Wildfire Emergency
This past week, Southern California was devasted by a series of wildfires. It was not wildfire season. People were not expecting to start their new year by evacuating and running from the fire. But that is what they had to do. Santa Ana winds were gusting up to 100 miles per hour, which is as strong as a hurricane. Lives were lost. Many were injured. Thousands of homes were burned.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of the areas that burned. If you’d like to join SCM in donating to the survivors, links can be found at the end of this safety tip. We want to thank all the first responders who have worked and continue to work to protect the city.
What can we learn from these fires? We have a few thoughts.
1. Emergency Action Plans. As we have said in the past, the time to prepare for emergencies is before an emergency happens. Preparation means having evacuation routes, systems for calling for help, and CPR/First Aid training, planning and practicing before it is too late.
And while you are planning on what to do for your employees, make some plans for your home. Evacuations were ordered for people living in the path of the fires. It was common to hear interviews of evacuated people saying that they got out with only the clothes on their backs. But, with a little advanced planning, they could have put together a “go-bag” with needed medication, extra clothing, food for the pets, some cash, flashlights, comfort toys for young children, etc.
2. Air quality. Watch the local air quality. A secondary problem of having fires burning around you is the smoke that hangs in the air. During the worst of the fires last week, air quality near the fire zones was in the 300 – 500 range, which is the worst Air Quality Index category, labeled “hazardous.” When the air quality is that bad, Cal/OSHA, in their Protection from Wildfire Smoke regulation, requires that employers provide their employees with respirators. People with respiratory issues should stay indoors. Ventilation should be filtered.
3. Communication Systems. When bad things like wildfires happen, how do you communicate information to employees? Who calls 9-1-1? Is there someone designated to take charge? What if that person is on vacation? Part of emergency planning is knowing who does what, if that person is not there, who is next to be in charge? These questions should be asked and answered before the emergency happens.
Another aspect of communication is that people want to make sure their loved ones and friends who might be near a disaster are safe. Social media is one way to communicate, as well as texting, calling on mobile phones, and having one person be a central point of contact. This is when Grandma or Uncle Fred can be important as the contact person if they live out of the disaster area. Those in harm’s way reach out to Grandma or Uncle Fred about their safety, and then Grandma or Uncle Fred can spread the news.
Weekly Safety Challenge:
What are some emergency planning ideas that you have? Share them with us. We’ll use them in an upcoming safety tip.
Want to help the victims of these Southern California fires? Here are a few suggestions of groups that are already on location offering assistance:
The California Fire Foundation Wildfire & Disaster Relief Fund: https://www.cafirefoundation.org/what-we-do/for-communities/disaster-relief
World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org
The Salvation Army: https://socal.salvationarmy.org/southern-california/california-wildfires/
