the Red Cross.

Pictured above, Caroline spent yesterday grabbing emergency kit materials and safety gear from our store as gifts for her sorority sisters (who I hope aren't reading this).

EVERYONE benefits from the gift of disaster supplies. The unthinkable could happen at any time, and you show your friends and family you care by adding to their home, car and "go" kits - gifts that keep on giving the whole year round!

So when you're making a list and checking it twice, be sure to borrow from our lists as well!

A little Blog-Love for an Incomparable Three

On Monday in Lake Oswego, a fair at a retirement community represented an extraordinary collaboration between three parties I greatly respect.

Party #1: The American Red Cross
Now I’m a bit biased to the Red Cross, but what’s making me so proud today is the wonderful work of a dynamite volunteer named Vicky Leslie. Her commitment to helping the community is evident as she has worked to bring Red Cross services to a wider audience. This is the third event at this location that she has planned and lead. She is awesome!

Party #2: Carman Oaks Senior Living Community
Disaster Preparedness is important for every segment of the population, but so few communities actually take steps towards empowerment. The management at Carman Oaks has graciously hosted us in several well attended activities for their residents, including discussions on how to prepare for disasters. Few groups are as open to the ongoing conversation that is disaster preparedness. Clearly, Carman Oaks really cares about the health of its residents.

Party #3: Back T Pack
This is a company doing something new. Marilyn Miller von Foerster is a physical therapist, dedicated to her field. Through her work, which focuses on prevention rather than treatment, she is an innovator in health and has now entered the arena of disaster preparedness. At Monday’s fair at Carman Oaks she offered one of her ergonomic packs as a door prize and we filled it with some Red Cross disaster supplies. The wonderful lady who won now has a disaster kit she can manage in an emergency. Thank you Back T Pack for making disaster prep a lot easier.




left to right: Marilyn Miller von Foerster, the lucky winner, and Vicky Leslie




To learn more please click any of the following:
Oregon Red Cross
Carmen Oaks
Back T Pack

A talk on How to Browbeat Your Friends...

A few (very few) people have asked when I would be giving a talk in the Portland area in the near future... well, here you go! This from OregonLive.com:

A free disaster preparedness workshop is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, November 19 in Northeast Portland. The event will be held at the Portland Community College Workforce Training Center, at 5600 N.E. 42nd Ave. The event, which is sponsored by the Emergency Management Agencies of Gresham, Portland and Multnomah County, is also made possible by grant funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Expect to learn about basic disaster preparedness including assessing risks, creating a family plan, managing utilities and knowing the neighborhood.

The keynote speaker will be James Roddey of the Oregon Red Cross. He will speak on Native American myths, ghost forests, recent scientific discoveries and how to browbeat your friends and neighbors on getting prepared for THE BIG ONE or any type of natural disaster.

Register in advance at areyouready.doattend.com.

I'm no longer supposed to play the Prophet of Doom. You may now refer to me as the "Master of Disaster."

Keep doing #Just1Thing to Prepare

National preparedness month has ended and so has our annual #Just1Thing Campaign. We know that getting ready can be overwhelming, so even though September has ended we hope you will continue to do just one thing (at least once in a while). We will to do our best to help and highlight great new things we find like the 2yr shelf stable Tactical Sammich, the Carzor and the SwissRoomBox. However, our friends on twitter have some great and practical ideas as well (this is just a sampling and by no means inclusive of all the great ideas posted):

wordygirl11 @RedCrossPDX Fun ER prep today! I added Snickers bars to our Go Bags. In an ER, a treat will go a long way towards cheering me. #just1thing

bryanspalate @RedCrossPDX #just1thing meet your neighbors & if disaster strikes check that they are okay too #teameffort #community

nicgranum @RedCrossPDX "I updated an out of state contact to call in a disaster" #just1thing

jasonjamieson @RedCrossPDX #just1thing My little something is storing 3600 calorie emergency bars in my office along with several cases of water.

ClarkCountyFood @RedCrossPDX #just1thing making sure we have band aides in different sizes, shapes and antibiotic cream!

ljsgecko @RedCrossPDX We keep a to-go bag in each of our cars' trunks just in case we're at work or out and about when we need to be ready.

lindatrigg @RedCrossPDX Bought extra flashlights and stocked up on batteries #just1thing

BrandiLAX @RedCrossPDX create a trained "Go Team" equipped with stored "Go bags" for first response.

livingsimply69 @RedCrossPDX Weather radio is a must have!! #just1thing

Well be sending out our fabulous prizes soon thanks to Public Health Emergency Preparedness program at the Oregon Health Authority. But remember, even though our contest has ended it’s not too late to do #just1thing!
We don’t know when disaster will strike, be it a hurricane, an earthquake or a velociraptor, but we do know being prepared could save a life - maybe even your own.

(*Notepad in photo can be purchased at PrettyBitter.com)

Are you 'Tech Ready' for a disaster?

In our increasingly technologically reliant society, people are finding new ways to communicate during and after a disaster. For example, during the Japanese crisis and East Coast earthquake people went for their mobile phones and computers to tell their family and friends what was going on. More Americans are using social media and technology in emergencies, and to help people understand and prepare the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration) joined together to present a new tip list for How to Communicate Before, During and After a Major Disaster.

The list contains some key information for us to remember as we keep upgrading, and I've listed a few of the major tips below...

Does your household rely on cordless phones for your landline? Cordless phones require power both at the handheld units and the base station, which will likely be unavailable during a major disaster. It is recommended that you keep at least one traditional cord-based phone around the house.

Keep emergency contact information in your cell phone, and subscribe to text alert systems that many state and local governments are starting to offer.

After a disaster hits, if you lose power try to keep your cell phone charged. You can reduce the brightness settings, close apps, and put the phone in airplane mode to conserve power. Keep a car charger handy to recharge it if needed.

With a smart phone or other mobile device using a cell network, a natural reaction can be to go online and watch streaming media to find out what is going on. Resist the urge as it can add to network congestion that can hinder emergency response. Keep a battery powered or hand cranked radio handy instead.

For non-emergency communications use text messaging, e-mail, and social media. In addition, they suggest using the American Red Cross Safe and Well website. If you do need to make a phone call, try to keep it brief.

For more tips, visit the How to Communicate Before, During and After a Major Disaster and Ready.gov's Get A Kit - Get Tech Ready websites.

Photo: CNN

Surviving An Emergency that Required No Toilet Paper

My Emergency Prep. Kit: Made out of a Widmer Beer box. Ready to help you calm down.

On a recent sabbatical, I experienced the kind of family emergency that requires no canned foods, protein bars or radio.  As a result, I reached into my emotional emergency preparedness kit which is based on: (1) Lifeguard training, (2) a false alarm in a hotel throughout which I screamed "I'm too young to die," and (3) a Fireman's advice.

The first, Lifeguard training, propelled me to isolate the victim's movement and call 911.

The second and third are closely related through a thread of panic.
As an 8 year old, I responded to the supposed fire with a natural, albeit highly unhelpful panic reaction.  Panic fuels the fire of an emergency.  Luckily, it was the advice of a Fireman (AKA my Grandpa Al) that ultimately made me a helpful partner in the emergency at hand.

The Advice? 

"You are going to Panic, Decide to Panic Later."

The goal of this message is to get you to stop reacting, and start acting (Roddey, 2011).
The goal is to help you focus on the task at hand AND the next step towards your safety.

"Panic Later" became my mantra I yelled at myself over and over as I followed the ambulance to the hospital.  My only job was to arrive safely to accompany my family through the scary ER and what turned out to be a successful recovery.

"I Want to Panic, But I'm Going to Panic Later." This should be your mantra during an emergency.
Repeat it, and teach it to your kids and friends.

I suggest placing the phrase "Panic Later" on the inside of your emergency pack and repeating it when you are inevitably scared and upset as an emergency rears its ugly head.
 

Are your kids and pets prepared?

We are well into National Preparedness Month and also halfway through our annual #just1thing contest. We want to help you prepared and thanks to our great partners at the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program at the Oregon Health Authority we still have two great preparedness kits to give away to lucky winners. To enter send a tweet to @RedCrossPDX with whatever you're doing to get prepared and use the hashtag #just1thing or visit RedCrossPDX on Facebook and post your #just1thing on our wall. You'll then be entered in a drawing to win one of the follow kits:

Sept. 22-28: Kid Kit
Sept. 29-Oct 5: Pet Kit

Need help with ideas? Check out our Be Red Cross Ready Online Training.

All participants are welcome, however only Oregon residents are eligible for prizes, to be awarded via random drawing. Sorry to our friends across the country and around the world, but this is one of the stipulations since we're partnering with the State of Oregon. The contest is free and there are no requirements to purchase anything to participate.

*photo courtesy of Film-Exposed