Drills
Every family member will know what to do during an earthquake if they have practiced and reviewed every step as a group. Most injuries and deaths occur as a result of heavy falling objects. Determine the safest places in your home beforehand. If you have children, practice the fastest way to these places with them. Drills help children know what to do during an earthquake even when you are not with them.
Talk with your children about what they should do if an earthquake occurs while they are in school.
These are the most important points of a:
• Standing under a table or desk and holding on to it.
• If there no table or desk, cover their head with their arms and
o standing or squatting (crouching) under a door frame or
o as near as possible to a corner of the house of building.
• Moving away from windows and glass, and from heavy objects (such as bookshelves, cabinets and radiators) and that may fall during the quake.
• If you are inside your home or building, stay there. Many people, when trying to escape, are injured by falling objects near building entrances.
Evacuation plans
It is also important to be prepared to evacuate an area affected by an earthquake. Good planning helps responding to risks quickly and efficiently and makes following authority instructions easier.
• Review evacuation plans from every room in your home with your family.
• See if there is an alternative escape route for each of the rooms and that can be used if the original plan fails. Every family member should know where the ladder is in case they need it.
• Clearly mark places where food, water, first aid kit and fire extinguishers can be found.
• Clearly mark power sources and gas outlets so they can be shut down or closed in case of emergency.
• Determine a place where the entire family should gather after an emergency.
Determine priorities
Write a priority list in case of emergency that includes:
• Important items that may be carried by hand.
• Other items, in order of importance for your family and you.
• Items that may be carried by car, if a car is available.
• Important tasks if time allows them, such as locking doors and windows, shutting down electricity and closing the main gas outlet.
Write down important information
Make a list of documents and important information and store it in a safe place. Include:
• Telephone numbers (police, fire department, paramedics and medical centers, power and gas company).
• Names, addresses and phone numbers of your insurance, including policy number and type.
• Names and phone numbers of neighbors, and if applicable, the house owner.
• Year, make, ID number and license plate of your car.
• Bank or financial information, account numbers and types.
• Radio (or television) stations to listen to emergency information.
Gather and store important documents in a fireproof safe
• Birth certificates.
• Property certificates (house, cars, etc).
• Social Security Cards
• Insurance policies
• Wills.
• An inventory of items in the household (preferably a list and pictures of each room and valuable items).
Emergency supplies
Store enough food supplies and emergency items for after an earthquake and that will last for at least three days (first aid kit, clean water and food that doesn’t require refrigeration).
First aid kit
Store your first aid kit in a toolbox or fishing box for carrying ease and water protection. Check that the content is updated and replaced expired items constantly. NOTE: medical information and most medication may be stored in a refrigerator since it also offers excellent fire protection.
Medication
• Wound disinfectant.
• Antibiotic ointment.
• Individually packaged alcohol washcloths.
• Aspirin tablets.
• Prescription and common use medication (check expiration date).
• Diarrhea medication:
• Eye drops.
Bandages
• Bandages and gauze in different sizes
• Cotton
• Tapes.
Other items
• First aid manual
• Scissors
• Tongs
• Thermometer
• Soap bar
• Paper tissues
• Sun protection lotion or ointment
• Paper cups
• Pocket knife
• Plastic bags
• Thread and needle
• Sanitary pads
