Immediate needs may include water, shelter, heat, food, safety, light, refrigeration for unstable life saving medications, sanitation and perhaps firstaid.
Most "firstaid kits" or "emergency kits" will not provide the basics. A firstaid kit may be an OSHA requirement and give employers a false sense of security. Comply with the law, then prepare with care. How much benefit will your organization derive from a few 2x2 guaze pads in an large scale disaster? An emergency kit may be a step up and contain some Meals Ready to Eat (MRE's) and a few pouches of water.
Think strategically about how many people the plan needs to serve. Let's use an emergency water supply as the example. The standard recommendation is a minimum of three gallons per person per day. The need will vary based on your industry or population served. How far do you think that emergency kit will go in satisfying the need for water?
One local credit union built a cistern. It looks to hold around 5000 gallons of water. Cisterns are common in Western Africa, but not here. Yet Western Oregon gets a lot of rain. What about cost? Each entity needs to weigh the cost and benefit. A 5000 gallon cistern seems drastic for a hair salon with 10-12 employees. So if a cistern is not the solution, what is? A high capacity water filtering system? A single water barrel and pump? Stored bottled water? Draining the hot water tank and hoping it is enough? How will water be distributed?
Credit unions are not allowed to close more than two consecutive days, so they are obligated to function whereas hair salons are not. Contrast that with an Adult Family Home. People live there and water is necessary to maintain health and safety. Your water needs will depend on a variety of factors. So the formula goes like this # served x daily consumption x expected number of days or hours. Build up to a three day supply and set up a time line for cost effective improvements.
 |
| Rain Cistern at a Local Credit Union. |
 |
| Roof Drainage into Cistern. |
No comments:
Post a Comment