Prepared for an emergency? Here's info you need to know

Youth Explorers helped supervise simulations of a house fire during the 2018 Menifee Emergency Preparedness Fair. File photo

By Doug Spoon, Editor

How many natural disasters does it take to convince one of the importance of an emergency action plan?

The answer may be different for each person, but it's a fact that the 7.1 earthquake and thousands of aftershocks in Ridgecrest in the last week has once again elevated the level of discussion.

Response to the 7.1 quake on July 5 were varied in Menifee. Some reported feeling the rolling motion of the earth for several seconds, while others said they felt nothing at all. But media coverage of the damage in the Searles Valley has locals once again asking themselves the question:

Am I prepared?

"Can you ask what people suggest is the best earthquake survival package?" a resident wrote in a message to the Menifee 24/7 Facebook page after the shaker. "Here in our household we’re not prepared, and I’m not sure where to start."

A post in response on the Menifee 24/7 Facebook page elicited 125 comments from readers with suggestions regarding emergency kits, classes and other ways of being as prepared as possible. Granted, emergency preparedness is in a sense a very individual challenge; experts have long said it could take hours or days for first responders to reach victims after a major earthquake.

Yet while recognizing the importance of individual preparation, City of Menifee officials say they continue to improve the city’s emergency response plan as well. In addition to offering specific suggestions for family emergency kits, they are adding resources on a citywide scale and are trying to increase public awareness of resources that already are in place.

The city’s emergency preparation and response plan is a shared responsibility under the direction of Jonathan Smith, city engineer and direction of public works; and Samantha Rodriguez, public works and engineering management analyst. Within the next month, however, the City of Menifee is scheduled to hire a full-time emergency management analyst.

This position, which Rodriguez says most cities have on staff, was added to the current fiscal year budget. Rodriguez will oversee the hiring process of that staff member, who will maintain and improve the city’s emergency response and recovery plan. The job description is being finalized and the hiring process will begin in the next few weeks, Smith said.

“This really will be a full-time job,” Rodriguez said. “There are many factors involved. When we had the big storm in February, Cal OES (the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services) took three hours to go through the damage assessment. This will add resources to assessments and help improve the time to reimburse the city for damage costs. The position also involves securing grants and coordinating CERT training.”

The Community Emergency Response Team program is a program that City of Menifee officials have utilized in the past. That program will offer emergency training to local residents in two upcoming sessions, with classes scheduled for Aug. 16-18 and Sept. 13-15, Rodriguez said. Those attending learn how to manage home utilities in case of emergency, put out small fires, provide basic first aid, search for and rescue victims safely, and other emergency procedures.

Prior to that, the City of Menifee will host two information sessions on July 23 regarding emergency preparedness.

In addition, the City of Menifee will sponsor its second annual Emergency Preparedness Fair on Oct. 19 at Kay Ceniceros Center. There will be displays of preparation kits, demonstrations on how to shut off your home gas valve, disinfect water, etc. This comes two days after the annual statewide “Great Shakeout” earthquake drill, in which Menifee will participate by activating its emergency operations center.

Smith said that in case of emergencies, the City Council Chambers at the new City Hall will be used as the operations center. All city employees will report to that area and be given assignments as necessary.

City officials will collaborate with the Riverside County Fire Department and the Sheriff’s Department – or the new Menifee Police Department beginning next summer. Smith said emergency evacuation routes have been identified and road closures or detours will be established in case of a major emergency.

Smith said the city also is in contact with a local group of ham radio operators, who can provide extra communication if cell phone towers are damaged during a major disaster.

“We would collaborate with police and fire to identify streets that are affected,” Smith said. “There would be message and signage. Residents would be told to shelter in place, giving us time to spend on determining the best routes in and out of the city.

“A lot of these things are already in place. Having a full-time manager to coordinate this will take the load off other staffers.”

Officials don’t want any of these things to overshadow the importance of a personal disaster kit and home emergency plan, however.

"It's up to us as individuals to have an emergency plan," said Menifee City Council member Lesa Sobek, who has been very active in promoting local training through the CERT program as well as pushing for an increase in the city's emergency plan.

"They're saying now that it's not enough to have a 72-hour kit; it needs to be seven days. I encourage everyone to be prepared.”

Most people know the importance of having a supply of water and non-perishable food, plus provisions for the lack of electricity, such as flashlights and a generator. There are many resources online regarding emergency kits, as well as kits sold in stores. Even so, many people say they still are not prepared.

Pat Walsh, chief of the Menifee Police Department being formed to begin service in July 2020, said that while an emergency response program will be a big part of his planning over the next year, it will be most effective when combined with residents' personal action plans.

"Training and preparation are huge, but quite frankly, the biggest thing for people to consider is themselves – not the hope that someone’s going to come flying to their aid," Walsh said. "We'll get overwhelmed, and we’re going to go to the most important priorities first – schools, the elderly, those who are not ambulatory."

Rodriguez said her department lists the suggested content of two types of emergency kits. The first is a three-minute bedside bag with essentials for quick movement in case of an imminent threat.

“This kit includes an extra pair of shoes, extra clothes, an extra set of keys, gloves, a whistle and a flashlight,” Rodriguez said. “The need for a whistle is often overlooked. If you’re trapped, a whistle is a way to alert rescuers without exerting the energy of shouting for help.”

The other kit is a long-term kit for survival while waiting for services to restore and possibly for rescuer to arrive. It should include:

-- A gallon of water per person per day.
-- A minimum of three days of non-perishable food.
-- A hand-crank radio with extra batteries.
-- A cell phone charger.
-- Flashlight.
-- First aid kit.
-- Whistle.
-- Plastic sheeting and duct tape.
-- Items for personal sanitation, including a temporary toilet, wipes and feminine hygiene items.
-- A manual can opener.
-- Printed local maps.

There are many other items that can be helpful in an emergency kit. Here is a link to additional earthquake kit information:

Earthquake preparedness