March 27, 2007
Preparedness Still Not a Household Word
The week of April 2-8 is National Public Health Week, and the theme this year is "Take the First Step! Preparedness and Public Health Threats."
Health departments, schools, and communities throughout Montana are planning activities to encourage households to prepare for emergencies. Despite Hurricane Katrina, 9-11, and the current threat of a global influenza pandemic - not to mention blizzards, power outages, and wildland fires that routinely plague the Treasure State - most Montanans believe their households are not sufficiently ready to cope with a large-scale emergency.
A recent survey by the state Department of Public Health and Human Services revealed that only 28 percent of adult Montanans think their families are well prepared. Only a quarter of them reported that their household has a written emergency plan with designated contact numbers and meeting places. Just over half of Montana households have a three-day supply of water stored for emergency use.
Nationally, the picture looks bleaker. A February 2007 survey by the American Public Health Association (APHA) found that just 27 percent of Americans have adequate food, water, medicine, and a first-aid kit stored for emergency use. Thirty-eight percent of mothers with young children have taken no steps to prepare for an emergency.
Preparedness is not limited to households. Workplaces play a key role. Yet, only 15 percent of hourly workers have saved enough money to provide for their family during a public health crisis. Further, only 10 percent of employers said they're fully prepared. Of the 71 percent of employers who said they would encourage employees to stay home during a national public health crisis, only 18 percent would continue to pay them.
Many workers do not have personal leave or employer-sponsored health plans. In an emergency, they may not be able to retain or find employment. What would you do if your employer couldn't continue to pay you? If you're an employer, how long could you stay in business if a long-term emergency strikes. Develop a response plan and practice with employees.
Schools are also being asked to prepare. Only one of 10 school administrators has distributed information to parents about their school's preparedness plan. Ninety-four percent of school districts have emergency response plans, but only half have a plan for an infectious disease epidemic.
Making the time to prepare isn't easy. Households, businesses, service organizations, and schools face daily priorities that tax their resources.
Here are some basic steps you can take to improve your family's ability to cope with a public health threat:
. Set aside bottled water, non-perishable food, and essential medications for each family member.
. Start considering what you'd do if the emergency lasted several weeks. For instance, will your medications last if pharmacies close during a national crisis?
. Make sure your town or city has an emergency preparedness plan, including recommendations for evacuation routes, emergency shelters, and the location of food banks.
. Talk with your child's day-care facility or school about its evacuation procedures and plans for emergencies, including those that last longer than several days.
. Plan how you will communicate with your family if you're not together when an emergency happens.
. Identify a place where family members can meet if your home is destroyed or unreachable.
. Teach your children an emergency phone number to call if they can't reach you.
Planning for emergencies can sound overwhelming. But taking the first step will move you that much closer to making preparedness a household word. For more information on preparing for an emergency, contact your local health department or visit the following websites:
. Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services: www.dphhs.mt.gov
. U.S. Department of Homeland Security: www.ready.gov
Terri Hocking is president of the Montana Public Health Association and a public health nurse for the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department. Jim Murphy is supervisor of the DPHHS Office of Public Health Preparedness and Training.
Page last updated: 03/27/2007
