According to the US agency for International Development; In this century alone, disasters killed approximately 1.2 million people and affected 2.9 billion people, almost half the world’s population. Furthermore, disaster risks continue to grow every day due to population growth, poverty, weak governance, rapid and unplanned urbanization—especially in hazard-prone areas, climate change, and a general lack of awareness on disaster risks and losses.
Although we may not be able to do anything about climate change (at least not yet), we certainly can take responsibility for personal protection of life and property, contributing to an overall fabric of awareness which ultimately benefits all by providing a quicker capability to respond, protect and rebuild our communities. It is through this mental awareness and preparedness that we may once again learn how to rely more on ourselves instead of government when it comes to resilience. Although government plays a role in the bigger picture, the basic building block of preparedness rest with the individual and family. Having a plan already established in the event of a major disaster for flood, hurricane, tornado, fire, and earthquake should be set and each event having different characteristics and potential effects should be considered uniquely for that event. An audit of your household items should be taken and recorded in a safe place off site. Perhaps an investment in a large fire proof safe might be a consideration for those items you don’t want strewn over a 3 mile area should you be unfortunate enough to go through the effects of a major tornado. Makes sure insurance policies are up to date, make copies of important numbers, passwords, and computer program backups. Ensure that you have emergency water, flashlights, batteries, and an emergency radio on hand should they be needed. Rehearse or review potential scenarios with family members, standard operating procedure if an event occurs and potential rally points should members become separated. The point here is to not necessarily become a “prepper” (unless you are vying for a spot on the television show) but to be basically prepared in order to survive an event by having the basics lined out and ready to go. Many of the folks who work with Civil Logistics have served in foreign areas, combat situations, disasters throughout the states, or have trained others how to survive challenging situations. We want to do what we can to educate so as to prevent loss of life and limit property damage and mitigate loss.
