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By Ann K. Williams
Staff Writer
May 1 -- Do you have seven? Like it or not, disasters
happen, and Santa Monica’s top officials want you to
be ready for the worst by using their seven-point emergency
preparedness check list.
“We all have the responsibility to prepare for an emergency,”
Mayor Richard Bloom told onlookers at Monday morning’s
kick-off of the City’s second annual “I’ve
Got 7”drive.
“It’s really not a question of if, but when the
next emergency is going to occur,” Bloom said.
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| Red Cross Director John
Pacheco urges citizens to prepare for disaster. (Photos
by Ann K. Williams) |
Bloom joined Santa Monica Fire Chief Jim Hone, Santa Monica
Police Chief Timothy Jackman and Santa Monica Red Cross Director
John Pacheco at Fire Station Number One, where the Fire Department’s
new hazardous materials emergency response vehicle was on
display.
They urged Santa Monicans to follow seven steps during the
month of May:
1. Pack seven day’s worth of food and water for your
family and pets,
2. Make sure you have a battery powered radio with extra batteries
and a first aid kit and handbook,
3. Enroll in a class to learn first aid and CPR offered by
the Red Cross or the Fire Department,
4. Have cash -- ATM’s and credit cards won’t work
if the power is out,
5. Pack clothing and bedding suitable for living outside,
6. Prepare for your family’s special needs, including
medication, glasses or contact lenses, passports, baby and
pet needs, and
7. Compile contact information, including someone who lives
out of the area in case local phone lines go down.
First aid training is new to this year’s list, Red
Cross officials said.
“Such training could be invaluable in saving lives,”
said Pacheco, who wants as many people as possible to know
what to do and how to help if disaster strikes.
“Preparedness really is a shared responsibility,”
Pacheco said. “Citizens have to share in that responsibility.”
Hone and Jackman agreed.
“We are only 30 people,” Hone said. “We’ll
be able to maximize them if you’re prepared. We’ll
be able to focus on the large event.”
“It just makes our jobs that much easier, and we’ll
be able to take care of that many more people,” added
Jackman.
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| Captain Mark Bridges
shows off the new Hazmat response truck. |
“I’ve Got 7” organizers know they’re
asking a lot, so they’re doing a few things to make
participation easier.
Stocking up doesn’t have to be as daunting an effort
as it might seem, said Pacheco.
“Buy an extra case of water, get supplies you normally
eat, do it as you go,” he explained. “You don’t
have to spend a lot of money all at once.”
Shoppers can fill out “I’ve Got 7” pledge
cards at their local grocery stores and become eligible for
drawing prizes that include seven days of emergency supplies
or a meal at a local firehouse.
Meanwhile, the pros are getting some new disaster supplies
as well. Monday’s visitors were encouraged to check
out the Fire Department’s new hazmat response vehicle.
With wireless computers, a satellite TV and an external camera
that can go 40 feet high, zoom in and read the label on a
container of spilled chemicals, the shiny new firetruck is
ready for action.
“Technology has been a big boost,” Captain Mark
Bridges said as he showed off the vehicle’s capabilities.
For more information on disaster preparedness, log onto the
Red Cross Web
site.
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