Fire Drill

"Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves." ~Italian Proverb

This week the fire alarm went off at the office. The first thought was, oh, not another drill. Then I remembered, I don't work in NYC anymore where drills are mandatory twice a year. Here in Stamford, CT, the alarm has only gone off once before in two years while it was being tested.

So I decided to treat this alarm as real. (My first mistake, don't delay! Always treat alarms as real!) My next thought was, what will I take with me? I should have taken my entire work bag which includes a first aid kit but I thought that would look silly. (That was my second mistake, never worry about appearances during an emergency or drill). As it turns out many other employees took their purses or work bags with them.

After a pause for thinking, I took a hat for warmth (my coat is in the car outdoors) and my reading glasses, and followed the crowd down the stairs and out the building.

My third mistake was to stop with the crowd just a few feet outside the building door. Someone wiser had to remind us to move farther away so that the entrance would be clear for emergency personnel.

Fortunately this was a drill (or false alarm) and we were allowed back in the office after a few minutes.

Bottom Line

Don't underestimate the importance of drills. After you evacuate, imagine the office or house is a total loss to fire. What is gone that you wish you had saved? Everyone makes mistakes and a drill is the best time to learn and correct one's actions.

Triage

“Getting out of the hospital is a lot like resigning from a book club. You're not out of it until the computer says you're out of it.”
- Erma Bombeck

Since hospitals are private companies in the business of making money, it makes little sense for them to have empty beds or unused capacity. That’s just wasteful and unprofitable as a business. And yet that “efficiency” means hospitals can quickly become overwhelmed with the smallest of disasters.

Normally, one should not consider a rock concert a “disaster scene”. (Unless you really, really hate rock music :-) But last year, in Kansas City, Rockfest2008, exceeded the capacity of St. Luke’s Hospital, a major institution and winner of frequent quality awards. A concert of 50,000 fans created 22 ambulance calls over a couple of hours with cases ranging from heat exhaustion to a broken spine. This is an incident rate of just 0.044% but “The surge was so great the hospital had to place some patients on mattresses on the floor and tell ambulances that it had reached its limit for all but trauma patients.” Just imagine what would happen if the incident rate were higher like a biological agent or dirty bomb exploded in a sport stadium or other crowded event.

With mass care events, triage is activated (with a twist). Normally, with hospital emergency room triage, the most serious cases go first. Mr. Gunshot wound goes to the head of the line; Little Runny Nose Kid gets to wait (and wait). But with mass care, with overwhelming number of patients, the most serious patients are allowed to die. The goal is to save the highest total number of lives. A first responder or medical practitioner could spend 30 minutes trying to revive one person with CPR or save 6 seriously wounded from bleeding to death in the same time period. When forced to choose, would you save the one or the six?

When I was a “victim” in a Sarin gas attack drill, it took hours for medical rescuers to arrive. The fireman who arrived first became victims. Then guys in “space suits” showed up to take air samples. Then a bio-unit set up decontamination tents and finally bio-suited teams brought in stretchers or escorted the wounded to the tents for processing. All “victims” had a card stating the severity of our “wounds”. We noticed the rescuers were NOT saving those with “black” tags, the most seriously wounded. When we asked, they explained, these people were already dead after so long a wait or soon would be. They had to remain focused on the lives that could still be saved.

Bottom Line

Most of the time the American health system is a marvel with speedy service. But come flu season, a rock concert or a real disaster, there will be too few doctors and too few beds. This is one of the real fears behind a viral pandemic – hospitals will not be able to cope with the patient load. For this reason it is vital to know First Aid and be able to care for the health of yourself and your family as much as you can.

P.S. New Scientist magazine notes that Health workers may flee in pandemic panic. A survey in the UK revealed that only 15% of hospital workers would go to work during a pandemic. Even the Nurses and Doctors would stay home.

Financial Fire Drill

"I'm quite worried about the fiscal imbalances that we've got and what that might mean in terms of financial crisis ahead" - Bill Gates

Today's article has a long history. The Consumerist has an excellent blog posting called Prepare For A Budget Meltdown By Conducting A Financial Fire Drill. It summarizes a story by the NYT, Preparing Your Budget for Disaster which is turn is referencing a book called “The Two Income Trap.” So now that I've credited all concerned, here's the details...

You're fired! Now what? It's the nightmare scenario, and you can prepare for it by conducting a financial drill. Take a moment and pretend you have no income. Ask how you would pay pay for rent and food, and what lifestyle changes you could make on two week's notice. - Consumerist

Spending
When your earnings are reduced, you must cut your spending to match. "Restaurants, movies, cable, vacations, all of these can go."

Maintain & Reuse
Avoid buying anything new by using what you have until it literally breaks down or falls apart. Patch your clothes, fix things that break, drive your car until it is no longer road safe. I my family we drive our cars for about 10 years until our mechanic says they can no longer pass inspection (rust) or repairs exceed the current value of the car.

Borrow
Since your credit will dry up as your financial situation worsens, tap your credit lines while they're still available. But don't dig yourself into a hole you can not pay back. With the recession/depression you might be unemployed for a long time (it took me 6 months after I was laid off). Borrow only in case of emergency and only if you're confident you have funds to pay the monthly payments.

Readjust Your Assets
In my case most of my funds are in higher risk mutuals since retirement is years away. But if you have no job you might be forced to cash in your stocks and mutuals early. In this case it can be a rude shock when a market collapse like 2008 wipes out 50% or more of your nest egg. Consider moving your money to more conservative accounts until you start earning again.
Consider how much you can pull from your 401(k) and Roth IRA without incurring penalties. The Consumerist and NYT have the details.

Bottom Line
Keep in mind this posting is about a financial emergency like unemployment, NOT a way to find quick cash to buy a giant plasma TV for the Superbowl game. Borrowing to buy luxury goods is always a bad idea.

Do you know the sound of your alarms?

"Bells, bells, bells - In the clamor and the clangor of the bells!"
- The Bells by Edgar Allen Poe

Today I recommend reading "Do you know the sound of your alarms?" by WHEN SAFETY FAILS. This quote captures the heart of the problem...

"a woman was telling my wife a story about how she mistakenly thought there was a large truck backing up somewhere in the neighborhood. It turns out that the beeping she heard was a smoke detector in her kitchen that was alerting her to a burning roast in the oven."

Years ago as I parked at a farmer's market and turned off the car, it beeped at me. I made sure the lights were off and locked the car. What I didn't know was that this particular beep was trying to warn me that my keys were still in the ignition. I was locked out of my car and it took over an hour for a locksmith to arrive. Now I check lights and keys when I hear a beep.

Bottom Line

"In the home we have smoke and heat detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, security systems and even baby and child alert devices ... if we don’t know which device is shouting at us, we lose valuable time trying to determine the correct response."

You should test your alarms least twice a year when changing the batteries during Daylight Saving days. Give everyone in the house a chance to hear the sound of each alarm.

Fire!

"It'll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight! Fire, fire, fire." - song lyric

I don't think most people have a true appreciation for fire. We watch it burning peacefully in a fireplace or under other controlled conditions and bask in its warmth.

But last month Californians were reminded that fire can also be a monster. We "know" fire is "hot" but ...?

“It was a firestorm,” Captain Ruda said. “There were 50-foot-length flames streaking across the mobile home park. Fire hoses were melting into the cement and concrete. That’s how hot it was.”

And while we think of the hot flames as dangerous, the real killer is smoke...

“The smoke was so bad, I had to cover my mouth with a wet towel when we left,” Ms. Mendez said in Spanish. “I didn’t want to breath it in and hurt my baby.”

And most of us never learn just how fast fire can move...

“People really need to understand that because of these winds this fire can be upon you in a moment’s notice.”

Emergency crew members got a demonstration of how dangerous the winds were when, in the middle of the night, a wall of flames surrounded the Olive View Medical Center in Sylmar. Media reports said hospital staff members had worked frantically to remove critically ill patients as smoke seeped into the ventilation systems and backup generators failed.

A great example of the speed at which fire can spread is a Fire Safety video of a dry Christmas tree burning. http://www.fire.gov/newsletter/summer2001/page_two.htm
Within four seconds flames are up to the ceiling. Within 45 seconds the room has "flashed over" and is a total loss.

Bottom Line
When I lost power the other night, it took time for me to mentally adjust to what had happened and to respond by finding candles, matches, etc. With a fire you don't have time. You need to move quickly and assertively and you don't get a second chance to save something. NEVER go back into a burning house because you forgot something.

When the lights go out...

"That was the night the lights went out in Georgia" - song lyrics

Yesterday our neighborhood lost power while we were cooking dinner. It was after sunset so the room was instantly pitch black. My first thought was, "I wonder where my wife keeps the flashlights?" We have several around the house but at the very moment I needed one, I had no clue where to find one.

Then I remembered that I keep a flashlight in my pocket. (Old joke: Is that a flashlight in your pocket or are you happy to see me?) I have a key chain light that is the size of a quarter and at most a 1/2 inch thick. It puts out a very bright light and has proved to be very useful. I'm on my third key light over many years as they do eventually burn out or break. They can be found for under $10 at many stores and make a nice gift. Here's a variety of them on Amazon.com, http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=3180301

Bottom Line

If I had practiced a power outage drill I might have remembered where we keep the flashlights in the house. Fortunately I used my key light to go to our living room and light a candle that we keep on our coffee table.

A word of caution about candles. The Red Cross discourages them - many house fires are started by candles. We use a long burning candle in a glass jar so there is little chance of tipping over or of the flame spreading. Never leave a candle unattended!

Escaped rhino drill at Japanese zoo

"One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I don't know."
- Groucho Marx in Animal Crackers, 1930

How do you handle an escaped rhinoceros? For the answer check out this YouTube video of a zoo drill in Japan. (Via BoingBoing.net and Arbroath).



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgHQfxT7ImI

Bottom Line

While I doubt most people need to prepare for escaped rhinos, I included this clip to demonstrate the value of drills and especially drills well done. While the fake rhino with two men inside is rather cute, it does show the size of the beast and gives the zoo staff practice with crowd control, herding the rhino with sticks and staying out of the way. I'm sure the staff will learn much more from this drill than from a lecture or written instructions.

October was Fire Safety Month

“Unfortunately, our research indicates that too many families don’t understand
or appreciate the danger of home fires and as a result, have not taken even the
most basic steps to prepare for a fire emergency” - the Home Safety Council

The topic today is a belated recognition of October as Fire Safety Month. Fires and burns are the third leading cause of injury-related death in the home. It is the number one item that Red Cross responds to on a daily basis. Yes many more people are made homeless by a hurricane but fortunately hurricanes are few while nearly every day in each local Red Cross Chapter one or more families are forced out their home or apartment due to fire.

In 2006 every half hour someone was injured by a home fire and every 2 1/2 hours someone died in a home fire. Cooking caused the most fires but smoking caused the most deaths by fire. This is because you're awake while cooking but it is not uncommon for smokers to fall asleep with a lit cigarette and either never wake up or wake up too late.

Bottom Line

The Web is filled with information about Fire Home Safety.

For a list of recommendations check out www.homesafetycouncil.org/media/media_w145.aspx
See http://homesafetycouncil.org/mysafehome/index.aspx for a virtual home tour and possible Fire Dangers in each room.

Other items worth checking out...
Candle Safety: www.homesafetycouncil.org/safety_guide/sg_candle_w001.aspx
Games & Activities for Children: www.abcteach.com/directory/seasonalmonths/10_october/fire_safety_month/
Great site with links and suggestions: http://www.cityofflint.com/Fire/FPmonth.htm

Earthquake Drill for Nov 13 in California

“Love is like an earthquake-unpredictable, a little scary, but when the hard part is over you realize how lucky you truly are.”

If you live in southern California, participate in the ShakeOut Drill, at 10 a.m. on November 13, the largest earthquake preparedness activity in U.S. history! Register today!

An excellent article, Survival Skills: Earthquake, has been written by 10-year old Ryan Nabil. I wish the cub scouts in my Pack could write as well. Presented here are the highlights...

What Hurts During an Earthquake?

Before I conducted an extensive study on earthquake, I had the idea that it´s the shaking that hurts during an earthquake. But heck, I was wrong.

During an earthquake, it´s actually the things that fall on our body, especially [our] head, [that] hurt us. That accounts for such a great toll of death during an earthquake in contrast to any other natural disaster. Walls of a structure or other movable objects can fall on a person and cause casualties.

So, when an earthquake takes place: everything that you thought was your precious belongings turns into lethal enemies. They include: windows, doors, cupboard doors, heavy and tall furniture that might fall, shelves containing dishes, book shelves, china cabinets, TVs, CRT monitors, glass-made objects.

Bottom Line

When it strikes

If you are inside, on sensing [an] earthquake, you must move away from window and other objects that can fall as listed above and take shelter under a strong table. Cover your head with hand[s] to protect it from falling debris and also protect your eyes. You can use a pillow for this purpose.

Once the earthquake has started, [do] not to try to run out of the building because as that time falling debris or other objects might fall on your head and cause serious injury.

If you are in [the] kitchen, then you should know [the] kitchen is the most dangerous place during an earthquake. In such a situation, you must turn off the [gas stove] and move out of the kitchen as it might catch fire due to gas leakage.

Once the earthquake has stopped, don´t run out of the building as debris can still be falling. Besides, a major earthquake can be followed by a few aftershocks.

For an adult perspective on Earthquakes, check out Drop, Cover and Hold On! from the Public Information Officer for the city of Pasadena, CA.

Disaster Prevention Day in Japan

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" - folk saying

Japan is a country that treats disaster preparedness seriously. I recall reading about a minor earthquake in a foreign city. The staff in the writer's building casually went outside and blocked exit doors while smoking. At a Japanese owned company across the street, the staff wore hard hats, were organized into groups, and supervisors did roll calls to ensure everyone was evacuated.

According to the article, Disaster Prevention Day in Japan, there are roughly 1,500 earthquakes a year in Japan. Large quakes occur at 70-year intervals; the most recent, the 1995 earthquake in Kobe, claimed 6,000 victims. On average, three to five typhoons a year hit Japan, usually in September. Because of this, September 1 has become "Disaster Prevention Day".

Various drills for disaster preparedness are held all over the country by schools, companies and public organizations. Department stores also set up special sections with earthquake survival products. In bookstores you can find books with maps showing how to find your way home from your central Tokyo office to your house in the far-away suburbs. ... The fire brigade also pays visits to offices and schools, to train people in the use of fire extinguishers and have volunteers experience an earthquake in the Earthquake Simulator mounted on a truck ... at a magnitude 7 or 8, you will be knocked to the floor by the force of the swaying.

Bottom Line
If you haven't read it, please check out my blog on the value of participating in emergency drills. Drills save lives!

September Is National Preparedness Month

"There's a tendency - and it's human nature - to think that a large-scale disaster is not going to happen where you live. Accepting the inevitability of an emergency, and then taking responsibility for your own recovery are the necessary first steps toward protecting your family, your assets, and your community." - Small Business Association Acting Administrator Sandy K. Baruah

September is National Preparedness Month; sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It is designed to enhance the public's awareness of the necessity of having an emergency plan in place to respond to a natural or man-made disaster. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is one of the many government and private sector coalition partners participating in this fifth annual National Preparedness Month.

SBA offers the following tips:

• Develop a solid emergency response plan
  Decide beforehand evacuation routes from the home or business, establish meeting places and make sure everyone understands the plan.
• Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage
  Have at least enough insurance to rebuild your home or business. Flooding is usually not covered and requires additional Flood insurance.
• Copy important records
  Back up vital records and information saved on computer hard drives, and store that information at a distant offsite location. Copies of important documents and CDs should be stored in fire-proof safe deposit boxes.
• Create a "Disaster Survival Kit"
  The kit should include a flashlight, a portable radio, extra batteries, a first-aid kit, non-perishable packaged and canned food, bottled water, a basic tool kit, plastic bags, cash, and a digital camera to take pictures of the property damage after the storm.

The SBA makes low-interest loans to homeowners, renters and non-farm businesses of all sizes. Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace damaged real estate. Individuals may borrow up to $40,000 to cover losses to personal property.

Bottom Line

More preparedness tips for businesses, homeowners and renters are available on the SBA's Web site at http://www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/disasterpreparedness/index.html. The Institute for Business and Home Safety (http://www.ibhs.org/ ) also has information on protecting your home or business. To learn more about developing an emergency plan, visit the DHS's Ready Campaign Web site at http://www.ready.gov/ or call 1-800-BE-READY to receive free materials.

The Value of Drills

Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical - Yogi Berra

If you're like most people, you don't take the fire drills at the office seriously. You stay at the desk and ignore it as a waste of time. Big mistake! According to a new book, "The Unthinkable", there are three common mental states that most people encounter when an emergency occurs:

1. Denial
2. Deliberation
3. Decisive Action (Evacuate)

By ignoring drills you reinforce the "Denial" stage. You'll sit at your desk and think, "Oh, it's just a drill" or "This can't really be happening".

Drills also train you to get through the "Deliberation" stage faster. Studies show that people delay evacuating because the are caught in a mental fog of decision making.

• "Should I save the file I'm working on?"
• "Turn off the PC?"
• "What should I take with me from my desk?"
• "Should I change my shoes?"
• "Perhaps I'll call my spouse"
• "Let me check the news on the Internet to see how serious this is"
• etc

Drills help cut through this confusion. They develop the instincts and muscle memory to carry you forward when your brain is overwhelmed if you drill properly. Don't just saunter to the fire exit. Pretend the fire is real and grab your purse, your briefcase, etc. Go through all the motions you think necessary before evacuating the building.

My wife and I are square dancers. Some of the moves are quite complex and move quickly. If each time you hear a call, you have to picture it in your head and mentally go through each step, you won't keep up. Good dancers acquire a kinetic memory so the motions become automatic through practice and your brain is free to enjoy the dance and other dancers.

Bottom Line
Drills are valuable, especially when realistic. Practice awaking your family from sleep and evacuating the house in the dark. Pretend that the fire is blocking the front door; now how will you get out? Did you grab your go-kit on the way out, your wallet? You don't want to risk your life deciding what family valuables save before the house burns down. Decide now and practice - assign each family member something to take with them on the way out.