ONTARIO — Laughter erupted from more than 100 senior citizens, all gathered at circular tables at the Area Agency on Aging’s meeting room.
Chief Adam Spellman had just finished telling the group of gray-haired guests about a free program available through the Springfield Township Fire Department. If a senior citizen wants to confirm their fire alarm is in good working order, a firefighter will come out and check it for them.
“We don’t want you guys to climb up on ladders or chairs to get to your smoke detector to change the battery,” he said. “Have some young, good looking firemen come out, we can do that for you.”
Spellman’s advice was part of an hourlong panel discussion on emergency preparedness. The free event offered Richland County residents age 60 and older a chance to ask questions and receive assistance signing up for countywide emergency text alerts. Participants also received one free weather radio per household.
The Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging hosted the event in honor of National Preparedness Month. According to an agency press release, older adults tend to be more at risk than others during extreme weather or other emergencies, especially if they live alone, are low-income, have a disability or live in a rural areas.
Spellman was joined by three other panelists — First Call 211 coordinator Terry Carter, Rebecca Owens of the Richland County Emergency Management Authority (EMA) and Erin Schaefer, executive director at Catalyst Life Services.
The panelists advised residents to consider the three Ps of emergency response: plan, prepare and practice.
“Look around at your household and your situation and start to plan, What is it that you’re going to need?” Carter said. “It’s really important to think it really through, write it down. There’s a lot of good material that the EMA can help you with in terms of how to plan.”
Spellman agreed that having and rehearsing a plan is crucial.
“Once you have a fire in your house and it’s filled with smoke and heat, and all that anxiety and stress sets in, you’re not thinking clearly,” he said. “Having a fire escape plan and practicing that regularly, is going to be important.”
Planning for others
Owens, the county’s EMA director, advised the crowd to consider the unique needs of everyone in their household.
She also recommended sharing one’s emergency plans with loved ones.
“Make sure you’re communicating with your families on what your plan is and encouraging them to have a plan as well,” Owens said.
“Take care of neighbors,” she added. “Check on them. Reach out. Make sure that person is getting the help that they need. It literally takes a village and then some when you’re going through disasters.”
Preparations should also include pets.
“You want to make sure you have the necessary items for your pet just like you would in a in a go bag for a neighbor or a family member,” Spellman said.
The group also talked about what to include in an emergency kit. Residents may even want to prepare two kits — one for sheltering in place and one for an evacuation.
Regardless of whether you’re hunkering down or seeking shelter elsewhere, it’s best to have basic shelf stable food items, an ample supply of any medications, phone chargers, batteries and a flashlight, a blanket, a first aid kit, a battery-powered radio and important documents stored in a place that’s quick and easy to access.
Residents should also consider their medical needs — having a back up pair of glasses, portable oxygen tanks or an ice pack to keep insulin cool may be wise to include.
Schaefer said having items like soundproof headphones, a coloring book or a simple card game can help distract to children or those who deal with anxiety or sensory sensitivities during stressful situations.
Mental preparation
Schaefer also advised the crowd to consider how they can mentally and emotionally prepare for disaster. She said it’s important for everyone to understand how they respond to stress and crisis situations. Typically, people respond in one of three ways — fight, flight or freeze.
Knowing the basic protocols for different types of disasters — whether it’s a tornado, flood or fire — can help people stay focused and avoid getting swept up in emotion.
“It’s important to be aware of, ‘What’s my typical response?’ and being aware of what to do in those circumstances helps you to overcome the stress, the panic, the anxiety,” Schaefer said.
If the threat of danger isn’t immediate, Schaefer said it can be helpful to stop, take a deep breath and ask yourself, ‘What do I need to do right now?’
“We don’t always make the best decisions for ourselves and for people around us if we aren’t able to stop and really think about what we’re doing,” she said. “Sometimes you need the flight, but sometimes you need to stop and just think.”
Schaefer told residents that inaction can also be a trauma response, so it’s important to watch out for others.
“If you see somebody and they are frozen in place, grab them, look at them and say ‘Let’s go now’ and take them because they might not be able to do that themselves,” she said.
Generator safety
Spellman said it’s crucial never to run a generator inside a home or garage. Generators typically run on a fuel source like gasoline, diesel or natural gas.
“Because it’s running off of fuel, just like a car engine, you have exhaust that gets emitted,” she said. “Exhaust can build up in your home quickly, and it can reach deadly levels of carbon monoxide.”
Spellman said carbon monoxide is virtually undetectable, since it has no smell, taste or color. Even when placed outside, residents should keep portable generators away from windows, doors or vents so exhaust doesn’t blow into the home.
Spellman advised turning off a generator when adding fuel. After running a generator, let it cool down before storing it. Keep it away from combustible materials like rags, fuel and cardboard.
Additional tips
Residents should notify their electric company if they use an oxygen machine or other type of life-saving equipment before power outages strike. Some companies will provide a generator or prioritize these customers during power restoration.
Candles can provide a source of heat and light, but they can also cause devastation if left unattended.
“We’ve been to a lot of house fires that have started as a result of unattended candles,” Spellman said.