Prayers to Japan

AP Photo

There was a picture today in the San Francisco Chronicle of a Japanese baby girl who was being checked for radiation levels. It made my cry knowing this little girl had endured tripled trauma in a matter of days.  

This reality is certainly not far fetched for any of us, especially living in the earthquake state of California. Last night, we talked about our emergency plan with my parents.  I hope that everyone will pause and make sure there are multiple emergency kits in your home and car.   If you have a child at daycare or preschool, be sure that your child has a kit there as well.  I highlighted tips on family emergency planning in this previous article.

My heart goes out to the victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami disaster.

Emergency Exit—Is your Family Prepared?

The other night I had plans to hang out with a girlfriend and her son. Minutes after arriving at their condo, the building’s emergency alarm went off. Over the high pitched beeping, an automated voiced announced, “An emergency situation has been reported. Exit the building. DO NOT take the elevators”

They happened to live on the ninth floor and it was about 80 degrees in Oakland that night. We hustled and carried our babies down 10 flights of stairs. Unsure of which grey door to exit, we started to feel a little panicked and very dehydrated.

Luckily it was a false alarm but it got me thinking about emergency responsiveness with the little ones.

In this situation, did we move quick enough to find safety?

We all know natural disasters happen anytime, and most of the time we aren’t prepared enough. Take some time out and review your own situation especially if you have children or older folks living with you.

• Do you know your immediate neighbors and have their phone numbers?
• Do you have emergency bags complete with things for adults, kids, and pet?
• Have you taken a first aid/CPR training recently? Do you own a first aid kit?
• Do you own a solar/crank radio and flashlight?
• Have you practiced the exit strategy with your family? Especially crucial in big residential condos.

Take good care! Visit 72 hours for good ideas.