Did you know that the most dangerous thing that can happen during an emergency or natural disaster is panic? Individuals who panic cause greater chaos and injury to themselves and others. One way to decrease and control panic in even the most stressful of situations is to become informed and prepared. Emergency preparedness has always been important to me and my family because I know that if a disaster strikes, we will be able to take care of ourselves (for the most part) for several days.
While many people have good intentions and maybe even took a first aid course 10-15 years ago, that is not enough information to arm yourself in an emergency. The current school of thought is that our emergency services will be dealing with the “big disaster” (whatever that may be) and we must be able to take care of ourselves and minor emergencies. Being able to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours is a key.
The City of Foster City provides free and low cost emergency preparedness training to our citizens. We provide CPR classes as well as 2 hour Emergency Preparedness Classes. A more detailed 6 hour Neighborhood Emergency Response Training (NERT) Course is also available. Some of these classes are also available to homeowner associations and other groups (businesses, churches, etc).
The City has prepared a flyer on Emergency Preparedness Resources for both residents and businesses. I invite you to take a few minutes to access that information (www.fostercity.org) and assess whether you and your family (or business associates) might need some additional training. One employee told me that having the emergency preparedness training not only gave his family the skill to deal with an emergency, but gave the employee “peace of mind” in knowing that his family was prepared in case the employee was unable to return home right away.
Maria Shriver is also spearheading the Governor’s campaign on emergency preparedness. And, the Office of Homeland Security also has a website and helpful tips to help you be prepared. To gather additional information on preparedness and resources available to you, contact the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services at: www.oes.ca.gov. For the Office of Homeland Security go to: www.ready.gov.
On a local level, contact the American Red Cross to update your First Aid Training. Finally, do not forget to check Foster City’s Leisure Update for emergency preparedness training including CPR courses scheduled for this summer. Let’s all have a safe summer.
Councilmember Wilder can be contacted at dwilder@fostercity.org
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