Preparing for Unexpected Disasters Can Be Lifesaving
Be ready.
Disasters can strike at any time. And, while you may not be able to prevent them from occurring, planning for the unexpected can be lifesaving.
September is National Preparedness Month and Southern California Edison wants to remind everyone to be prepared and stay safe if an emergency or disaster should happen.
“Being prepared for earthquakes, wildfires and, in some instances, extended power outages is critical in Southern California,” said Andrew Martinez, SCE’s vice president of Safety, Security and Business Resiliency. “You should always have an emergency bag that you can grab quickly while leaving your home. It’s also good to have an evacuation plan in place with your family ahead of time.”
National Preparedness Month is a good time to remind loved ones, friends and co-workers to update emergency plans and check expiration dates on food items. This year’s theme is “Prepared, Not Scared.” For additional safety tips, please visit: ready.gov/september. SCE customers can also learn how to be prepared for a potential emergency by visiting sce.com/beprepared.
- Have a safety plan in place for every member of your household (including pets). Keep emergency contacts including the phone numbers of family members, friends, your doctor and medical equipment company.
- Make an emergency safety kit. Include fresh water, nonperishable food, a manual can opener, batteries, a flashlight, necessary medication, first-aid supplies and cash.
- Plan for any medical needs like medications that need to be refrigerated or devices that require power. Work with your hospital or medical company that supplies your life-support device to develop a backup plan. They may offer special services during an emergency.
- Keep a fully charged cellphone or spare battery pack on hand.
- Learn life-saving skills. Take a CPR and/or first-aid class. Learn how to shut off water and gas.
- Learn how to manually open your garage door.
- If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into it, using a heavy-duty extension cord. Connecting generators directly to a household electrical outlet creates a “backfeed” situation, which is dangerous to repair crews restoring power.
