Resilient Diamond Heights (RDH) has developed five brochures to train its volunteers and the public on how households can prepare for a wide variety of emergencies. This was undertaken when we found that very little of information scattered over the Internet is in a format that is easily understood. Some is written for the professional, and covers plans rather than procedures. Other material is over-simplified with little details of what or why certain recommendations are made.
These new brochures are based on broad research, and condensed into a single page (front and back) covering each safety topic, with graphics from the Internet where helpful. Links within the brochures allow more details if the reader desires. The following descriptions include a link to each brochure, allowing it to be downloaded for local reading or printing.
Planning Evacuations: The experience of the 2017 Santa Rosa fires that destroyed whole neighborhoods was that no advanced warning was given until sheriff’s deputies began pounding on doors at 2 AM. The average family had less than 8 minutes to gather people, pets, and belongings before evacuation. This brochure explains how to prepare your household, whether the emergency is a local fire or an area wide disaster: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g43nvk6kk6yfucm/Evacuation%20Flyer_1_6.pdf?dl=0
Sheltering: The New York Times recently ran an article that explained that construction of most San Francisco high-rises will protect life, but that damage after a 7.0 earthquake may render 50% of the buildings uninhabitable. Looking on the bright side, this also suggests that at least 50% of the residents will be able to shelter-in-place during the recovery. This brochure provides tips on preparing to shelter, include the important lists of what should be in your “Go Bag” and what should be in your “Shelter Kit”: https://www.dropbox.com/s/dbwyeb6qqa593m1/Shelter_Flyer_1_0.pdf?dl=0
Heat Emergencies: San Francisco’s extreme heat during the 2017 Labor Day weekend led to the death of several people, along with the hospitalization of dozens because most homes lack air conditioning. This brochure provides tips for remaining healthy, and especially provide tips for vulnerable residents who depend on assistance from relatives and neighbors to remain safe: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6d5upws26fgi0ts/Heat_Flyer_1_1.pdf?dl=0
Food Safety: A power outage affects both refrigeration and the ability to cook food to prevent illness. Refrigerated food begins to spoil after as little as 4 hours, and a regional disaster could leave homes without power for days. This brochure explains how to stay safe at both the household and the neighborhood levels until mass feeding is set up by the government following a large disaster: https://www.dropbox.com/s/cz0erorgmpsquuh/Food_Flyer_1_0.pdf?dl=0
Sanitation: Regional emergencies may cut off water for days or weeks, rendering toilets unusable. This brochure explains how to prepare for this possibility and how to maintain safe and sanitary conditions until plumbing returns to normal: https://www.dropbox.com/s/unbnb4t1uhn6lhm/Sanitation%20Flyer_1.pdf?dl=0
