Quake Survival Tips

Experts agree everyone should be self-sufficient for a minimum of 72 hours. Start planning NOW. Preparedness decreases injuries and saves lives.

1. Inside Safest Place: Duck under a sturdy table-desk, cover your head and hold onto a table leg.
2. Get against an inside wall, hallway, or corner away from windows. "Duck and Cover" to make yourself the smallest target for anything breaking.
3. Outside: Move away from buildings, trees, telephone and electric lines.
4. In car: Drive away from underpasses and overpasses; stop in safe area; stay in vehicle.

5. Check for injuries - provide first aid and CPR.
6. Check for hazards - check for fires, extinguish them or leave the building. (Turn off gas only if you smell it or hear it hissing.) Check for gas, water, sewage breaks; check for downed electric lines and shorts; turn off appropriate utilities; check for building damage and potential safety problems during aftershocks such as cracks around chimney and foundation.
7. Clean up dangerous spills. Wear hard-soled shoes, in case of broken glass and debris.
8. Follow your workplace or family disaster plan.
9. Turn on battery-powered radio and listen for instructions from public saftey agencies.
10. Don't use the telephone except for emergency use.

11. Portable radio with extra batteries.
12. Flashlight with extra batteries.
13. First Aid Kit - including perscriptive medications and a spare pair of eyeglasses. Have First Aid Handbook.
14. Have a pair of hard-soled shoes and a flashlight next to you bed.
15. Fire extinguisher, ABC type.
16. Adjustable wrench for turning off gas and water.
17. Smoke detector properly installed.
18. Portable fire escape ladder for homes/apartments with multiple floors.
19. Bottled water - 1 gallon per person per day. Store in a cool/dark place.
20. Canned and non-perishable food sufficient for a week for each member of you household. Note: Both food and water should be dated and rotated every 6 months.
21. Non-electric can opener.
22. Portable stove such as butane or charcoal. Note: Use of such stoves should not take place until it is determined that there is no gas leak in the area. Charcoal should be burned outdoors only. Use of charcoal indoors will lead to carbon monoxide poisioning.
23. Matches.
24. Telephone number of police, fire, doctor, and your "out of state" contacts.

25. Disaster Plan for the workplace and the family; to include family reunification, and the "out of state" contact person that every family memeber can call.
26. First Aid and CPR, contact the American Red Cross.
27. How to turn off gas, water, and electricity. Note: Most injuries occur from breaking objects and furniture. Bolt and secure heavy objects / wall hangings and strap water heaters.