20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 20)

Here is the shopping list for week 20 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. Similary shopping lists have been posted every Sunday for the past 20 weeks. Spreading out emergency preparedness purchases over a period of time makes getting prepared less stressful. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 20:

• Camping or utility knife


• Work gloves


• Safety goggles


• Disposable dust masks


• 2 blank video cassettes


• Extra battery for motorized mobility aids

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 19)

Here is the shopping list for week 19 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 19:

• 1 box quick energy snacks


• Comfort foods


• Plastic wrap


• Aluminum foil


• Denture care items (if needed)

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 18)

Here is the shopping list for week 18 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 18:

• Child proof latches


• Double sided tape (or Velcro)


• Plastic bucket with tight lid


• Plastic sheeting

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 17)

Here is the shopping list for week 17 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 17:

• 1 box graham crackers


• Assorted plastic containers with lids


• Dry cereal


• Anti-diarrhea medication


• Rubbing alcohol


• Antiseptic


• Syrup of ipecac and activated charcoal

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 16)

Here is the shopping list for week 16 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 16:

• 1 can meat


• 1 can vegetables


• 1 box facial tissue


• 1 box quick energy snacks


• Dried fruit/nuts

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 15)

Here is the shopping list for week 15 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 15:

• Extra flashlight batteries


• Extra battery for portable radio


• Assorted nails


• Wood screws


• Labels for equipment and supplies

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 14)

Here is the shopping list for week 14 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 14:

• 1 can fruit


• 1 can meat


• 1 can vegetables


• 1 package eating utensils


• 1 package paper cups

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 13)

Here is the shopping list for week 13 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 13:

• Whistle


• Pliers


• Screwdriver


• Hammer


• Perforated metal tape


• Crow bar

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 12)

Here is the shopping list for week 12 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 12:

• Extra harness, leash ID tags, food for service animal and/or pets


• Litter/pan


• Extra water


• Veterinary records for pets

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 11)

Here is the shopping list for week 11 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 11:

• 1 large can juice


• Large plastic food bags


• 1 box quick energy snacks


• 3 rolls paper towels


• Medicine dropper

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 10)

Here is the shopping list for week 10 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 10:

• Waterproof plastic container for important papers


• Battery powered radio


• Wrenches to turn off utilities

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 9)

Here is the shopping list for week 9 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 9:

• 1 can of ready-to-eat soup
• Liquid dish soap
• Household chlorine bleach
• Heavy duty garbage bags
• Antacids
• Contact lens care kit

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 8)

Here is the shopping list for week 8 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 8:

• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Thermometer
• Tongue depressors
• Liquid antibacterial soap
• Disposable hand wipes
• Sewing needles
• Petroleum jelly

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 7)

Here is the shopping list for week 7 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 7:

• 1 gallon of water (ultimately you will need 1 gallon per person, per day)
• 1 can of ready-to-eat soup
• 1 can of fruit
• 1 can of vegetables
• Sewing kit
• Disinfectant

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 6)

Here is the shopping list for week 6 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 6:

• Sterile adhesive bandages
• Safety pins
• Adhesive tape
• Latex/non-latex gloves
• Sunscreen
• Gauze/roller bandages

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 5)

Here is the shopping list for week 5 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 5:

• 1 gallon of water (ultimately you will 1 one gallon of water per person, per day)
• 1 can of meat
• 1 can of fruit
• 1 can of vegetables
• 2 rolls of toilet paper
• Extra toothbrush/toothpaste

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 4)

Here is the shopping list for week 4 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 4:

• Patch kit for tires
• Signal flare
• Compass

Earthquake and Aftershocks

The following Google Earth image visually shows the number of earthquakes Japan has been experiencing in the past several days. The largest yellow circle is the 9.0 quake from last week. The oldest quakes are colored yellow, orange are newer and red are the most recent. This graphic was current at 1:00 pm today.

This image is a good reminder that an earthquake is not a singular event. Please use this experience as an opportunity to educate your family and increase your level of preparedness for an emergency.

Health and Human Services Response Update

The National MRC Office sent out this update Monday morning on Japan Earthquake response efforts.

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HHS Activities in Response to the Earthquake in Japan and Pacific Tsunami

March 13, 2011

To be prepared for requests for public health and medical assistance from the earthquake and tsunami, HHS deployed a Disaster Medical Assistance Team, an advanced logistics team, and a command and control team to Travis Air Force Base in California, along with a cache of medical equipment and supplies. From the Air Force base, the teams and cache could be deployed quickly to wherever they were needed to provide emergency medical care, staff medical shelters, augment community hospital staff, provide veterinary care, or conduct disaster mortuary operations at the request of states or territories in the region. The teams returned home when the danger passed in Hawaii and along the West Coast of the United States and FEMA stood down precautionary efforts in the region.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stands ready to provide public health and medical support to the government of Japan, although none has been requested at this time.

ASPR, FDA, and CDC are coordinating with the Dept of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and West Coast states on public messaging to address concerns about any release of radiation from damaged nuclear power plants in Japan reaching the United States. Although no public health risks are expected in the U.S., Washington State and Oregon are monitoring air and water as a precaution.

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 3)

Here is the shopping list for week 3 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 3:

• 1 gallon of water (ultimately you will want 1 gallon per person, per day)
• 1 can meat
• 1 can fruit
• Feminine hygiene supplies
• Paper & pencils
• Map of neighborhood, city, county
• Aspirin
• Laxatives

Health and Human Service Japan Earthquake Response

The following initial information on the USA Health and Human Services (HHS) response to Japan was sent to MRC leaders on Friday afternoon. Please note the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) is the same type of team Utah is begining to set up. If you are interested in federal disaster emergency deployments, please visit http://www.utdmat.org/ to learn more on how to volunteer. You can also view our DMAT Blog Post from earlier this month for more information.

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Dear MRC leaders, volunteers and stakeholders,

We have just received the following statement regarding HHS Activities in Response to the Earthquake in Japan and Pacific Tsunami (March 11, 2011)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is prepared to provide with public health and medical support to the government of Japan, the state of Hawaii, and states along the West Coast should assistance be needed in the aftermath of today’s earthquake in Japan and subsequent tsunami.

HHS is deploying a Disaster Medical Assistance Team of more than 35 healthcare professionals, advanced logistics team, and a command and control team, called an Incident Response Coordination Team, to Travis Air Force Base in California, as well as caches of medical equipment and supplies. From the Air Force base, the teams and equipment can deploy quickly wherever they are needed if requested by states or territories in the region or by the government of Japan.

Additional HHS teams are on alert, ready to deploy if needed to provide emergency medical care, staff medical shelters, augment community hospital staff, provide veterinary care, or conduct disaster mortuary operations.

HHS regional emergency coordinators are also in contact with state and territory health officers to ensure states have the resources necessary to respond.

The Administration on Aging is monitoring the situation with the state, tribal and local agencies on aging in impacted area to ensure safety of older adults in potentially impacted areas.

All tsunami resources will be posted on CDC's Tsunami webpage: http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis/.

The CDC Emergency twitter account (http://twitter.com/CDCEMERGENCY) will be tweeting basic messages pointing to our pages (e.g. "There are safety and health concerns following a tsunami – learn more: http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis/") and retweeting HHS, FEMA and other federal agency messages.

At this time, there have been no requests or alerts for MRC participation at the national level. However, I do encourage all MRC unit leaders to use this event as an opportunity to test activation mechanisms, ensure that MRC volunteers meet all local requirements, and recruit additional members.

We will keep you informed if national-level MRC involvement is requested.

CAPT Rob Tosatto
Director, Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps

Japan Earthquake Information

The following summary list of Internet sites to find information on the Earthquake in Japan was shared over the MRC Leader List Serve last Friday. Hopefully MRC volunteers will find this information useful.

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As most of you have heard, a magnitude 8.9 earthquake hit Japan at 1446 Tokyo time. This is the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Japan. The epicenter was 231 miles northeast of Tokyo, about 80 miles off the eastern coast of Sendai. The earthquake also triggered large tsunami waves moving both into Japan and eastward across the Pacific. Tokyo's Narita Airport has been closed, and utilities and communications are disrupted.

The American Red Cross and Google have set up web pages to assist in locating people in the area. Those links are:
• Red Cross person search web page: https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php
• Google Japan Person Finder: http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/?lang=en
• The Google page in Japanese: http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/?lang=ja

Inquiries concerning U.S. citizens living or traveling in Japan can be referred to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747 or 202 647-5225.

A tsunami warning is in effect for the Pacific, including Hawaii and the Pacific coasts of the United States, Central America, and South America.
• Hawaii Red Cross tsunami coverage on twitter: http://twitter.com/hawaiiredcross
• NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center: http://www.weather.gov/ptwc/
• Reuters tsunami map: http://static.reuters.com/resources/media/global/editorial/interactives/JapanQuake/QUAKE-PACIFIC-C.gif

News story links:
• Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/11/us-japan-quake-idUSTRE72A0SS20110311
• BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709598
• NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12japan.html?hp
• LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-quake-20110311,0,1950058.story

Primary POD Sites

In addition to helping dispense medications during a large-scale public health emergency, MRC members can help educate the community on what to expect during this type of an emergency response. Please share the following information with your family members, neighbors and friends to help them prepare ahead of an emergency.

The Davis County Health Department has an agreement with the Davis School District to use high schools as dispensing locations. Medications that would be dispensed during an emergency include antibiotics and vaccines, most likely in response to a terrorist indicent including agents such as anthrax, smallpox or the plague. The following eight high schools have been identified as primary Points of Dispensing (POD) in an emergency: Syracuse High School, Clearfield High School, Northridge High School, Layton High School, Davis High School, Viewmont High School, Bountiful High School, and Woods Cross High School.

Residents also need to know that all medications will be free of charge during an emergency, and that there will be enough medication for everyone who needs it. POD locations will remain open until everyone in the community needing treatment has received it. Similar to the first days of the H1N1 vaccine being available, lines will likely be long, but unlike during H1N1, the supply of medication will be sufficient to immediately meet the needs of the population. Residents should plan to know their two closest high schools and consider walking to the site to recieve medication to reduce traffic congestion.

The Davis County Health Department also has an agreement with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to use stake centers as POD sites. During an emergency these buildings will be used as secondary POD sites, only opening when there are enough staff members and volunteers available to do so.

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 2)

Here is the shopping list for week 2 in the 20 Weeks to Preparedness from Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset, KY. The introductory blog post about this project was made on February 27, 2011.

Week 2:

• Heavy cotton rope
• Duct tape
• 2 flashlights with batteries
• Matches & a waterproof container

UT-1-DMAT

Utah is forming its first Federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) and is currently recruiting volunteers. DMAT teams are a federal resource, activated to assist during emergency responses when local medical resources become overwhelmed or are non-existent.

UT-1-DMAT is currently recruiting for the following positions:

• Physician
• Physician Assistants
• Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Pharmacists
• Respiratory Therapists
• Other Health Care Personnel
• Support Personnel (including logistics, communications, administration, security)

To learn more about UT-1-DMAT and how to apply to be considered for the team visit www.utdmat.org.

Ready.gov Tools and Information

Ready.gov is a website full of useful information to help you, your family, your neighbors, and your co-workers get better prepared. Three key steps Ready.gov promotes are: 1) Get a Kit, 2) Make a Plan, and 3) Be Informed.

As an added bonus, all of their preparedness materials (and the website itself) are now available in the following 12 different languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese.

20 Weeks to Preparedness (Week 1)

While putting together an emergency kit is important, it can also be a bit overwhelming. Instead of trying to build your kit in a couple of days, many professionals suggest breaking it up over a period of time. For the next 20 weeks we are going to highlight Lake Cumberland District Health Department’s “20 Weeks to Preparedness: Weekly Shopping Guide." The idea is to buy a few items each week as part of your regular shopping. This makes the cost and the time investment less overwhelming.

Keep in mind the items listed are only suggestions. MRC volunteers may find they want to include additional or different items in emergency preparedness kits for themselves and their family members.

Week 1

• 1 gallon of water (ultimately you will want 1 gallon per person, per day)
• 1 jar peanut butter
• 1 large can of juice
• 1 can of meat
• Hand operated can opener
• Permanent marking pen

National Vaccine Plan

Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a new National Vaccine Plan. It includes strategies for advancing research and development, financing, supply, distribution, safety, global cooperation, and informed decision-making among consumers and health care providers. The National Vaccine plan consists of two phases: a strategic plan with overall goals and objectives to achieve over a 10-year period, and an implementation plan with measurable outcomes and process to achieve the goals of the plan. More details about the plan coming this spring. See the plan and more information by clicking here.

Information source: FEMA

Davis County Health Department Social Media

This month the Davis County Health Department launched a number of free social media information sources. MRC members who would like to learn more about the health department, programs offered, primary projects and more should bookmark the following links:

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/DavisCountyHlth, @DavisCountyHlth

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/DavisCountyHealth

YouTube:
www.youtube.com/daviscountyhealth

When Do I Activate?

From our Winter 2010 Newsletter

MRC volunteers only respond when they are officially activated.

During an emergency, MRC volunteers will be activated by the Davis County Health Department through Utah Responds when and if they are needed.

If you are not activated by the health department and given a specific response assignment under the incident command system, you do not have liability coverage or workers compensation protection. This is true for any emergency, exercise, drill, or other event. MRC volunteers do not self-deploy like CERT volunteers.

If a partner agency (city or hospital, for example) needs MRC volunteers they will contact the Davis County Health Department and make a formal request. The health department will then determine how many volunteers to activate and contact them through Utah Responds. Remember, other jurisdictions in the county do not have the authority to activate MRC volunteers.

Utah Responds: The 2011 MRC Summit

Davis County MRC volunteers can now register for Utah Responds: The 2011 MRC Summit.

This year's summit will be held at the Provo Marriott Hotel on April 9, 2011. Registration is through U-Train, details and instructions can be found at http://sites.google.com/site/utahmrc/2011-summit.

The summit is FREE and is available on a first-come first-serve basis. Some of the topics to be covered at this year's summit include:

• Disaster Responses
• Preparing for Deployments
• Utah Responds
• Psychological First Aid
• Earthquakes
• Triage
• Ethics in Disasters
• Sheltering for those with Limited English
• Pets in Emergencies
• Utah DMAT

If you plan to attend this training please remember to register as soon as possible because space is limited.

New Blog Posts

Unfortunately our blog has been silent for many months due to time, staffing and access considerations. However, we are now back up and running and will be able to provide MRC members valuable information on a weekly basis.

Thank you for your patience.