You may have heard the words “shelter in place” being used often over the news or during an emergency situation. But do you really know what this means? Are you fully aware of what you need to do in case you find yourself in such a situation? Sheltering in place is a short term solution to address a biological, chemical, nuclear and radiological threat. Individuals that are under such hazards immediately need to seek shelter inside a nearby enclosed structure. Once inside, they would have to close all the doors, windows and potential ventilation. The objective is to keep all contaminated outside air from seeping inside. The following tips below will help you take the necessary actions in sheltering in place effectively.
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Learn How To Shelter in Place at Work, at Home, or in Your Vehicle
– You can be almost anywhere if the local authorities sound the Shelter in Place alarm. It is best that you are knowledgeable enough to handle such a situation wherever you may be.
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Check Your Home Emergency Kit
– Other than the basics, it should contain pet food, OTC drugs for your members with prescription needs, water purification tablets, anti-nuclear radiation potassium iodide tablets and an ABC rated Fire Extinguisher just to name a few.
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Include Documents in your Emergency Kit
– Important documents like medical and immunization records, insurance cards, spare keys, extra cash and a map are essential elements that should be part of your kit. Most especially if you have a family member with serious/on-going medical conditions.
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Choose a Safe Room
– If you can’t have a standard safe room installed choosing a particular room in your home that has the fewest or no windows at all would be the next best thing. A master bedroom would be an ideal location for a safe room.
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Prepare a Safe Place for Your Pets
– Make sure it’s pet-friendly. Get rid of any plants or toxic chemicals. Block places where your pets might get stuck in if they get frightened like vents or underneath heavy furniture.
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Check for Warning Systems
– It is important to know whether or not you can see and hear the warning systems in your locality. Your local government may have sirens or warning lights installed in your area. Knowing where these are and how they sound like is critical for higher chances of survival.
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Prepare a Family Emergency Plan
– Advance preparation and constant drills will make you and your family prepared in what to do, where to go, how and where to find each other and most importantly how to communicate with each other should you be required to shelter in place.
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Stockpile Adequate Supplies for You and Your Family
– At least a 3-days supply will get you through such a situation. Make sure you also have supplies for specific needs for persons with disabilities or medical needs.
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Stockpile Bathroom Tissue
– This item is often overlooked and somehow preppers realize its importance when it’s already too late. This will show you how to come up with a figure on how much tissue you should be in your stockpile. Depending on how many people are in your house and how much BT is used on a daily basis.
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Purchase Additional Medical Supplies
– You must have extra medical supplies just in case. Disposable gloves, rubber or nitrile gloves, N100 masks and disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, and bleach. Other items such as duct tape, plastic sheeting material, and tarps are also equally important.
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Invest in Solar Lanterns
– The most effective and cheapest way to keep your home light during a blackout. You would not worry about batteries anymore and it should be bright enough for you to find your way around without stumbling.
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Have a Store-A-Potty Ready
– This 72-hour emergency toilet kit has an airtight lid, snap on toilet seat, a 3 day supply of biohazard bags and deodorizer packets. Other than making sure you have enough food and water keeping your health in tip-top shape can be achieved by proper sanitation and hygiene.
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Form a Personal Support Network
– Support teams can consist of family, co-workers, friends and caretakers. Inform them of your emergency plan and give them a set of extra keys to your home. Provide a copy of all important documents and medications to at least one out-of-state contact.
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Prepare an Evacuation Plan
– Once authorities order that it is clear to vacate the place where you’re sheltering in you must know where to go next. Designate meeting places outside your neighborhood. Prepare alternate exit routes in case there the ones you’re travelling in might be inaccessible.
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Close the Business or Worksite
– This is the first thing that you should do. Ask the customers to stay not to leave. List down all the names of those who are with you in the room and contact you business designated emergency contact to let them know who are with you. Include their affiliation in your business.
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Close and Activate the School’s Emergency Plan
– This should be a plan that has been practiced or drilled at a regular basis so students and faculty would know what to do in case of an emergency. Employees should be familiar with the building’s mechanical systems turn them off have it sealed immediately.
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Stay in Your Vehicle
– If it’s not possible to go to a building or your home the safest and quickest way possible you should stay in your vehicle. Park in the safest place you could find. If possible under a shaded area. Turn off the engine, close the windows and vents. Grab your emergency kit and listen to the radio.
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Follow Protective Actions and Protective Actions Guides
– The United States Department of Health and Human Services have set of guidelines put together by the Radiation Emergency Medical Management or REMM. This will enable you to follow various ways to protect your family should you be required to shelter in place.
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Seal Doors, Windows and Air Vents with Plastic Sheeting
– Using duct tape and plastic sheeting seal all doors, windows, outlets, vents, and other possible entry points of outside air. If plastic is not available you can use a wet towels.
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Turn Off Cooling, Heating and Ventilation Systems
– Never forget to switch off these systems first prior to sealing doors and windows. Without doing so may bring contaminated outside air directly into your home. Don’t forget the fireplace damper as well.
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Play the Game of Monkey See Monkey Do
– This is for a typical school scenario. As a teacher keeping the kids quiet and without worrying about their parents is quite difficult. Playing this game may somehow catch their attention and keep them still thus avoiding much more unnecessary dangers.
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Run-Hide-Fight
– This is for a college setting with a shooter scenario. You will have to run to the nearest room. Lock the door behind you and switch your phone to “silent or vibrate mode.” Hide under a desk or furniture. Should you be under threat of the intruder be prepared to fight with anything that you can use as a weapon.
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Convert a Regular Wet/Dry Vacuum into an Air Filter
– As long as the vacuum is installed with a HEPA filter, it will clean out the air being drawn from outside. The air that will exit the exhaust port and blown into the flow-room will most likely be free of airborne viruses.
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Wear a N95 Respirator Mask
– This mask is said to protect the wearer against airborne contaminants (0.3 microns in size) by 95%. Since it is disposable it is best that you stockpile a few boxes for you and your family. This item should also be part of your emergency survival kit.
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Stay Off the Phone Unless it is Completely Necessary
– Trying to contact your loved ones can clog up the telephone lines which is critically needed by emergency personnel. Unless of course there is a fire, police or medical emergency in your site. The school or workplace has systems for keeping your children or other family members protected in case they need to shelter in place.
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Monitor Local TV and Radio Stations
– Knowing what exactly is going on at a timely basis is important. This will enable to you to make the necessary decisions that will make or break you and your family’s survival. Having a NOAA public alert radio is also important.
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Prevent Boredom and Cabin Fever
– Have board games, dance videos, playing cards, puzzles and the like prepared to keep you and your family preoccupied while waiting for the clear out from authorities. You’ll never know when you might need them. It may take longer than you’ll expect it to happen.
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After the “All Clear” Signal is Given
– Before exiting the structure open all doors, windows, vents and turn on the heating as well as the air conditioning system. Let the air out while waiting outside for about 15 to 30 minutes before re-entering.
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Evacuating After the “All Clear” Signal
– Identify the paths to the nearest exit prior to the “All Clear” signal. Stay together and exit in an orderly fashion. Never use the elevators. Once outside account for every person present and immediately report any missing person.
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Report to the Evacuation Reception and Care Center
– Register your name even if you do not plan to stay there. Family and friends that might be looking for you will be directed to the designated center. This will make their search much easier.
These are just a few basic tips that will help you go through the before, during and after sheltering in place emergency procedure. There are many more methods that you can find over the internet should you want to know more details. Overall, the ones aforementioned will surely be life-savers for you and those around you. It is best to be prepared even before a disaster happens.
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