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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNovember 2019 PreparednessGuideHelping you prepare for the unexpected November 2019 emerGency information: 503-635-0257 www.lakeoswego.city/EmergencyManagement PreParedness Public Alerts emergency notificAtion Enroll to receive important notices Lake Oswego uses the ClackCo Public Alerts emergency notification software system. All residents who are served by Lake Oswego Fire Department (including those in Multnomah and Washington Counties) will be covered by ClackCo Public Alerts and are urged to enroll in this system. Enroll at www.clackamas.us/publicalerts ClackCo Public Alerts will distribute emergency messages via telephone, text or email to registered participants in the community at a rate of 1,000 calls per minute. Important messages that could be relayed include notices to evacuate or shelter-in-place, information relating to flooding, water contamination, shelter locations, gas leaks, missing children or elderly, and other important information. CodeRED, our previous notification system, will no longer be used. If you were enrolled in that system you will need to enroll into Public Alerts to receive future messages. For questions or assistance, please call the City’s Public Information Office at 503-635-0257. 5 must-HAves for your go bAg ... that also make great gifts! Being prepared means being equipped with the proper supplies you may need in the event of an emergency or disaster. Keep your supplies in an easy-to-carry emergency preparedness kit (a go bag) that you can use at home or take with you in case you must evacuate. A go bag is a packed case that you grab on your way out the door, and that will help keep you safe and comfortable in the coming hours and days. Pack a separate go bag for yourself and every member of your household, and keep them stored in the same location. In addition to the basic supplies listed below, here are a few unique items that you might want to include in your go bag: Portable Water Filter If disaster strikes and you’re forced to leave your home, access to clean, drinkable water is critical. Including a few water bottles is a good idea, but you can extend your water supply capacity with a water filter. There are many types of personal water filters to choose from, and some of them do a better job of filtering out microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites than others. Read more about filters and treating water at www.regionalh2o.org/how-make-water-safe-drink. Light Sources It can get pretty dark at night when the power is out. Candles and oil lamps work, but you need to be careful with the open flame. New LED flashlights are great and use far less battery power than their incandescent predecessors. Be sure to have extra batteries on hand. Another option are solar landscape lights - leave them outside all day long, then bring them in at night. Portable Stove If you’re forced to evacuate or lose power, making warm food or boiling water can be a challenge. A camp stove takes care of those needs, but portability and fuel are both issues. E-Reader Ok, this might sound decadent, but think of the things you’d want if you had to leave the house in a hurry, possibly for an extended length of time and potentially without access to critical services. Maps would be nice. So would how-to guides. On paper, these are heavy and would take up a lot of room in your go bag. An e-reader can be loaded up with hundreds of first aid guides, maps, survival books, cookbooks, plant identification books and other valuable reference material. It has lighting so you can read everything at night. The battery lasts for weeks, and it weighs under half a pound. Portable Power Bank Smartphones, lights and other mobile devices have limited battery life, so bring along a portable power pack (and make sure you charge it monthly so it’s ready to go). Basic supplies that should be in everyone’s go bag: For a list of additional items, go to www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/ survival-kit-supplies.html. get tHe femA APP To get weather alerts, disaster resources and safety tips, download the FEMA app. You can receive weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five different locations anywhere in the United States! • Water: one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home) • Food: non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home) • Flashlight • Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible) • Extra batteries • Family first aid kit • Medications (7-day supply) and medical items • Multi-purpose tool • Sanitation and personal hygiene items • Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies) • Cell phone with chargers • Family and emergency contact information • Extra cash • Emergency blanket • Map(s) of the area eArtHquAke PrePAredness PAnel Interested in hearing about how our region is prepared for a major earthquake? Check out FM News 101’s video (www.bit.ly/EarthquakePreparednessPanelKXL) as KXL News Director Rebecca Marshall asks a panel of experts “Is Portland prepared for a major earthquake?” Panelists include Jay Wilson with Clackamas County Disaster Management, Earthquake Geologist Ashley Streig with Portland State University, Oregon Office of Emergency Management Director Andrew Phelps, Ray Arana director of Relief Team One, and Portland Bureau of Emergency Managment Director Mike Myers. know before you go! Did you know that the leading cause of death during winter storms are automobile or other transportation accidents? Before you travel this holiday season, visit www.TripCheck.com or call 5-1-1 for the latest in road conditions, weather forecast and chain requirements. In addition, make sure to let someone know your destination, your route, and when you expect to arrive. If your car gets stuck along the way, help can be sent along your predetermined route. Install and maintain CO alarms to avoid the risk of CO poisoning. is your House number visible? To help first responders identify your house quickly, it is important that house numbers be clearly visible from the street. Take a few minutes and make sure your home can be easily found in case of an emergency. House numbers should be: • In plain, block numerals on a contrasting background. • At least six inches high. • Unobstructed and large enough to be seen from the street. • Facing the street named in your address. • On the door, the door frame, the main entrance or displayed at your driveway entrance if your house is not visible from the road. gAs sHutoff How to manually turn off your home’s main natural gas line. If you need to have your gas service turned off, call NW Natural and a technician will provide the service for you. However, should a situation arise where you need to turn off your gas supply immediately, follow this simple procedure: • Locate the shutoff valve on the riser pipe from the ground to your meter (Figure A) or on newer meters the service line going from your meter into the house (Figure B). • Use an adjustable pipe or crescent- type wrench to turn the valve a quarter turn in either direction. When the valve head is parallel to the pipe, it is in the OPEN position. • Turn the valve head crosswise (perpendicular) to the pipe, and it will be in the OFF position. There are also natural gas shutoff valves on the lines fueling individual pieces of equipment. Once the gas is off, leave it off. Call your NW Natural office when you are ready for the gas to be restarted - 800-882-3377. A qualified service technician will check your system, turn on your service and relight the appliances for you. Gas Company Facilities Customer Houseline be wArm & sAfe tHis winter! Did you know that heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fire deaths? Remember: • Keep anything that can burn at least three-feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater. • Never use your oven to heat your home. • Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional. • Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed. • Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters. • Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home. • Test smoke alarms monthly. How will you contAct your fAmily in An emergency? Disasters and emergencies can occur at any time and your family may not be together. Power may be lost and cell phones may not work. Do you and your kids have contact phone numbers memorized or written down and available in your kid's backpacks or your wallet? Do you have an alternate plan to connect with family and friends? Do you know how to contact your children's school in the event of an emergency? Call a family meeting and make a communication plan: • Visit the FEMA library to download and print a Family Communications plan for Kids and Parents www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/34330 • Visit the FEMA library to download and print an Emergency Supply Kit Checklist for Kids and Parents www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/34326 • Know the facts about disasters for Kids www.ready.gov/kids/disaster-facts • Visit the FEMA library to download and print more facts about disasters www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/34288 do your medicAl needs require electricity? Whether you depend on life-support or other medical equipment or refrigeration for life-sustaining medications, it’s important that you’re prepared. Consider owning a home generator and know how to use it safely. This is vitally important for anyone who depends on electricity for life support. While some life-support equipment has built-in backup systems, the backup period may not be long enough to cover an extended outage. With a generator, you may eliminate the need to be transported to an alternate location. Being prepared also means having an outage kit and communication plan in place. For a power outage preparedness checklist to help you put together a plan, visit www.portlandgeneral.com/ outages/power-out/powering-medical-equipment. Fuel Supply A 5,500-watt generator will run about eight hours on 5 gallons of gasoline, so gas management is critical if you want to be prepared for an extended power outage. That may mean running your generator for shorter periods and coasting on things like refrigeration. sAfety tiPs for using generAtors If winter weather causes extended power outages, many PGE customers turn to back- up generators to power appliances and equipment. Generators may be of benefit during an outage, but if used improperly, they may cause tremendous damage, injury and even death. PGE offers these tips: • Never plug a generator into a wall outlet. Doing so may produce a dangerous back-feed of electricity into utility lines. It may also destroy your generator, damage your house wiring, start an electrical fire or electrocute a PGE lineman working outside on your lines. • Instead, plug appliances and other electrical equipment directly into your portable generator using an indoor/ outdoor, three- prong, grounded extension cord. • Set up your generator in a well-ventilated area. Because generators are fueled by gasoline and propane, they generate toxic - potentially deadly - exhaust. • If you've invested in a permanently-installed generator to power all or part of your home, you must utilize an approved transfer switch to prevent the danger of electricity back- feeding into utility lines. In order to install this type of generator, you must first receive a permit and undergo a safety inspection by a local electrical inspector prior to operation. Permanently-installed generators must also comply with National Electrical Code requirements as well as local electrical codes. • Prior to operation, thoroughly read the manufacturer's instructions to safely operate your generator. you’re fine... is your neigHbor? Did you know that elderly people account for the largest percentage of hypothermia victims? Many elderly people literally “freeze to death” in their own homes after being exposed to dangerously cold indoor temperatures, or are asphyxiated because of improper use of fuels, such as charcoal briquettes, which produce carbon monoxide. Take time this winter to check on neighbors who may require assistance such as elderly people, people with disabilities and those with small children. Be a good neighbor - stop by to see if they need help clearing their walk or driveway, check on them before you go to the grocery store, and make sure they are warm and have something to eat. Know before you go... www.TripCheck.com wAter sHutoff Make sure you know where the main shut-off valve for your plumbing is located and how to turn it off. If you need to have your water turned off at the meter, please call Lake Oswego Public Works at 503-635- 0280 (only Public Works can turn off water at the meter). How to Access wAter from your wAter HeAter In an emergency, such as an earthquake, your home’s water service may be temporarily unavailable. If that occurs, your home’s water heater could provide you with 30-80 gallons of water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene. (Tankless heaters do not provide this option.) Before accessing water from your water heater: • Locate your water heater: Typically water heaters are located in the basement or garage of free standing homes, and in closets of apartments and manufactured homes. • Turn off your home’s water supply: Taking this step, especially after a big earthquake, could help ensure that the water remains in your tank, and that its quality isn’t compromised or unsafe to use. Emergency water shut off valves are usually found in the basement, crawlspace, or garage of most homes, or outside by the home’s foundation. Use this valve to turn your home’s water supply off. Instructions for accessing water from your water heater: 1. Turn off your water heater’s power source. This step is crucial to ensuring your safety. You may want to keep a flashlight, safety goggles, gloves, and a screw driver in a location that is easily accessible. • Electric water heaters: Shut off your water heater’s power by flipping the correct switch on your electrical panel. (Taking the time to correctly identify the correct circuit breaker beforehand is recommended.) • Natural gas water heaters: Locate the on/off switch on the water heater and turn the knob to the pilot setting – do not turn it completely off. 2. Turn off your water heater’s water supply. Locate the water shut-off valve and turn it clockwise until it stops. This valve is typically located on the top of the water heater. 3. Let air into your water heater. You can do this by opening the relief valve (flip the handle so that it sticks straight up or out) located on the side of the tank or by turning on hot water spigots in the main living area or upstairs in your home. This will help release water from your water heater. 4. Locate the drain valve at the bottom of your water heater and release water from your tank as needed. Place a clean container under the drain valve spigot to capture the water and turn the spigot or screw of your water heater’s drain valve to the left. Be careful, because the water may be very hot. Wearing gloves and safety glasses for your protection is recommended. Turn the spigot or screw to the right to stop the flow of water. Repeat this process as often as needed until the tank is empty. To view a how-to video or download instructions, visit the Regional Water Providers Consortium website at www.regionalh2o.org/ emergency-water-sources-home. 3 stePs to strengtHen your finAnciAl PrePAredness For Emergencies Big and Small When it comes to emergencies, we face more than just earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods. We also deal with flat tires, broken water heaters, and sudden medical expenses. It is important to have a financial plan to face emergencies, big and small. Here are three steps you can take right now to protect yourself financially and weather any storm. Step 1 - Emergency Financial First Aid Kit The first step you can take is to download FEMA’s Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) and fill it out. The EFFAK was created to help individuals and families collect and organize critical financial, medical, and household contact information. The EFFAK has four sections, each of which includes a checklist of important documents and forms to complete your relevant information. Revisit and update your EFFAK often. Once you complete the kit you will have everything you need in one place. Step 2 - Safe Storage The next step is to find a safe space to store the kit and the financial, legal, and contact documents you gathered. Store paper copies of important documents at home in a fireproof and waterproof box or safe, or in a bank safe deposit box. Store electronic copies of important documents in a password- protected format on a removable flash or external hard drive in your fireproof and waterproof box or safe, or consider using a secure cloud-based service. Step 3 - Know Your Insurance Lastly, make sure you understand your insurance options and the extent of your coverage. Renter's, homeowner's and auto insurance policies generally don’t cover all aspects of a disaster. You may also need to look into specialized coverage like earthquake insurance and flood insurance. The Emergency Financial First Aid Kit is available for free from FEMA. Call 800-480-2520 to request the publication or download it for free at: www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/96123. leAve tHe detAils Like it or not, we are all going to die. Don’t go without leaving the Netflix password - or, more importantly, all the information for insurance policies, investments, bank accounts, social media accounts, email, mortgages and utilities. Having this information in one easily accessible place can be comforting, for both you and your loved ones. In addition to collecting and organizing critical financial, medical, and household contact information (using FEMA’s EFFAK), it is important to compile information to ensure your family has as easy a process as possible to follow in wrapping up your estate and respecting your wishes after your death. The easiest way to achieve this is to create a spreadsheet (password-protected) with all this information and to save it to the cloud (in either Drop Box or Google Drive or a similar location) and to share access with family, your executor and possibly a trustworthy friend. To learn more about creating an “In Case of Emergency” (ICE) file and to download an easy-to- use template, visit www.lakeoswego.city/how- create-ICE-document. PrActice your escAPe PlAn If there is a fire in your home, you could have less than 2 minutes to get out safely once the smoke alarm sounds. The Lake Oswego Fire Department recommends practicing your escape plan at least twice a year with everyone in the home. Here are seven steps to practice your escape plan: If you have questions about a home escape plan, please contact LOFD Fire Marshal Gert Zoutendijk at gzoutendijk@lakeoswego.city or 503-699-7454. cHeck your smoke AlArm! Did you know that roughly half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., when most people are asleep? Working smoke alarms more than double your chance of surviving a fire. The Lake Oswego Fire Department recommends that smoke alarms be installed outside each sleeping area such as in a hallway and if the home has more than one level, a smoke alarm should be installed on each level. If your smoke alarms are ten years old or older, you should replace them with a new smoke alarm. If your smoke alarm is less than ten years old, take time to press the test button and make sure it works. If you have any questions or problems with your smoke alarm, please call the Lake Oswego Fire Department at 503-635-0275 or visit our website at www.lofire.org. Emergency Information: 503-635-0257 www.lakeoswego.city/EmergencyManagement City of Lake Oswego - Public Information Office 503-635-0257, www.lakeoswego.city City facility closure information Lake Oswego Public Works Operations 503-635-0280 City Operations information including plowing plan, broken City water pipes, downed trees, storm drain blockage and sewer overflows Republic Services of Lake Oswego 503-636-3011, www.lakeoswego.disposal.com Garbage and recycling information PGE - 503-228-6322 Electrical outages or downed power lines NW Natural Gas - 503-226-4211 Line locates or if you smell gas Police - 503-635-0238 (Non-Emergency)911 in case of emergency Fire - 503-635-0275 (Non-Emergency)911 in case of emergency TriMet - 503-238-7433 press “2”Bus routes, schedules and snow delay information Lake Oswego School District 503-534-2000, www.loswego.k12.or.us School closure information numbers you need to know reunited ... and it feels so good! During an emergency you may be required to evacuate. Assemble an emergency kit for your pets and be prepared to evacuate with your pets. It is important to tag, microchip, and photograph your pets in case you and your pets are separated. Current pet identification is the single most important thing you can do to help ensure that you will be reunited with a lost pet. Having identification and contact information attached to your pet’s collar makes it more likely that you will be able to be reunited with your pet if he or she is lost. However, collar tags can break or become unreadable, and tattooing can become illegible or covered with hair and difficult to find. In order to improve your pet’s chances of returning home if lost, the Humane Society recommends microchipping. When you have your animal microchipped, it is exceedingly important to register your information with the microchip company and to keep your information updated. The microchip is not very effective if the information is incorrect. Dogs and cats with microchips are more likely to be returned to their owners than pets without. In addition to microchipping, make sure to have photographs of your pet. For more information on pet evacuation and what to include in a pet emergency kit, visit www.cdc.gov/healthypets/ emergencies. keeP it cleAr - your resPonsibilities Lake Oswego City Code requires property owners to keep sidewalks and the public right-of-way adjoining their property free from ice, snow, rocks, leaves and other debris. In addition, property owners must keep sidewalks, the street and the public right-of-way adjoining their property free from projecting or overhanging bushes, brush and limbs below nine feet under any circumstance, or that may otherwise obstruct vehicles or pedestrians or make their passage unsafe. get uP-to-tHe- minute weAtHer The City has six weather stations in and around the City. These weather stations provide accurate, up- to-the-minute weather information which includes temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, dew point, soil moisture, soil temperature, precipitation and evapo-transpiration. Visit www.ci.oswego.or.us/weather to access the weather station information. Plowing routes The City will use all available equipment to clear main roads for emergency responders and other vehicles. Once main roads are addressed, Operations crews will focus on other streets, if possible. For questions, call Lake Oswego Public Works - Maintenance at 503-635-0280. Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: National Safety Council sAndbAgs AvAilAble During the rainy season, the City offers sand and bags to residents of Lake Oswego. Sand and bags are available at Hazelia Field, 17800 Stafford Rd (parking lot). Overhead lights will be on throughout the night so that citizens can fill the sandbags more easily. Citizens can take as many bags as necessary, but will need to fill their own bags. Some shovels are provided. Sandbags will be available until the risk of flooding recedes. Tips for filling and placing bags: • You may want to bring your own shovel in case others are being used. • Use proper lifting techniques to avoid injury and fatigue. Lift with your legs and bend at the knees to save your back. • Fill sandbags one-half full. • Fold top of sandbag down and rest bag on its folded top. • Take care in stacking sandbags. Limit placement to three layers, unless a building is used as a backing or sandbags are placed in a pyramid. • Tamp each sandbag into place, completing each layer prior to starting the next layer. • Clear a path between buildings for debris flow. • Lay a plastic sheet in between the building and the bags to control the flow and prevent water from seeping into sliding glass doors. • Floodwaters can be polluted. Use rubber gloves and appropriate clothing if contact with water is unavoidable. For additional sandbag locations, go to www.lakeoswego.city/sandbags. HelP reduce locAlized flooding To help reduce localized flooding, the City encourages residents to clear leaves and other debris from storm drains (also known as catch basins) near their property. Clearing leaves and debris from the storm drain grate can help keep storm drains flowing at peak performance during wet weather. Do not attempt to remove the grate - only the debris on top of the grate. If a blockage can’t be safely cleared and the roadway is flooding, call Public Works at 503- 635-0280. Put leaves and other yard debris in your weekly yard waste bins for easy removal and recycling. Do not put leaves onto the street. Lake Oswego City Code prohibits blowing, sweeping, raking, or otherwise depositing debris onto sidewalks or streets.