Experts point to the importance of family members making a plan together in preparation for unexpected natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, and warn: "A Family Disaster Response Plan must be prepared."
Dr. Rüştü Uçan, Head of Occupational Health and Safety Department at Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, pointed out the importance of family members to act without panic in case of any disaster and said that a plan must be made.
Family Disaster Response Plan must be made
Stating that in the event of a disaster, all family members may be together or some or all of them may not be together due to living conditions, Dr. Rüştü Uçan said, "For this reason, it is the plan that should be made in order for family members to act correctly without panicking in the event of a disaster. This plan is a very important requirement of a conscious life and in fact, living a planned life in all aspects of life is one of the most basic conditions of happiness."
What should the Family Disaster Response Plan look like?
Dr. Rüştü Uçan gave the following information about the points that should be included in the Family Disaster Response Plan:
- Provincial/non-provincial contact information where family members can be reached directly or indirectly,
- Where and how best to come together if separated,
- What to do if a reunion is not possible,
- Personal information of family members (chronic illness, disability, pregnancy, etc.),
- Knowing the technical features of the communication devices used in order to make communication more effective,
Two responsible parties should be identified
- Including information about the cleaning staff, babysitters, guests, etc. in the plan, just like the family members,
- Specifying information about adopted pets,
- Considering the difficult circumstances of the first responsible person in the plan, identifying the second responsible person and specifying the requirements for him/her to act as the first responsible person when necessary,
There must be a plan for gold watches
- The plan is predominantly based on the 72 hours after the disaster, referred to as the golden hours,
- Determining the safest and riskiest places of living spaces (home, workplace, etc.) by taking into account structural and non-structural hazards,
- Sketching the living areas and indicating especially the places where there may be a life triangle/livelihood and emergency kit, places that may be dangerous and alternative exit/escape routes,
- In the living areas, the locations of electricity, natural gas and water main valves/switches, first aid cabinet, fire extinguisher, chemical/hazardous substances, searchlights, etc. should be indicated on the sketch.
