[KYHAM] KEN Training July 1: Earthquakes, Planning Ahead

[Ron Dodson]

As a point of interest, another small tremor occurred along
the New Madrid Seismic Zone on Thursday, June 27, 2002 at
about 19:37:35 CDT
(Jun 28, 2002 00:37:35 GMT). The event was 0.42 km ( 0.26
mi) south
of Ridgely, TN. The magnitude was 2.0. In all likelihood, no
one felt it here in Ky.  Just goes to show that the fault
systems are active a lot more than you'd think.
============ Anyway, on with this week's training
=============

Last week we examined the earthquake risk to our region of
the U.S.  If you will recall there are several fault systems
which can have an impact on our state and seismologists
currently predict a 40 - 60 % chance of a 7.8 Richter Scale
quake along the New Madrid System within the next ten
years.  Which if it were to occur would affect the entire
state in some fashion regardless of the location of the
epicenter. While earthquake prediction is still not an 
exact science, we have state-of-the-art equipment and
those trained in its use on the job 24/7 to monitor 
activity.  They are doing their best to look out for 
us.  It is our job to be prepared and plan for the 
day when the big one comes.


Tonight we will begin to look at some readiness and 
preplanning steps you can take to reduce the dangers of
personal and property damage to your family environment.  

All families should have a good Family Disaster Plan.  If
you do not, begin by looking at the lifestyle of you and
your family members.  Talk with your employers about
disasters plans at the workplace. What do they expect of you
if you are at work during a disaster?  What if you are away
from work when one occurs?   

If you have children in school you may want to review the
school systems disaster plans. Are they going to hold the
children at school, try to send them home or what?  Next
talk with family members about what will likely happen in
these situations.  Make sure all understand what they can
expect to occur in all situations.  Plan with family members
the action steps to take in case a fire occurs in the home. 
Also don't forget severe storm and earthquake safety
measures regarding where to go and what to do for each. 
Discuss how you can make contact with one another if phones,
e-mail and pagers are not functioning.  If you have other
amateurs in the family discuss simplex frequencies you could
use if your repeater was off the air.  146.52 may or may not
be a good choice in some cases.  Designate two family
members who live at great distances from you who know they
are to serve as information points in case long distance
service will work.  Be sure children know how to make these
long distance calls without money.

Make sure all responsible family members know how to shut
off the water, gas, electricity etc. and know how to use a
fire extinguisher.  Consider having these responsible family
members take first aid and CPR courses if they have not
already done so. Plan for the care of your pets and identify
neighbors who may need assistance in a disaster.  Review
your plans regularly with all family members.

Plan and build a family disaster supplies kit using a 72
hour period as a bare minimum time frame.  Longer time
periods would be better.  Plan one gallon of water per day
per family member.  Remember to rotate this every 3 - 6
months so you always have a fresh supply.  I mark our
containers with a marker showing the date of purchase and
use the oldest first while always replacing it with new. 
Store non- perishable food and items which require minimal
or no cooking.  Eating and drinking utensils and manual
bottle and can openers. Also keep either a supply of water
purification tablets, 2 % tincture of iodine or household
bleach on hand for additional water purification needs. 
Heating sources such as canned heat, camp stoves etc. are
nice additions but carry addition dangers as well from
explosion hazards to carbon monoxide poisoning which require
extra caution in their use.  Don't forget battery operated
radios and or TV's, flashlights and extra batteries for all
items stored.  Plan for optional ways to charge amateur
radio equipment batteries as well.  Several manufacturers
now sell universal chargers which work well for most
batteries and even have DC cords for automobile use. 
Matches in waterproof containers can be a blessing, away
from gas leaks of course.  Work Gloves, shovels, wrenches,
screwdrivers and pliers can be helpful items as well.  Extra
clothes and bedding, sturdy work shoes, rain gear and
sleeping bags can make disaster extremes a little more
pleasant.

Small items such as towels, washcloths, sewing kits, shaving
kits  and writing materials may sound like small concerns
now, but could be important in a disaster environment. 
Don't forget extra supplies of medications and first aid
supplies.  Some extra cash and your important papers need to
be stored in a safe location as well.  Photographs in a safe
deposit box can be very important in settling damage claims
with either insurance or disaster assistance workers.

Next week we will take a trip around the house and workplace
in a hazard hunt and pay a visit to the local department or
hardware store to pick up a few items for your disaster
fighting arsenal.