“Be prepared!” is not just for Boy Scouts
UCC has emergency response plan in place, do you?

With over 360 miles of coastline, at least five potentially active volcanoes, a tectonic plate system off shore with a 1 in 7 chance of creating an Indian ocean sized tsunami, a “very high seismic hazard” rating and 31 million acres of forest always vulnerable to fire, Oregonians are definitely not exempt from disaster. 

Luckily, UCC has an emergency response plan in place for disasters of all types.

Umpqua Community College pursues a strong, ongoing program to provide a safe, healthful work and learning environment for all those who use the campus. All supervisory personnel, security and selected faculty members have certain definite and specific responsibilities in case of an emergency. The emergency response plan is provided to inform staff and students what exactly their responsibilities are and just where they fit into each emergency operation.

The plan was prepared by Emergency Crisis Response Committee members Beverly Brandt, Steve Buchko, Stephen Cable, David Farrington, Jess, Miller, Dennis O’Neill and Susan Taylor and provides procedures and instructions in case of emergency or disaster. It includes specific plans for evacuation, protection of all people using the campus, minimization of damage and restoration of facilities, coordinated communications to the college and media, security of records and confidential documents, continuity of community operations and coordinated access for emergency personnel and equipment.

The campus plan is comforting, but what about home preparation?  Once a disaster happens, the time to prepare is gone. Being ready before an emergency with training and supplies may mean the difference between life and death, especially since emergency response services are seldom, if ever, able to immediately respond to everyone’s needs.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends stocking enough supplies for you and your family to survive on your own for at least the first 72 hours following a disaster. In other words, neither Taco Bell nor Safeway are going to be open.

Depending on the nature of the emergency, the first important decision people usually have to make is whether to stay where they are or evacuate. A plan for both possibilities is needed. FEMA recommends that people use common sense and all available information broadcast by the media to determine if it is safer to stay or go.

A “bug-out bag” is also important to have. This is a grab and go survival kit for people who are required to leave their home in the event of a disaster. These can be packed by hand or purchased already packed from survival stores either locally or online.

If you decide to pack your own “bug-out bag,” be sure to include enough water for at least three days. FEMA suggests at least one half gallon of drinking water per person per day. In addition to water, enough food to survive for 72 hours, high calorie energy bars and nutritional supplement drinks such as Slim Fast are a good idea. Also, MREs (meals ready to eat) and freeze dried foods can be a good source of nutrients and are very light to pack.

Essential first aid supplies are also needed. The American Red Cross suggests having the following items in your first aid kit: two absorbent compress dressings, 25 adhesive bandages, adhesive cloth tape, five antibiotic ointment packets, five antiseptic wipe packets, two packets of aspirin, a space blanket, a breathing barrier, an instant cold compress, two pair of non-latex gloves, two hydrocortisone ointment packets, scissors, an ace bandage, five sterile gauze pads, an oral thermometer, two triangular bandages, tweezers and a first aid instruction booklet.

In any disaster, communication devices could cease to work, so a designated meeting place arranged prior to the disaster is really important for families and loved ones in case they get separated when the disaster occurs or in the aftermath. A neutral location should be picked where loved ones can meet when it is safe to do so. FEMA suggests that families choose two locations, one in the immediate area and one that is out of the area just in case severe damage makes one of the designated meeting places unsafe. Each member of a household, including children, should memorize the phone number of a specific out of town contact. During some disasters it may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out of town contact may be in a better position to facilitate communication among separated family members.

Utilities are often lost during or after a disaster. The loss of power will create side effects that people may not be aware of. For instance, gas pumps cannot function without power, ATMs and credit card machines will be unavailable, and most stores will not be open because without power there would be no operable cash registers. Also, families who rely on a well for water are at risk for losing water if the well runs on an electric pump. Manual back-up pumps can be installed to prevent this problem, and generators can be used for emergency power.

Several local businesses sell survival supplies.  Roseburg Gun Shop and Umpqua Survival are both located on Diamond Lake Boulevard in Roseburg. Minuteman Surplus and Sporting Goods recently opened its doors on Main St. in Winston.  Supplies can also be bought at several online stores such as survivalunlimited.com and survival.supply.com.

Some good sources of information online are the Federal Emergency Management Agency (fema.gov and ready.gov), The Red Cross (redcross.org), and the National Center For Disaster Preparedness, (ncdp.mailman.columbia.edu)

Copies of Umpqua Community College’s emergency response plan are available to faculty and students and can be obtained by contacting Steve Buchko or going to the security office on campus.

The Mainstream is a student publication of Umpqua Community College.