Column: Prepare for an earthquake with the Great Oregon ShakeOut

The Salem Reporter publishes a regular column from Mark Wardle, West Salem team leader for the Salem Community Emergency Response Team, focusing on emergency preparedness and planning.

October is a good time to focus on emergency preparedness! Here are two major events that will happen this month that can help you better prepare for emergencies:

Big shake

On the third Thursday in October, we participate in the Great ShakeOut, an opportunity to practice earthquake safety measures. This year, ShakeOut falls on October 17 at 10:17 a.m. At this time, engage in the ShakeOut exercise by dropping, covering, and holding.

Get down where you are, on your hands and knees. This position protects you from falling and reduces your chances of being hit by falling or flying objects.

Cover your head and neck with one arm and one hand.

If there is a sturdy table or desk nearby, crawl under for shelter. If there is no shelter nearby, crawl next to an interior wall. Stay on your knees. Bending to protect vital organs.

Wait until the shaking stops.

Under the shelter: hold it with one hand; Be prepared to move with your shelter if it changes. No shelter: Hold your head and neck with both arms and hands.

More information about Great ShakeOut can be found at www.shakeout.org.

Great camp

The second event to mark on your calendar is the Great Camp-In, which will take place October 19-20. This weekend-long event helps you practice or develop your emergency plan. Spend a weekend, or even just a few hours, simulating a power and/or water outage. This is a great time to try alternative cooking methods, take inventory of your supplies, and identify areas where your plan needs improvement.

Salem: What is “Two Weeks Ready” Part Three

Continuing our two-week review of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management's new preparedness plan, this month we will begin our discussion of the food plan.

Obviously I jumped into that early by providing weekly steps to get you ready by two weeks. These generally focus on gradually building up food supplies. Making a nutritional plan is more than just choosing which non-perishable foods you'll eat, but planning how to prepare those foods when you don't have electricity or gas.

Gathering enough food to last two weeks may seem like an impossible goal, but if you pace yourself and start small, you'll reach your goal before you know it. I know how it is; We are still working on our nutrition plan and gathering everything we need for a two week supply with you.

Some suggestions for your nutritional plan:

Choose foods that you will eat that do not require refrigeration and have a long shelf life. Include ready-to-eat canned meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. Protein bars and fruits. Pudding cups. Dried cereal, granola, and trail mix. Peanut butter, or any other type of nut butter. Dried fruits. Comfort foods. Rice cakes/crackers. Canned soup and chili. Canned and bottled juices. Pasteurized and non-perishable milk. Infant food and additional water for infant formula as needed.

This is not an exhaustive list, just some quick ideas to get you thinking. Additional suggestions can be found at www.ready.gov.

Once you start building your food pantry, you'll be faced with a key question: Where are you going to put it all? If you're limited on space, you may need to be a little more creative, finding space at the back of cabinets or closets, or under beds.

Be careful of where you store packaged items. Make sure it is safe from insects or animals that may travel through the bags. Keep in mind that you should rotate your storage unit regularly. Add items from your pantry to your regular meal planning, especially when items are approaching their expiration dates. And remember, the “best by” date is not the expiration date.

The final part of our nutritional plan that we'll consider today is cooking. Maybe your electricity and gas are out, so you have to think of another way to cook or at least heat things up.

There are only a few options to consider for indoor use. Of course, if you have a wood-burning stove or fireplace, this would be a good option. Sterno, a crystalline alcohol that comes in a small can or alcohol burner, can be used to heat a fondue pot or camp stove when lit. Please note: Before you light anything indoors, make sure you have proper ventilation.

Outdoors you have more options. Charcoal or propane grills would be great for cooking. A fire pit can also be used easily as well.

Week by week until you are ready for two weeks

An important part of preparation is having a two-week supply of food and water for everyone in your household. This list is adapted from a list published by Marion County. By following it, you can be ready within a year. Building a two-week supply takes time and budget, so pace yourself, don't rush, and take breaks when necessary.

Week 10 – Canned Fruit – At least one can per person per day (Hint – if all the cans are retractable, you don't need to fill the can opener.)

Week 11 – Blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, anything to make bedding and stay warm (Mylar or emergency blankets take up less room to store and are less expensive).

Week 12 – Paper Products – Toilet paper, paper towels, tissues – customize them to your family's needs, and store them in a dry place. (Hint – make sure you dispose of these products safely.)

Week 13 – Crescent Wrench(s), Utility Shutdown Tools (Hint – Check out the “On Duty” multi-tool that can do four things with one tool.)

Online resources for more ideas on being better prepared:

It will come next month

Next month we'll talk about water planning, quantity, storage and rotation, jump-starting, and safety. If you'd like to read ahead, you can find all the information provided by the Oregon Office of Emergency Management by visiting the official 2 Weeks Ready website

Contact information

If you have any questions about this article or preparation in general, or if you would like to inquire about joining CERT or scheduling a CERT presentation for your organization, please feel free to contact me, Mark Wardell, at [email protected].

Advice on the story or idea? Email the Salem Reporter News Team: [email protected].

One more moment, please — if you found this story helpful, consider subscribing to the Salem Reporter if you haven't already. Work like this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and safe: Sign up.

Mark Wardle – Special to Salem Correspondent

Mark was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and lived there most of his life before moving to West Salem in 2018. After moving to West Salem, he joined the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a Federal Emergency Management Agency program sponsored locally by the Salem Fire Department. . Initially he focused on radio communications, but recently moved to team leader in West Salem. Mark writes about emergency preparedness for the Salem Reporter.

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