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Life's Too Short... so make the most of it! Try something new, eat something healthy, grow something beautiful, hug someone you love, move around a lot, and be kind to yourself. Melanie Cole, MS brings you the best tips from lifestyle and fitness experts to the best and brightest medical professionals.

Disaster Preparedness

From the Show: Life's Too Short
Summary: Prepare yourself and your family for potential disasters in your area.
Air Date: 10/3/17
Duration: 15:24
Guest Bio: Julie Martellini, PhD, MS
Dr. Julie MartelliniDr. Julie Martellini obtained her doctorate of biomedical sciences from the University of Central Florida's college of medicine. 

Her research focused on the innate immune reaction to HIV.  She then obtained a postdoctoral research certificate from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical center, researching the initial immune response to HIV infection.

Upon leaving academia over four years ago, she joined the forces of public health in the department of public health emergency response.  She has taken part in incidents ranging from mercury exposure, tornado shelters and Ebola monitoring. More recently she has developed Zika prevention kits for pregnant women who are at risk of exposure to Zika infection, and played an early part in the shelters set up for hurricane Harvey victims. 

We’ve seen many worldwide disasters in recent history. Are you prepared for disasters in your area?

The simplest thing to do is have awareness of your local situation. Disaster response always starts locally and involves the Federal government if necessary.

Basic Preparedness Checklist

  • What would you need if you had no cell phone and no power? 
  • What would you need to keep your family safe and comfortable for several days without amenities? 
  • Can you remember the phone numbers of your family members without your cell phone directory? 
  • Do you have a meeting place in case of emergency that everyone in your family knows?
  • Do your children know your full name and street address?
  • Do you have an evacuation plan and a paper map?
  • Does your car have a spare tire and a full tank of gas?
Your Grab & Go Kit

  • water-tight, sealed plastic bag with important documents
  • 3-day supply of foods that don’t require refrigeration or cooking
  • 2 gallons of drinking water per family member per day
  • first aid supplies
  • 7- to 14-day supply of medications
  • hygiene items
  • comfort items
  • clean air supplies like an N-95 mask fitted to you
  • plastic sheeting & duct tape
  • flashlight
  • portable radio powered by batteries or hand crank
  • whistle
  • cell phone chargers
  • basic tools
  • supplies for special needs in your family
You don’t know how much time you will have in a disaster. Keep your supplies in a plastic container in the safest room in your home. Maintain a smaller kit in your car in case disaster strikes while you’re traveling.

Local response teams always collaborate with local news affiliates. Check your local radio and television stations. FEMA and the National Reserve will find you if the disaster is big enough. News stations will tell you where to go if you need help.

Join your local medical reserve corps if you want to volunteer during an incident. You will be trained for free and able to respond if you like. You’ll also be in the know about local disasters.

Listen as Dr. Julie Martellini joins Melanie Cole, MS, to share how you can be ready if disaster strikes.

Resources

knowwhat2do.com
www.ready.gov
www.redcross.org

Audio / Radio Segments