Community: Disaster Preparedness - Are You
Ready Los Angeles County? Drop Cover & Hold On #laquake
* DISASTER PREP INFORMATION*
Disasters can affect many people and a wide area such as an earthquake, or can
affect less people and a smaller area such as a severe windstorm that knocks
down thousands of power lines, blocking streets and making it difficult for
repair crews to restore power for many days or over a week.
Even if only a few people are affected, if it's you, it's 100%.
Instead of ignoring these facts and hoping for the best, take action now to
help yourself and the people you love. Would you be ready if there were an
emergency?
A. ** DROP, COVER and HOLD:
Why is it important to do a Drop, Cover, and Hold On drill? To react quickly
you must practice often. You may only have seconds to protect yourself in an
earthquake, before strong shaking knocks you down--or drops something on you.
Practicing helps you be ready to respond.
•If you are inside a building, move no more than a few steps, then Drop,
Cover and Hold On:
◦DROP to the ground (before the earthquake drops you!),
◦Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, and
◦HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops.
Stay indoors till the shaking stops and you are sure it is safe to exit. In
most buildings you are safer if you stay where you are until the shaking stops.
•If you are outdoors when the shaking starts, you should find a clear spot away
from buildings, trees, streetlights, and power lines, then Drop, Cover and Hold
On. Stay there until the shaking stops.
•If you are driving, pull over to a clear location, stop and stay there with
your seatbelt fastened until the shaking stops. Once the shaking stops, proceed
with caution and avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged.
Ground shaking during an earthquake is seldom the cause of injury. Most
earthquake-related injuries and deaths are caused by collapsing walls and
roofs, flying glass and falling objects. It is extremely important for a person
to move as little as possible to reach the place of safety he or she has
identified because most injuries occur when people try to move more than a
short distance during the shaking.
Look around you now, before an earthquake. Identify safe places such as
under a sturdy piece of furniture or against an interior wall in your home,
office or school so that when the shaking starts you can respond quickly. An
immediate response to move to the safe place can save lives. And that safe
place should be within a few steps to avoid injury from flying debris.
B. **BE PREPARED
Assemble an emergency supply kit,
Make your emergency plans,
stay informed,
and get involved in helping your family, your business, and your community be
ready for emergencies.
Be prepared for when - not if - the next emergency occurs. How prepared are
you? Preparedness is a responsibility we all share. Let's all do our part. Top
priorities are shelter, food, water, and power, but there is a lot more to it.
9. Ten Ways YOU Can be Disaster Prepared:
California Emergency Management Agency
11. ¿Estás listo para un terremoto?
C. ** COMMUNICATIONS:
(Be sure to get a portable cell phone or laptop charger and generator if
possible).
Emergency and Routine Messages from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department:
1. TWITTER of the HEADQUARTERS NEWSROOM of Sheriff's Information Bureau, Los
Angeles County Sheriff's Department:
@LASDHQ
3. ALERT LA COUNTY telephone emergency mass notification system for Los Angeles
County residents. Register your cell phone and Voice over Internet Protocol
(VoIP) (home computer) phones for emergency messages from police and fire
agencies in Los Angeles County:
http://www.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/alertla
4. Website of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (translates into
over 60 languages):
http://www.lasd.org
5. SNAP LA County - Specific Needs Disaster Voluntary Registry
The purpose of this registry is to facilitate the planning and implementation
of disaster response by first-responder agencies to persons with Specific Needs
in the County of Los Angeles.
http://snap.lacounty.gov/
6. LA Crimestoppers - confidential/anonymous email/ text/ phone call crime
reporting to police agencies in Los Angeles County:
http://lacrimestoppers.com/
Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff’s
station. Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by
dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES
(274637), or using the website
http://lacrimestoppers.org/
Sheriff's Information Bureau - Newsroom
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Hall of Justice - First Floor
211 W. Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-229-1700
http://www.lasd.org
