A Message from DHS: The images from Haiti continue to illustrate the devastating impact of natural disasters. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working hard to support the international response effort to help our neighbors recover from this tragedy.
Emergency preparation may not be possible for every individual, or for every type of emergency, but we cannot overstate the importance of preparedness planning. The U.S. federal government, along with many of our partners in the private sector, provides abundant resources for preparing your family for disasters. We encourage you to utilize these resources and prepare your family to the fullest extent you can.
If you live in a region prone to earthquakes, you are probably aware of the risks they pose. Knowing the risks within your community is the first step in evaluating the preparedness level of your family. DHS encourages you to research the potential risks in your area, evaluate how you should best respond, and prepare your family accordingly. Forethought and planning will help you make sound decisions during a crisis and keep your family safe.
Consider the following tips for preparing your family for emergencies:
Visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website and click any state to see the common local risks and how to best respond.
Find out what your community is doing to prepare for emergencies and volunteer..
Help children prepare for emergencies at their own pace and maturity level.
Monetary contributions remain the best way to support the relief efforts in Haiti. Visit www.whitehouse.gov/haitiearthquake for more information or to make a contribution.
If you are seeking information on family members in Haiti, contact: U.S. Department of State 1-888-407-4747
And for more information on how you can help the ongoing response and recovery efforts in Haiti, visit www.usaid..gov/haiti.
17-8641-2005 Page 1 of 1 Rev. 10/09 A person with flu may become ill very quickly. Fever and the worst symptoms can last three to seven days. The person may feel weak and tired, with low energy levels for weeks. They may also have a hacking cough that lasts a long time.
Common symptoms: ï Fever – low (100oF) to high (104 oF), usually for 3 days, but may last 4 to 8 days. Sometimes fever will go away and return a day later. ï Feeling very tired. ï Muscle and body aches. ï Feeling very cold or having shaking chills. ï Joint aches. ï Headache (may be severe). ï Eye pain. ï Sore throat. ï Stuffed nose or runny nose. ï Dry cough at first, may become a deep, hacking, and painful cough after several days. ï No appetite for food or desire to drink fluids. ï Vomiting and/or diarrhea.
Supplies to have on hand: ï Thermometer ï Acetaminophen ï Cough suppressants/cough syrups ï Drinks – fruit juices, sports drinks. ï Light foods – clear soups, crackers, applesauce. ï Blankets; warm covers. People with (H1N1) swine flu who are cared for at home should: • (If medical care is needed) Persons should contact their health care providers to report illness (by telephone or other remote means) before seeking care at a clinic, physician’s office, or hospital. • Check with their health care provider about any special care they might need if they are pregnant or have a health condition such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, or emphysema. • Check with their health care provider about when and if they should take antiviral medications. • Stay home until they no longer have temperature for 24 hours (without taking fever reducing medicine). • Get plenty of rest. • Drink clear fluids (such as water, broth, sports drinks, electrolyte beverages for infants) to keep from being dehydrated. • Cover coughs and sneezes. Clean hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. often and especially after using tissues and after coughing or sneezing into hands. • Avoid close contact with others – do not go to work or school while ill. • Be watchful for emergency warning signs (see below) that might indicate you need to seek medical attention. Persons who have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath or are believed to be severely ill should seek immediate medical attention. • Persons in home isolation and their household members should do the following infection control measures: Wash hands with soap and water very often. Use alcohol-based hand gels (containing at least 60% alcohol) when soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty. When the ill person is within 6 feet of others at home, the ill person should wear a face mask if one is available and the ill person is able to wear it. Home Care Guide for H1N1 (Swine) Influenza
17-8641-2005 Page 1 of 1 Rev. 10/09 Household contacts who are well should: o remain home at the earliest sign of illness; o reduce contacts in the community when possible o choose a single household family member as the ill person’s caregiver to reduce chance of others getting sick. Caring for a person with influenza:
o Have the patient rest in bed. o When fever is high the person may feel very cold and want several blankets. o Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen according to the package label or a health care provider’s direction to reduce fever, headache, and muscle, join or eye pain. o Liquids/Drinks – give often, this is very, very important to replace body fluids that are lost as a result of the fever. o Fluids are more important than food, especially in the first days when the fever may be the highest.
When to seek medical advice:
o If the person is short of breath or breathing rapidly while at rest. o If the person’s skin is dusky or bluish in color. o If the person is acting confused (“out of it”). o If the person is so dizzy or weak that standing is difficult (in a person who was able to walk before the illness). o If the person has not used the bathroom (urine) in 12 or more hours. o Persons believed to be very ill. Medications to Help Symptoms of the Flu Check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist for correct, safe use of medications Antiviral medications can sometimes help flu symptoms, but require a prescription. Most people do not need these antiviral drugs to fully recover from the flu. However, persons at higher risk for severe flu complications, or those with severe flu illness who require hospitalization, may benefit from antiviral medications. Antiviral medications are available for persons 1 year of age and older. Ask your healthcare provider whether you need antiviral medication. Influenza infections can lead to or occur with bacterial infections. Therefore, some people will also need to take antibiotics. More severe or prolonged illness or illness that seems to get better, but then gets worse again may be that a person has a bacterial infection. Check with your healthcare provider if you have concerns.
As parents and teachers know, children have a way of picking up colds and other illnesses at school. As the number of swine flu (H1N1 Flu Outbreak) cases increases in the U.S., it becomes even more important to teach kids how to stay healthy.
Teach Good Health Habits Proper and consistent hand washing is one of the easiest ways to prevent the spread of flu. Teach kids by example by showing them proper hand washing technique:
Wet hands with water and apply an amount of soap recommended by the manufacturer to hands.
Rub hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds, covering all surfaces of the hands and giving added attention to fingernails and surfaces where jewelry is worn.
Rinse hands with water.
Dry thoroughly with a disposable towel.
Use towel to turn off faucet.
For younger children who may rush their hand washing, have them sing a short song such as "Row Row Row Your Boat," or the "Happy Birthday"song, which will ensure they wash for at least 20 seconds. Placing hand-washing reminders at children's eye level will also help them become consistent hand washers.
Teach kids to adopt these other healthy habits in order to prevent the spread of germs:
Avoid sharing objects such as utensils, cups, and bottles.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and wash your hands afterwards. If tissue-less, cough or sneeze into your elbow or upper arm, not your hands.
Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth to keep germs from entering your body.
Parents should also prepare for the potential spread of swine flu by talking with family members and loved ones about how they would be cared for if they got sick. Also ask your child's school or day care if there are plans to encourage sick children to stay home to reduce the spread of the disease.
Educational Tools Parents and teachers can reinforce kids' hand-washing habits by using tools such as The Scrub Club®, an interactive Web site that offers free materials to raise awareness about the benefits of hand washing to fight germs and prevent illness. The fun, Web-based experience is complete with educational materials, music, games and cartoon "Webisodes."
The Scrub Club® is being used by hundreds of schools nationwide, and teachers continue to integrate the Scrub Club educational activities into their daily curriculum. These educational materials are currently available in French, English and Spanish.
The American Red Cross and NSF International (NSF) have collaborated to help protect public health. Collectively, NSF, the Red Cross and seven "soaper-heroes"are teaching children the importance of proper and consistent hand washing through the Scrub Club®. Through this partnership, the two organizations are helping educate communities across the nation about the benefits of handwashing to fight germs and prevent illness.
About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.
Related Links
Pandemic Flu, Are You Prepared?
The American Red Cross offers a short video to help individuals understand a pandemic flu and how to be prepared.Read more
We recently launched the brand new RedCross.org Web site—and I want to invite you, as a friend of the American Red Cross, to take a look and let us know what you think:
Our new online home will help us fulfill our mission of providing relief to victims of disaster and help you prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. It also makes it easier than ever for you to get involved with the Red Cross and connect with one of our 712 local chapters, where you can learn about taking Red Cross classes and volunteering in your own community. You can also make an appointment to give blood or sponsor a blood drive.
At RedCross.org, you'll find quick and easy links to help you change a life by donating blood, money, and time to the Red Cross. In just a few clicks you can donate and help ensure that the next time a flood, fire, earthquake, or tornado strikes, the Red Cross will be there with all the resources needed to provide immediate relief to all those affected.
Finally, the new site features a brief survey to provide feedback on what you think works and doesn't work. Visit our new Web site, send us your feedback, and start changing lives right now:
And over the coming months we will continue enhancing our Web site and ask you to get involved in the process.
After all, this is your Red Cross and your site that allows you to connect with the information and tools to help change a life. We’re all looking forward to hearing from you:
With a new year just getting underway, there is no better time to make a resolution to give back to your community and commit some of your time this year to the Red Cross.
Sincerely,
Gail McGovern President and CEO American Red Cross
During an emergency you may be asked to "shelter-in-place" or evacuate. Plan for both possibilities and be prepared to listen to instructions from your local emergency management officials.
We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends.
If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn't know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence the 'ICE' (In Case of Emergency) Campaign. The concept of 'ICE' is catching on quickly. It is a method of contact during emergency situations. As cell(mobile)phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name 'ICE' ( In Case Of Emergency). The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn't know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as 'ICE.' For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc. Lets spread the concept of ICE by storing an ICE number in our mobile phones today!
