Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness

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• Mitigation is when efforts are taken to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters
• Mitigation can keep natural hazards from being catastrophic

Disaster Mitigation

• Disaster Mitigation lessens or limits the negative impacts of hazards and related disasters

Disaster Preparedness

• Disaster Preparedness includes knowledge and skills developed by governments, experts, communities, and people to anticipate, respond effectively, and recover from hazard events or conditions successfully
• Disaster Preparedness should involve manpower, money, and materials, and be informed by evaluations of past risks
• Identifying disaster-prone areas and organizing communication, information, and warning systems are key parts of Disaster Preparedness
• Ensuring coordination, response mechanisms, public education programmes, and media coordination are also crucial aspects of Disaster Preparedness
• Stockpiling food, drugs, and supplies - without hoarding - is important for households

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• According to FEMA, families manage disasters by preparing in advance and collaborating as a team

Identifying Hazards

• Identifying hazards involves understanding the disaster types most likely to occur in an area and learning how to prepare for them
• Potential hazards include man-made disasters like war, terrorism, and airplane crashes, as well as natural disasters
• Natural disasters or hazards include geological hazards like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, meteorological hazards like typhoons and hurricanes, hydrological hazards like tsunamis, biological hazards like pandemics, and climatological hazards like drought

The Philippines' Fault

• The West Valley fault system is capable of producing large-scale earthquakes of magnitude 7 or higher
• It traverses Quezon City, Marikina City, Pasig City, Makati City, Taguig City, Muntinlupa City, Bulacan, Laguna, & Cavite.
• A "fault finder" to check if a home is on a fault line is available via DOST and PHILVOLCS
• Learning community warning systems (sirens, texts) is important for hazard identification

Emergency Warning Signals (EWS)

• EWS includes yellow, orange, and red signals, Rainfall Warning System (RWS)
• Thunderstorm Warning System (TSTM-WS) and Heavy Rainfall Warning System (HR-WS) are also important
• Identify local emergency management organizations (Red Cross) and know how to contact them

Disaster Plans

• Plan should include emergency contacts or a list under the refrigerator or near the phone.
• It is important to be aware of disaster plans where you and your family spend time
• Be oriented, know evacuation plans and nearest exits, and in a mall, not to use the lift, not panic and exits before enrolling children
• In the United States, the purchase of a NOAA weather radio is being considered, which broadcasts warnings, watches, & forecasts 24/7

Family Preparedness

• Family meetings to discuss preparation importance are essential
• Being prepared keeps families safer and minimizes disaster damage
• Having a plan helps families know what to do and it can improve their ability to handle disasters
• Review the types of disasters most likely to occur, and explain what to do in each situation
• Assign responsibilities to each family member and plan to work together as a team and ensure this is understood by older family members
• It is important to decide on meeting locations for the event of disaster

Meeting points

• Meeting points should include outside your home and neighborhood, in the event of a sudden emergency to which you cannot return home, such as volcanic eruption
• Everyone must know the address and phone number of the meeting locations
• Document your family's communication including avoiding non-emergency calls

Communication

• Text family members.
• Telephone lines are frequently overwhelmed in disaster situations so use them only for life-threatening emergencies
• Have a plan for reuniting if separated during floods or disasters, especially during work/school hours
• Adjust plans for family members with disabilities or special needs, create a network of relatives
• Maintain a list of important items and store it with your emergency supplies, specially, equipment, hearing batteries, medicine regime, medical tags or bracelet to identify disability for those with disabilities.
• Family pet plan should be inclusive, pets can be frightened and not permitted in places

Home Safety and Evacuation

• Public shelters may not permit pets.
• Discuss what to do in an evacuation and create a family evacuation plan.
• If a family member is frequently away from home. Plan now how to respond to a disaster when a family member is away.
• Nurses living away. They should educate families regarding disaster safety
• Assemble a disaster supply kit and make sure you have an adequate water supply incase water is cut off, since it is often contaminated after major disasters
• Keep enough supplies for 3 days and assemble your kit with sturdy packs, containers.
• Keep the smaller disaster supplies kits in the trunk of your car, having these items are important and bring 2 copies of vital documents in a safe house.

Family Evacuation Routes

• Identify locate spaces in your home for each type of disaster
• Clear the first floor and move all your things to higher floors, and if the house is not safe, to evacuate

Education

• CPR and First aid training can be fun and provide first aid
• Remember where and how to shut off utilities like water, gas for safety and conservation to educate the litte ones Make a hazard inprovement hunt, and find anything that causes a fire to prevent injuries etc..