Are you prepared for an emergency in your neighborhood? The following information is brought to you by the Colorado Office of Emergency Management and the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office.You are probably aware of the possibility of a disruption in your home utilities (electric, phone, natural gas). Preparing is everyone's job - not just government agencies, but all sectors of society -service providers, businesses, civic and volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, as well as every individual citizen.The information on this page will help you get ready for the possibility of a utility disruption.
Remember if there are utility outages, calls for emergency services may greatly increase. Available resources will be called in from local fire, ambulance and law enforcement agencies to mitigate the risks. However, if there are an overwhelming number of calls, life threatening situations must receive the highest priority. Other lower-priority services may be severely limited. Prepare yourself and your family now to be self-sufficient.
72-Hour Family Emergency KitThe 72-hour Emergency Kit should be individually tailored to meet the basic survival needs of your family. Most families prefer to store their emergency supplies in one safe location. Be sure you can reach your storage location if an evacuation is required. Items may be stored in a 32-gallon trash can, suitcase, duffel bag, footlocker or personal hiking pack.
Emergency Needs Battery powered radio
Flashlight with extra batteries
Water storage (1 gallon/person/day)
Manual can opener
Essential medications
Waterproof/windproof matches
Sleeping bags and blankets (wool and thermal) | | First aid kit and manual
Extra clothing
Extra eyeglasses/contact lenses
Non-perishable foods
Utility knife
Water purification tablets
Emergency candies |
Non-Perishable Food Items Powdered milk
Ready-to-eat goods in unbreakable containers
Peanut butter
Canned meats, juice fruits and vegetables | | Crackers
Freeze-dried and dehydrated goods
Infant care foods |
Sanitation Kit Plastic bags and ties
Improvised toilet seat
Paper cups and plates
Baby supplies
Personal toiletries
Aluminum foil
Toilet paper | | Personal hygienic needs
Paper towels
Soap
Plastic utensils
Plastic bucket with tightly fitted lid
Disinfectant |
Other Emergency Needs Pen and paper
Money
Address and phone numbers | | Any special medical needs
Work gloves
Basic tools |
Standard First Aid Kit First aid manual
Aspirin or pain relievers
Scissors
Rubbing alcohol
Petroleum jelly
Soap
Gauze
Band-Aids
Triangular bandages (36"x36"x52")
Small splints, popsicle sticks
Elastic bandages
Baking soda (1/2 teaspoon salt + 1 quart water for shock) | | Cotton balls
Cotton swabs
Needles
Thermometer
Heavy string
Sanitary napkins (pressure dressing)
Matches
Salt
Diarrhea medicine
Laxatives
Tweezers
Micropore adhesive paper tape
Individual medical needs
Disposable diapers (dressing/splint/padding) |
Car Survival Kit Always maintain at least 1/2 tank of gas
Non-perishable food stored in can
Bag of sand, shovel and tools
First aid kit and manual
Radio and batteries
Flashlight and batteries
Class ABC fire extinguisher
Jumper cables | | Blankets or sleeping bags
Bottled water
Reflectors and flares
Waterproof matches and candies
Short rubber hose for siphoning
Sundry kit, paper and pencil, map, tissues, pre-moistened towels, plastic bags, essential medications |
Make copies of all legal papers Vacation home/ property ownership
Trailers, snowmobiles, boat papers
Marriage license
House mortgage | | Automotive ownership appraisals
Motor home ownership
Insurance policies
Drivers licenses |
*Online storage is widely accessible for a nominal fee. In some cases, there is no fee at all to sign up for online storage (Google Documents.) You may chose to scan and upload documents to one of these services for secure online storage.
Out-of-state Contact Establish an Out-of-State 24-hour Telephone Contact. Outgoing calls do not overload local telephone systems and will most likely be available during a disaster. All relatives should be informed now on procedures to call the phone contact, not after a disaster has occurred.
What to tell the out-of-state Contact
Inform members of your household to be prepared to provide your out-of-state contact with the following information:
Individual location
Health / safety status
Other family/household members with you
Any other pertinent information
You may also want to take color pictures of every room of your home plus pictures of valuables.
Send one copy of legal papers and one copy of pictures to an out-of-state contact.
Plan How Your Family Will Stay In Contact If Separated by DisasterPICK TWO MEETING PLACES
A location that is a safe distance from your home in case of fire.
A place outside your neighborhood in case you can't return home.
What To Do With The Family PetMany of us have pets in our homes. When assembling emergency supplies for the household, include items for pets. Extra food (The food should be dry and relatively unappealing to prevent overeating. Store the food in sturdy containers.) Some items to consider:
Kitty litter
Large capacity self-feeder and water dispenser
Extra medications
Meet with NeighborsPlan how the neighborhood could work together after a disaster. Knowyour neighbors skills (medical, technical). Consider how you could helpneighbors who have special needs, such as elderly or disabled persons.Make plan for child care in case parents can't get home.
Traffic SignalsAny driver who approaches an intersection andfaces a traffic control signal which is not operating properly, shalltreat the traffic control signal as if it were a stop sign. When twovehicles approach an intersection from different roadways atapproximately the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the leftshall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right.
How to Store WaterStore your water in thoroughly-washed plastic, glass, fiberglass, or enamel-lined metal containers.
Never use a container that has held toxic substances.
Remember that your hot water tank is a source for 40 to 50 gallons of drinking water
Emergency Outdoor Water SourcesIf you need to find water outside of your home, you can use these sources.
- Rainwater
- Streams rivers and other moving bodies of water
- Ponds and lakes
- Natural springs
- Snow
Be sure to purify the water by:
- Boiling
- Disinfecting with bleach (16 drops/gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes)
- Distillation (Boil 1/2 pot of water and collect the vapors by tying a cup to the upside-down pot lid.)
Stock supplies to last several days to a week for each family member
Be prepared to relocate during a prolonged power outage.
Have extra cash on hand in case electronic transactions (ATM card, credit cards, etc.) can not be processed
Talk with your family about the steps each needs to take to be ready if disaster happens
| For Additional Information Contact: |
| Pitkin County Sheriff's Office | | 970-920-5300 |
| American Red Cross | | 888-545-7800 |
| Local Government |
| City Of Aspen | | 970-920-5000 |
| Pitkin County | | 970-920-5200 |
| Aspen Police Department | | 970-920-5400 |