Posted on 09/13/2005 3:17:26 PM PDT by SmithL
SAN FRANCISCO - City residents should prepare to survive at least three days without help if disaster - from an earthquake to a terror attack - strikes, according to the city's Office of Emergency Services.
A city-sponsored Web site, http://www.72hours.org, includes lists of everything well-stocked San Franciscans should keep in their home and cars to be ready for the next big emergency when power, running water and telephones may be unavailable for days.
"If Hurricane Katrina didn't prove it to you, I don't know what will," Mayor Gavin Newsom said recently at a news conference unveiling a citywide public awareness campaign aimed at getting people ready for a major disaster. "I'm not waiting, in the event of an emergency, for Air Force One."
But some residents question how realistic it is to tuck away several gallons of water, plastic sheeting and extra food, clothes and rain gear in the city's tiny apartments.
"Living in a small apartment requires some ingenuity to find a good location where it doesn't take up your whole living room," said Linda Johnson, a nonprofit agency executive who lives with her husband in a one-bedroom apartment in the Mission District.
Her supplies are now scattered throughout her home, but Hurricane Katrina has helped her realize she needs to gather it in a central, easily accessible spot.
"I think it's really important for people to take advantage of this window of opportunity, when they're so aware of what disasters can do to families," she said.
San Francisco's Office of Emergency Services created the Web site earlier this year, according to director Anne Marie Conroy. It offers an exhaustive list of items for an emergency kit including: three gallons of water per person, food, flashlight and batteries, plastic sheeting and duct tape, first aid supplies, cash in small denominations, extra prescription eye wear and medications, warm clothes, a hat, rain gear and city map.
Newsom reminded residents last week that it might take several days before vital services are restored after a major earthquake, fire, storm, power outage or act of terrorism.
Jonathan Stein, an information technology consultant who lives in Oakland, believes that's good advice. He clipped the Web site's supply list from the newspaper.
"I never really expected there would be immediate support for people," he said. "Katrina's an eye opener that the government is not really looking out for us so much."
Longtime San Francisco resident Sue Weaver didn't need the checklist. Between her Toyota Corolla's trunk and a plastic bin of supplies in her garage, Weaver and her 7-year-old daughter could survive for "two weeks, maybe a month," she said.
In addition to food and 12 or 13 gallons of water, Weaver has just about everything on the list.
The city also is running an advertising campaign focusing on what's "nice to have" versus what you "need to have" in your home or car. One poster features sushi as "nice to have," but canned tuna and a can opener as a "need to have."
"We've worked very hard to make sure city government is prepared for a natural disaster. What we need to happen, as well, is for the citizens to be well prepared," said mayoral spokesman Peter Ragone.
Johnson said the Web site made her consider things that hadn't already occurred to her - like making sure she had a supply of medicine and extra food for her two cats.
"I think it is doable," she said. "It's just a matter of taking the time to get it done."
Buy a steamer trunk, put your stuff in it, put the trunk in front of your sofa, use it as a coffee table. Any questions?
Best Regards
Sergio
Un-Fn-believable. Some 'executive'. They can't stack 3 five gallons of water in a corner, and a few dozen canned goods under the bed or tv stand?
Then again, this is San Fran.... mentality.
It's a good joke...but it's true. I was in SF for the '89 earthquake and it was days before the power was back on. I drove out in the Aves one day and saw a 7-11 lit up. That coffee was the best thing I ever had!!!
I must have retained a fond memory, 'cuz I like it better than over-priced over-burned Starbucks!!!
The best thing, however, is to get rid of the coffee jones.
Here's the list. Notice what is conspicuously absent.
Your basic emergency kit should include:
Water – one gallon per person per day
Food – ready to eat or requiring minimal water
Manual can opener
First Aid kit & instructions
Essential medications
Flashlight
Radio – battery operated
Batteries
Cash in small denominations
A copy of important documents & phone numbers
Unscented liquid household bleach for water purification
Personal hygiene items including toilet paper, feminine supplies, and soap
Sturdy shoes
Heavy gloves
Warm clothes, a hat and rain gear
A local map
Extra prescription eye glasses, hearing aid or other vital personal items
Plastic sheeting, duct tape and utility knife for covering broken windows
Blanket or sleeping bag
Extra keys to your house and vehicle
Large plastic bags for waste and sanitation
Any special-need items for children and seniors or people with disabilities. Don’t forget water and supplies for your pets.
A go-bag is for use in the event of an evacuation. Be sure that your bag is easy to carry and that it has an ID tag. Prepare one for each family member. Keep a go-bag at home, at work and in your vehicle. Include the following:
Some water, food, and manual can opener
Flashlight
Radio – battery operated
Batteries
Whistle
Pocket knife
Personal medications and prescriptions
Extra keys to your house and vehicle
Basic First Aid kit and instructions
Walking shoes, warm clothes, a hat, and rain gear
Extra prescription eye glasses, hearing aid or other vital personal items
Toilet paper, plastic bags and other hygiene supplies
Dust mask
Paper, pens and tape for leaving messages
Cash
Copies of insurance and identification cards
Any special-need items for children and seniors or people with disabilities. Don’t forget pet supplies.
Three days???
fanny packs or fanny packers???
The mayor should stock up on hair gel and toy boys.
Think about one million office workers, most of whom live outside the city, many of whom are conservative Republicans, being trapped in partially collapsed buildings or at best stranded downtown for three days with inadequate food or water.
This isn't a subject for trite gay jokes.
Save three days worth of methamphetamine? If they could panhandle that fast, they's get a job.
Um, where are the accompanying pictures? ;-)
You're kidding! Gavin "Any-Twosome" Newsom is Ed Asner's nephew?! I did not know that.
That, my friend, is a great suggestion.
I understand that, instead of worrying about looting of Best Buys for plasma TVs, San Fransisco is preparing for widespread looting of the finer male haberdasheries and, of course, wine and cheese shops.
Secret decoder ring?
I'm prepped for several week's worth of holding down our fort. JD .... I need to double check that one! Bwaaaahaaaahaaa!
You might buy a shotgun, not a handgun. There is a proposition on the SF ballot next month to ban handguns. If you own one, you will have to donate it free to the police state. This proposition will insure plenty of looting, robbery, murder and rapes during the next SF disaster.
Actually, the most conspicuous thing missing from the list is a hand gun.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.