Story Card Request Template

Project: Disaster Resilience Card Title: What you can do to prepare for an earthquake

Description / Wireframe

This card will help users to develop a personalized list of “next steps” to prepare for a disaster. Users will answer 8 questions (y/n) and receive 3 key recommendations of their preparation priorities based on their answer. The output will be recommendations in a pdf.

Each question will come up individually, and should have a “Next” and “Back” button so users can move forward or go back and change their answer.

After answering all the questions, the user receives a score on the final summary page with a total of “yes” answers: “Congratulations! You’ve completed 3 of 8 priority preparation tasks. Your next steps should be:”

The personalized recommendations of next steps should be based on the first three “no” answers in the survey. The final recommendation page will include more detailed information on that question and link(s) for more information and can be downloaded or turned into a pdf.

After the three recommendations, there will be a link to “see more preparation tips” where the detailed information for all the questions will be provided in a pdf.

Quiz/Responses Content Question 1. Does your family have an action plan in response to a disaster? A plan should include a family meeting place, a travel plan from work and school, and include day and nighttime contingencies.

Question 1’s Recommendation: Make a family disaster action plan Having a family plan for what you’ll do after a disaster should be your number one priority in preparing for an earthquake. Because cell phones will probably not work after a Cascadia quake, planning on where you’ll go and how you’ll get there will before the disaster is critical. A complete plan should include how family members will get from work or school to home or a place to meet if the home is unsafe or inaccessible. Don’t forget that children will need to be picked up from school by an adult who has been previously placed on the approved pick-up list by parents. Portland has a number of unique challenges for a disaster plan, especially regarding the river. Many of Portland’s bridges may not be passable after a Cascadia quake, so if it is a necessary part of your disaster plan include walking across the Tilikum Crossing or Sellwood Bridge. More information on making a family plan, including templates: http://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/make-a-plan More information on emergency pick-up of children in PPS: https://www.pps.net/Page/212 More information from ready.gov on disaster planning: https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan

Question 2. Do you know at least 3 people who live within 3 blocks of you? Knowing your neighbors makes your neighborhood safer and more resilient. Since first responders cannot be everywhere after a disaster, neighbors will likely be the first ones to help those in need.

Question 2’s Recommendation: Know Your Neighbors After a disaster, emergency responders and government institutions are often inundated with requests for assistance. After a Cascadia earthquake, deformed roads and downed bridges will also hinder rescue efforts. In disasters around the world, the majority of individuals requiring assistance or rescue are helped by their neighbors. Building connections with your neighbors before a disaster will strengthen your community’s ability to help each other when in need. Meeting your neighbors doesn’t always seem easy. Map Your Neighborhood is a program designed to help neighbors get to know each other while preparing for a disaster. Check out more information about the program here: http://www.preporegon.org/MYN_overview Getting to know your neighbors also doesn’t have to center around emergency preparedness. A block party is a fun way for many people in your neighborhood to meet at the same time. The City of Portland has information on how to organize a block party, including street closure permits, here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/oni/33907

Question 3. Do you have a 3-day evacuation kit? It should include 3 days of supplies, including water, food, an AM/FM emergency radio with extra batteries, basic first aid, and some kind of blankets or shelter. It will provide for your family in the event that you cannot stay in your home.

Question 3’s Recommendation: Three Day Evacuation Kit An evacuation kit should contain supplies to allow your family to be self-sufficient for three days, including water and food. The kit should be in a bag (or bags) that will be easy to carry, such as backpacks. If your home is unsafe and you need to evacuate to another site or a shelter, the kit will provide for your short-term needs. If you are able to remain in your home but do not have water, electricity, or gas, the kit can be used at home. Be sure to include extra batteries, and in some cases portable solar panels, for cell phones and electronics in your kit. For a list of items that should be packed in a three day evacuation kit, use the Red Cross checklist found here: http://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/survival-kit-supplies Remember to include any special requirements for your family members. Seven days worth of prescription medications or other medical supplies should be kept in your kit. If you have infants or small children, pack diapers, formula, baby food, and other necessities.

Question 4. Do you have 2 weeks of food and water for your household? Water supplies for 2 weeks will require 14 gallons of water per person in your household. Food supplies can include all kinds of non-perishable items, such as canned food, freeze-dried, and MREs.

Question 4’s Recommendation: Two weeks of Food and Water It may take some time for services to resume after a disaster. Having two weeks worth of food an water available after an earthquake will allow your family to remain healthy and comfortable while emergency services resume. For ideas on how to prepare for two weeks, including and beyond food and water, check out the State of Oregon’s plan “2 Weeks Ready” here: http://www.oregon.gov/OEM/hazardsprep/Pages/2-Weeks-Ready.aspx and join the 14 Gallon Challenge https://www.regionalh2o.org/14Gallons. The recommendation for water is one gallon of water, per person, per day. This means that you should have 14 gallons of water for each member of your family. Some of that water will be used for drinking, and some for hygiene and cooking. The best containers are sturdy, food-grade plastic designed for water storage, but many kinds of containers can be used. Two main exceptions include glass containers (due to the likelihood of breaking in an earthquake), and plastic containers that originally contained milk or juice (they are difficult to sterilize). FEMA suggestions for storing food and water can be found here: https://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f&web.pdf During certain times of year, water is abundant in the Portland area. However, this water is not sterile and should be filtered and boiled before drinking. A number of inexpensive water filtration devices are available at camping stores. However, this should not be considered a substitute for having stored water and boiling water will require extra fuel. Food supplies can be any combination of non-perishable canned and bagged foods, and camping or “emergency items” like freeze-dried foods or MREs. With all food types, make sure you have the necessary cooking mechanisms, such as a camping stove with sufficient fuel. If your home is safe to enter after a disaster and there is no electricity, prioritize eating foods from the refrigerator first, followed by the freezer, then non-perishable items.

Question 5. Do you have a 2-bucket toilet system? After a major disaster, water and sewer infrastructure will not be functional for some time. A 2-bucket toilet system keeps human waste sterile and secure and populations healthy.

Question 5’s Recommendation: Two Bucket Toilet System After a Cascadia earthquake, water and sewer services will be inoperable for some time. To maintain hygiene and public health, a two bucket toilet system will keep human waste secure from other water sources and avoid ecological contamination. Two buckets allow for the separation of solid and liquid wastes, which will help prevent the spread of avoidable diseases. This system has been successfully used after earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand. For less than $20 and a few minutes, you can build your own two bucket system for your family. Find instructions here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/pbem/article/394125

Question 6. Is the interior of your house earthquake-safe? Securing your house should include strapping tall, heavy furniture to the wall and moving heavy mirrors or art pieces away from beds and desks.

Question 6’s Recommendation: Making Your Home Earthquake Safe One way to make your family safer during an earthquake is to take steps to protect your home. By attaching tall, heavy furniture and water heaters to the wall, the risk of injury due to falling objects can be minimized. Heavy items such as mirrors should not be hung near beds or couches. Learn to shut off the gas in case of a leak to avoid fires. The Red Cross has a list of steps to take to make your home safer during an earthquake, which can be found here: http://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/earthquake#Before An earthquake retrofit, which usually involves bolting the house to the foundation, may be appropriate for some homeowners. A good outline of types of retrofits can be found here: http://www.earthquakesafety.com/earthquake-retrofitting.html and here: https://enhabit.org/documents/Enhabit-Seismic-Homeowner-Guide_4-1-16.pdf.

Question 7. Do have a communication plan in the event of a disaster? It is likely that cell phones will not work for some time after a disaster. Walkie-talkies and hand-held AM/FM radios will be a good way to communicate. The city of Portland has a plan for two-way radio communications across the city called BEECN.

Question 7’s Recommendation: A Communication Plan Because cell phones are unlikely to work in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, it is important to have a communication plan already in place with your family. As part of your family plan, you should already have a meeting place for your family that all know to use if the home is an unsafe place. This FEMA site has a good summary of general communication planning for the family and how to prepare before a disaster: https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1501681583075-a994145e50a6319034ada607d1725bbe/Create_Family_Communications_Plan_508.pdf. After the disaster, your AM/FM radio (with extra batteries) can be used to receive information regarding safety and the situation. This will allow you to get updates from services such as the National Weather Service. Within Portland, BEECN (Basic Earthquake Emergency Communication Node) sites will relay information to the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management and other agencies. You can find the nearest BEECN sites to your home and work here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/pbem/article/483656. BEECN sites will be staffed by trained volunteers. Training takes approximately 90 minutes. To become a BEECN volunteer, fill out the interest form here: https://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/ap?ap=1946989200 Two-way radios, such as walkie talkies, can help your family and neighborhood stay connected over short distances. Portland Prepares has a good summary of two-way radios and how they can be used: https://portlandprepares.org/2016/12/frs-gmrs-radio-primer/.

Question 8. Have you considered becoming a neighborhood resilience champion? Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NETs) are Portland residents trained by PBEM and Portland Fire & Rescue to provide emergency disaster assistance within their own neighborhoods. NET members are trained to save lives and property until professional responders can arrive. These volunteers are specially trained to help others without putting themselves in harm’s way. BEECN volunteers are trained to assist with radio operations across the city of Portland.

Question 8’s Recommendation: Neighborhood Emergency Teams Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NET) are Portland residents trained by the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) and Portland Fire & Rescue to provide emergency disaster assistance within their own neighborhoods. NET members are trained to save lives and property until professional responders can arrive. These volunteers are specially trained to help others without putting themselves in harm’s way.
Basic training to become a NET member requires approximately 30 hours. To become a NET volunteer, visit https://www.portlandoregon.gov/pbem/58587.

And for those who have completed 6 or more of the above tasks: Additional Recommendation: Advocacy When you and your family are prepared for an earthquake, think about ways to advocate for a safer community and city. Greater preparedness will lead to a faster recovery for our region. One way to increase the resiliency of the community is to make workplaces more prepared. Does your workplace participate in the Great Shakeout (https://www.shakeout.org/oregon/)? Is your workplace seismically resilient, including steps taken at home, such as attaching lighting and shelving? Does your workplace have emergency assembly plans, and arrangements for employees if they cannot access their work from where they live? Local governments in the Portland area are developing Stranded Worker Agreements that will allow people to report to emergency work stations near their home after a disaster. Details can be found here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/rdpo/article/590311. Many community buildings and schools within the Portland area will not withstand a major earthquake. Although many upgrades have been made to school buildings in the last 10 years, many are not up to current standard. Learn about your local school and buildings and their seismic upgrade status. Advocacy to local and state government can make a significant impact on investments in infrastructure and regional preparedness. Although investments in seismic projects are expensive, they will pay off in functionality after a major earthquake. Continued support for programs such as NET and BEECN will provide more training for individuals to respond after a disaster. Support these efforts at the state and local level for move beyond individual preparedness to a more resilient region.

A question should look like this:

The recommendation page should look like this:

Data Visualization / Design Concerns

We don’t want to overwhelm the user with too much information at first, but we do want the recommendations to be downloadable as a pdf so they can refer to it later.

Context

This is what the individual can actually do to prepare for an earthquake.

Data Details (APIs)

N/A

About this data

How did we calculate this

N/A

See the source

N/A

hackoregon / civic

Disaster Resilience: Card #5 - Here’s what you can do to prepare for an earthquake #185