We had such a great time with our guest speaker Colleen A. from West Pierce Fire and Rescue. She was such a delight and what a great presentation she used to show us the challenges, emotions and resources during a time of disaster.
Colleen created a pretend cul-de-sac for us to live in then gave us each a piece of paper that told us who we were, what resources we had, supplies and talents, also, what challenges we were facing. She then explained it was 43 degrees outside, 4:30pm, an earthquake hit knocking over a large tree blocking the entrance to our cul-de-sac, a water main was blasting water into the street, there was damage to homes but they were habitable. We then had to decide how to proceed. Some people had physical injuries. Our own Sister Perry...took charge of the situation and began to organize us into who lived where and what supplies did we need.
We quickly learned you need that "take charge" kind of attitude to help yourselves and your neighbors be safe. We learned that some people may not want help. They may or may not have supplies.
v What do we know about our neighbors? Sometimes we have to ask uncomfortable questions to make sure we are safe.
v Do we know where our supplies are? Are they centrally located? Flashlights, matches, first aid kits etc... Suggestion was to have a scavenger hunt with your kids...most people have the majority of the supplies, but they are all in different locations. Give your kids the list and have them help find the things on the list, what a fun Family Home Evening.
v Did you know that 1 Gallon of unscented bleach=3,800 gallons of clean useable water? Use 8 drops of bleach per gallon of water...
v Do we have a plan for getting a hold of our loved ones? Colleen handed out calling cards that each family member fills out so they know who the person is out of state to contact so everyone can communicate through them. (We have them at the church if you are interested) There was a discussion about cell phones and how unreliable they are in an emergency. The suggestion was it might be a better idea to send text because they take less data to send and will more likely get sent verses a phone call.
v Is there a plan in your family so you all know where you would meet as soon as you can gather?
There was soo much wonderful information shared! The links below are the two main handouts Colleen shared with us.
Disaster Preparedness 5-7 Day Kit ChecklisThe Bucket List Your 7-Day Emergency Kit
We wanted to acknowledge the month of March is the month the Relief Soceity was organized. Cami T made the cute banner sign to wish our organization a Happy Birthday!
We enjoyed the wonderful food Helen P prepared for us! What a great treat we had! How special did we ALL feel when we went in and saw such a beautiful display for us to enjoy!
If you could not make it this month, we hope you will join us next month...there will be 4 different people demonstrating different ideas for food prep. how too's etc...you will choose 1 of the classes go to the home that is hosting that class and enjoy your evening. April 18th 7:00pm Hope you will join us!
Wish the other pics I took turned out of the Sisters visiting...it is a wonderful thing to see and hear the Sisters enjoying each other...
