Weather Spotter Training
One great skill that you can add to your skill-set is getting a weather spotter training. This is offered by the National Weather Service (NWS) for free, in all areas of the U.S. The NWS has a volunteer SKYWARN program comprised of between 350,000 and 400,000 trained severe weather spotters. The spotter training consists of
- Basics of thunderstorm development
- Fundamentals of storm structure
- Identifying potential severe weather features
- Information to report
- How to report information
- Basic severe weather safety
The severe weather safety guidelines can be extremely helpful when observing storm formations, or even when developing your emergency plans. Identification of supercells, funnel clouds, hail size and patterns and other storm formations is very important for your own situational awareness, as well as for the good of the community. You are trained to report the weather conditions to the NWS and help them get a clear picture of the weather. Go to the SKYWARN site, http://www.nws.noaa.gov/skywarn/ for more information.
This is a great way to help your community and increase your self awareness at the same time!
Small Businesses: Emergency preparedness steps you can take NOW!
As a small business you may not have the time, need or resources to have a full time emergency manager to develop emergency plans and build response capacity at your business. It is important to know that you can take simple preparedness steps that will make all of your staff safer.
As a small business you may not have the time, need or resources to have a full time emergency manager to develop emergency plans and build response capacity at your business. It is important to know that you can take simple preparedness steps that will make all of your staff safer.
It sounds very simple, but one of the first steps you can take is to develop and practice evacuation plans. If you are a business that often has members of the public in your space as customers, then have your staff practice evacuating customers. Have a primary close evacuation point and farther secondary evac point mapped out and make sure staff know these points and can get to them easily. If the first point is too close and becomes too dangerous to stay in place then staff and customers can move to the secondary evacuation point. Develop and practice communications explaining to customers what is going on and to remain calm and exit the building.
It is also important to make contact with your local police department and share your plans with them, they may even have officers who can help educate staff on what to expect from a police response. Also, if first responders know where your evacuation points are, they know exactly where they can send ambulances if any medical help is needed. You can even coordinate with neighboring businesses and choose the same evacuation points for heightened safety of your business district.
Small businesses also need to practice sheltering in place (SIP). It is possible that you may be compelled to shelter in place due to emergencies such as gas leaks, or violent activities in your area. Oftentimes the order to SIP is given by law enforcement, and it may last for hours. You should make sure your business has the resources it needs to sustain and keep staff and customers as comfortable as possible during what may be an hours long lockdown/shelter order. This time may be frustrating and traumatic for all involved, so consider a kit with some essentials to help make the SIP easier.
Your business will also benefit from having staff trained in first aid and CPR. If you have shift managers who are present during all open hours of operation, they would be they best choices for CPR training. They are already in a leadership position, and will be present at all times the business is open.
These are all simple straightforward steps that any small business can take to better prepare themselves for emergencies. These guidelines can help keep customers safe, and give your staff the tools and confidence they need to keep your business safe. See what World Aware can do for you, Say Hello!
Developing emergency plans & keeping them up to date.
Whether you are an individual, family or organization having an emergency plan could mean the difference between manageable disruptions and huge losses. Many people and organizations may not have the resources to have a full time emergency planner on hand at all times. That's where emergency plan consulting and long term maintainance touch ups come into play.
For organizations, Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP) & Emergency Operations Plans (EOP) are indispensable in making sure that your business can keep providing services and maintain profitability in the face of short or long term disruptions in operations.
For individuals or families an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) or personal preparedness plan will be the tools that keep you and your loved ones safe and make sure your needs are met during any disaster or disruption of services.
World Aware can help provide you with the tools that will empower you and your family or organization thrive during emergencies or disruptions in services. We all know that needs change and new hazards develop and evolve. Along with developing a plan with you, World Aware can work with you to draft a long term maintainance plan to ensure your plan is up to date and functional as your needs change and as you grow! Contact us for more info on how we can help meet your planning needs!
Stay safe, stay aware, Be World Aware
beworldaware
September is National Preparedness Month!
September 08 2014
With September being National Preparedness Month we should take some time to consider our own personal preparedness goals and steps we have taken to reach those goals. Events like the recent earthquake in California serve as reminders of how vulnerable our communities and infrastructure are to various threats, including natural disasters. Look at preparedness month as a jumpstart to your personal preparedness. Start by formulating a emergency/disaster group contact list. This should be comprised of a network of family and friends that could mutually assist each other in the event of an emergency. The wonderful thing about having a network of people you can call on in an emergency is that it lessens the amount of material and equipment that one person or family has to keep on hand because it spreads the investment across a group. When making a contact list be sure to include out of town contacts. In the event of an emergency the phone systems in the effected area may be tied up and the out of town contact can serve as a way for everyone in the group to communicate on a system that isn't tied up and possibly leave messages for each other. The next step is to begin to gather equipment and materials that would be beneficial to you during an emergency. Each person in your group can focus on one aspect of preparedness in particular( like extended first aid or robust water purification, depending on their skill set and comfortability) but every member should have all the necessary items to function independently if needed. World Aware's multi person emergency kits are perfect for families or groups of people who need all their bases covered. These first few steps are a great way to get started and a great way to participate in National Preparedness Month. Be Aware, Be World Aware.
Thanks,
The World Aware Team
Water During Disasters.
Water availability during disasters.
Recently we have read about the contaminated water situation in Toledo, OH. Potable (fit or suitable for drinking) water is singularly the most important resource that we need to live. In emergency/disaster situations potable water is should be first priority. As we have seen in recent situation in Ohio our water systems are vulnerable to contamination, and water becomes unsuitable to drink what should we do? Instead of waiting in long lines for water rations, we have the option to have our own water supply storage or water purification options. Here at World Aware we hope to provide potable water options for those who choose to be prepared. Stay World Aware.
