Emergency Preparedness
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Increasingly, we hear about natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and floods. In the back of our minds there is also the possibility of man-made disasters, both accidental and perhaps unthinkable intentional ones. Would we be prepared?
It is not healthy to live in constant fear, but knowledge can be empowering Proper planning can be a proactive approach toward promoting safety and confidence in ability to handle emergency situations. Would you and your family know what to do in an emergency to be safe and secure? Have you considered the following: How would you connect with each family member in an emergency? Where would you agree to meet? If you were asked to shelter in place in an emergency (such as a heavy Denver snowstorm) do you have a food (and water) supply to last you through at least 72 hours? If asked to evacuate your home, would you have a to-go kit with some cash, identification and medical information?
Creating a personal family emergency plan may seem like work or like something you would rather not think about, but wouldn’t the peace of mind of preparedness be worth it? For great sources of information on emergency planning and checklists for being prepared, see the links at the bottom of this page.
Julie will be presenting an educational session at the American Counseling Association 2011 National Conference in New Orleans in March. Her presentation topic is “Disaster Mental Health and Trauma Research: Integrating Key Concepts in Disaster Mental Health Response”.
In April 2010, Julie and colleague Marlene Husson presented an educational session “Understanding Psychological First Aid-A Disaster Behavior Health Response Tool” at the Colorado Counseling Association Annual Conference.
Julie continues to present information on the psychological aspects of emergency and trauma and is a regular instructor in the Denver metro area C.E.R.T. (Citizen Emergency Response Teams) program. She has presented the “Disaster Psychology” section of C.E.R.T. training for deaf and hearing impaired citizen emergency responders in Denver.
For information on emergency planning and checklists for being prepared, see links at bottom of the page.
If you have questions about home and family emergency preparedness please contact Julie Uhernik.
USEFUL LINKS: