Access Emergency Survival Handbook

ARE YOU READY FOR A FIRE?

Here are a few tips to make sure you are prepared for such an emergency:

1. Make your home fire-safe.
   • Smoke detectors -- save lives. Install a battery-powered smoke detector on each level of your home, as well as in the garage.
   • Use the test button to check each smoke detector at least twice a year. When necessary, replace batteries immediately.
   • Have a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
2. Plan your escape routes.
   • Determine at least two ways to escape from every room in your home.
   • Make or purchase rope or chain ladders to use to climb out of rooms above the first floor, and practice using them.
   • Select a location where everyone would meet after escaping your home.
   • Discuss what you would do about family pets if you need to escape from a fire.
3. Conduct periodic fire drills.
   • Remember: crawl low under the smoke to escape. Teach small children how to do this.
   • Close the door as you leave a room and feel closed doors before you enter a room. A hot door probably means the room on the other side is in flames.
   • Practice the stop-drop-and-roll way to put out flaming clothing.
   • Get everyone out quickly. In a real fire, escape first -then call the fire department.
4. Protect your home against wildfire.
   • Create a safety zone or fire break around your home. Keep your roof clear of accumulated leaves and pine needles
   • Keep tree limbs clear of power lines.
   • Store firewood away from the house.
   • Install outside faucets.
   • Have water hoses on hand.
   • Don't do any outside burning within 25 feet of your home.
   • Keep the legal description of your property (Section, Township and Range), and the Alabama Forestry Commission Fire Emergency Number 1-800-672-6912, near your telephone.

WHAT TO DO IF WILDFIRE THREATENS YOUR HOME

• Call 911 immediately.
• Call 1-800-672-2912 (Alabama Forestry Commission's fire emergency number).
• Get everyone (and pets) out of the house.
• If time permits, wet down grounds, house and roof in line with approaching fire.
• Once outside, do not return to try and save personal items. Fires can move quickly and you may get trapped inside.
• Stay calm and remember that property can be replaced, your life cannot.

CLEAN UP AND RECOVERY

If you are unfortunate to actually have a fire, flood, tornado or winter weather to damage or destroy your home, the following information will be of extreme importance to you.

Right away:

• Notify your insurance agent.
• Board up broken windows and doors to prevent theft.
• Remove salvageable items or protect them from further damage.
• Start keeping a record of all damage-related expenses and losses. You will need this for tax deduction purposes.
• Mop and wipe up standing water as soon as possible to help minimize the damage.
• In cold weather, have utilities restored -if fire damage is not extensive - to prevent pipes from freezing. Such damage may not be covered by insurance.

The next day:

• If you have lost credit cards, phone the companies involved as quickly as possible.
• If you are not insured, or if your insurance will not cover all your losses, you can take the loss off your Federal Income Tax. For more information, contact the Internal Revenue Service.

Salvaging household possessions:

• For quick, temporary relief from the odor of a fire, you may want to try a professional deodorizing service. This must be followed by a complete cleaning.
• If washable clothes are wet or damp, wash them immediately to avoid mildew. To remove mildew, wash the fresh stain with soap and water, rinse well and dry. If stains remain, use lemon juice and salt.
• A good innerspring mattress probably can be renovated by a company that builds and repairs mattresses. Reconditioning a mattress is too difficult to do at home.
• For blankets, brush off surface dirt and then wash as manufacturers suggest.

Household cleaning:

• Wash walls as soon as possible, especially if there is water damage. Use a mild soap or detergent to wipe off or clean soot, and then rinse immediately with clean water. Ceilings should be washed last.
• Wash cooking utensils thoroughly with soapy water and polish with a fine-powdered cleaner.
• If appliance motors are wet, do not use until checked by a qualified professional. Take small appliances to a dealer handling that brand.
• Wash appliance exteriors with a household cleaner.
• Wipe leather with a damp cloth, then with a dry cloth. Stuff purses and shoes with crushed paper to retain shape. Leave suitcases open. Air dry away from heat or sun. When dry, clean with saddle soap.
• To dry books, place them on end with leaves separated. After a time, they should be pressed to keep the leaves from crinkling.
• Locks and hinges should be taken apart ( especially those made of iron), wiped with kerosene and oiled. If locks cannot be removed, squirt with machine oil through a bolt opening or keyhole and work with knob to distribute oil.

Repair work:

If you plan to hire someone to do all of your repair work, choose your contractor carefully. Your insurance agent, bank or Better Business Bureau may be able to offer suggestions. Do not sign a contract unless you understand it fully and know exactly how much it will cost.

• If you have insurance that covers fire or water-damaged furniture, it may be better to apply the allowance to new articles rather than trying to repair furniture.
• Clean off all wood and dry thoroughly. If your furnace is usable, you may want to turn it on -even in the summer. If mold forms, wipe the wood with a cloth dipped in a mixture of water and kerosene or a mixture of borax in hot water.
• Dry rugs as quickly as possible by laying flat and exposing them to warm dry air. A fan will speed the drying. Make sure they are dry by feeling underneath them - if moisture remains at the base of the tufts, it will quickly rot the rug.

Money matters:

• If savings bonds are only damaged, take them to your bank, and they will assist you.
• If paper money is damaged, but over half of the bill is recognizable, you can get it replaced at any bank. Coins may also be replaced if they are recognizable. You can send pieces of currency ashes (less than half remaining) to: Treasury of the United States
  Main Treasury Building, Room 1123
  Washington, DC 20220
• If you cannot find your checkbook, bank checks or savings account book after the fire, notify your bank immediately. Ask them to close your accounts and transfer the funds to new account numbers.

Important papers:

• You may obtain birth certificates (those occurring after 1956) and death certificates from the Health Department. Birth certificates issued before 1956 in the state of Alabama may be obtained by writing to: Bureau of Vital Statistics
  Alabama Department of Health
  State Office Building
  Montgomery, AL 36130
• Marriage licenses and divorce decrees may be obtained from the courthouse at a minimal fee.
• Veterans can obtain Standard Form 180 from any Veterans Administration or Red Cross office to replace destroyed military discharge papers.
• If your Social Security or Medicare card was destroyed, contact the Social Security Administration office.
• Clients should notify their caseworker immediately if their medical aid card, food stamp card, etc., were destroyed.
• Copies of your driver's license, registration and automobile title can be obtained at your local court-house. To replace the registration and title, you will need a tag and decal number.
• You must go to circuit court and re-apply for a passport.

HEAT STROKE (HYPERPYREXIA)

Heat stroke is an immediate life-threatening problem caused by an accumulation of body heat and a disturbance of the sweating mechanism. It results in generalized cellular damage to the central nervous system, liver, kidneys and the clotting mechanism. In simpler terms, your body has become so overheated it cannot adapt. Signs of a person suffering from heat stroke would be very flush with skin hot and dry, no sweating.

Therapy. Remove all clothing and rapidly cool by continuous sponging on the bare skin with cool water or immerse the victim in cool water (do not add ice) until the temperature is sufficiently lowered. Carefully avoid shivering as this produces heat. Administer oxygen if available and transport to nearest medical facility or call 911.

Prevention. Be advised of the following precautions:

1. During exercise cool off, rest and drink fluids. Do not exercise in heavyweight clothing.
2. During hot spells and when the humidity index exceeds 87 degrees Fahrenheit, reduce activity.
3. During hot weather, never leave a child alone in a car with inadequate ventilation. Ensure adequate hydration on car trips in hot weather.
4. During hot weather, slowly acclimate the body to the increased heat by gradually increasing periods of work or exercise.
5. During illnesses, avoid heavy activity.

EXTREME HEAT

Each summer, Alabamians will experience the effects of the hot weather. Heat can kill by taxing the human body beyond its abilities. In one of the most disastrous periods of extreme heat in the United States in 1980, more than 1,250 people died from the heat. And when high humidity combines with high heat, the effect can be even more pronounced.

Humans dissipate body heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, by losing water through the skin and sweat glands and by panting when blood is heated above 98.6 degrees. Sweating alone does nothing to cool the body, unless the water is removed by evaporation. High relative humidity slows down evaporation.

Studies have shown that -other things being equal – the severity of heat disorders tends to increase with age.

HEAT SAFETY RULES

1. Slow down. Strenuous activities should be reduced, eliminated or rescheduled to the coolest time of the day.
2. Lightweight, light -colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight and helps your body maintain normal temperatures.
3. Avoid foods like proteins that increase metabolic heat production and also increase water loss.
4. Drink plenty of water or other non-alcoholic fluids, even if you don't feel thirsty. Your body needs water to keep cool.
5. Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician. Persons on salt restrictive diets should consult a physician before increasing their salt intake.
6. Spend more time in air-conditioned places.
7. Don't get too much sun. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation that much more difficult.

DROWNING

About 600 persons drown in home accidents every year. In 1998, public accidents accounted for about 4,406 drownings. Drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental death of children. Most drownings and near drownings happen when a child accidentally falls into a swimming pool or is left alone in the bathtub.

Therapy. Know CPR. Understand CPR. Don't underestimate the benefits of CPR. Teach it to older children and all adults in the household. The American Red Cross offers classes to anyone -no matter what age.

As a result of the Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) 2000 Guidelines, the American Red Cross began updating CPR courses in Fall 2000 in response to changes. Extensive work is ongoing throughout the American Red Cross to incorporate the ECC-related revisions in all affected courses. While everyone should take a CPR certification course each year, it is especially important for you to learn the latest CPR techniques.

POISONING

Accidental deaths from solid and liquid poisonings increased from 5,600 in 1989 to 10,255 in 1998. See www.nsc.org (National Safety Council) for more statistics.

Therapy and information. Poisonings include deaths from drugs, medicines, mushrooms and shellfish as well as commonly recognized poisons. Poisonings most often effect those in their mid-20s and 30s. This is attributed to the increase in drug-related deaths.

Prevention:

1. Display the number of your local poison control center (1-800-292-6678) in a visible place near your phone.
2. Keep common household poisons and medicines out of sight and out of reach.
3. Keep Syrup of Ipecac in your home. (Most drug stores sell it for approximately $2). Use only when instructed to do so by the Poison Control Center.