Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
How to make an Emergency Supply Kit
A tailor made recipe for Sri lanka!
Emergencies can strike our selves, family, school or workplace. Some emergencies cannot be prevented. However, it is wise to prepare for emergencies. When emergencies occur, we will be cut off from the routine supplies of food, water, clothes and medicines. First 24-48 hours after an emergency are very important, as after this period, emergency relief items will often arrive. Thus it is important to have an Emergency Supplies Kit to face the first few hours after a disaster effectively.
Why should we have an Emergency Supply kit?
The first 24-48 hours following the disaster is a very important period. Most undesirable effects of disasters are experienced during this period. If we are better prepared, we could cope better. face Just imagine yourself trapped in your office room for 1 day with no access to outside…. Even just a bottle of drinking water can make a huge difference. Suppose you and your 1 year old kid had to evacuate to a school for 1 day… The impact, misery and bad results of disasters could greatly be reduced if you have an Emergency Supplies Kit.
Who should have an Emergency Supply Kit?
Every body! Nobody is free from emergencies or disasters. So every body will benefit of having an Emergency Supply Kit, from a school child to an elderly person.
Where should we have an Emergency Supply Kit?
Every where! No place is free from emergencies. We may have to face emergencies at home, school, work place or while traveling. So it is a good idea to have an Emergency Supply Kit at every possible place, at least at places where you spend a lot of time in a daily basis.
When should we have an Emergency Supply Kit?
Every time! Disasters strike at most odd and unwanted times. Thus we need to be prepared all the time.
How should you prepare an Emergency Supply Kit?
It is simple as 1-2-3!
Gather the items that you may need in an emergency situation.
Pack them in a box or bag.
Keep it close to the exist and refresh the supplies regularly.
What should we have in an Emergency Supply Kit?
While general guidelines could be given to assemble an Emergency Supply Kit (Check List 1), each and every one of us needs to tailor it to suit our individual and specific needs. For example, water and non perishable food items are essential for every Emergency Supplies kit, however, a person taking drugs for long-term illness may need an additional stock of drugs, a family with a baby may need pampers. After all it is your Emergency Supplies Kit!
Items to be included in an Emergency Supply Kit
Safety items
Flashlight with batteries – helps you to find your way in the night time, especially with power failures.
Battery operated pocket radio – helps to keep you updated of the disaster situation.
Extra batteries for the flashlight and pocket radio
Lantern with a ½ bottle of kerosene oil – to give you light in the night and also to tell the searchers and rescuers where you are. Make sure to store the kerosene oil in a leak proof container.
Candles – to give you light in the night.
Boxes of matches – pack them in a waterproof cover such as hard polythene cover.
Mosquito coils or repellants
Pen and Pencil – to jot down a message.
Whistle – to indicate where you are to other family members as well as to searchers and rescuers.
Emergency Contact List and a mobile phone with additional batteries.
Some cash
Food and Water
Make sure that your food items are non-perishable and needs little or no cooking.
Noodles
Biscuits – select a couple of your favorite biscuit types!
Tinned fish
Can Opener
Home made non perishable dishes - Example: Deep fried sprats and onions, Dry Maldive Fish sambol etc.
Sweets – Example: Thala Bola, Thala kerali, Dates, Juggary.
Savory items – Murukku, devilled gram, dhal or pea nuts.
Some pet food
Water – at least 2 liters per person per day
First Aid Kit – helps you to manage the basic health needs of your family.
Clothes
1 pair of complete clothes per person. Example: long sleeved shirt, long pants/sarong and sturdy shoes – to protect you from mosquitoes and to from debris.
Blanket
Towel
Sanitation
Thick polythene bags
Toilet papers/pieces of cloth
Sanitary pads
Supplementary items
One week’s supply of medicines if you are taking medicines for any long term illness.
Pampers, feeding plates and spoons if you have a baby.
Store your important documents such as bank pass books and copies of identity cards in your Emergency Supply kit. Get all your certificates and important documents such as insurance papers laminated. It is a good idea to keep a set of photocopies of all your important documents in a separate safe place away from your town/village.
Supplementary items
One week’s supply of medicines if you are taking medicines for any long term illness.
Pampers, feeding plates and spoons if you have a baby.
Store your important documents such as bank pass books and copies of identity cards in your Emergency Supply kit. Get all your certificates and important documents such as insurance papers laminated. It is a good idea to keep a set of photocopies of all your important documents in a separate safe place away from your town/village.
Maintain your Emergency Supply Kit properly!
It is important to maintain you Emergency Supply kit in good order at all times. You should replenish the food items with new stocks to prevent wastage and expiry. Use Check List 3 to keep a track of the maintenance of your Emergency Supply Kit.
After every emergency…..
Make sure to review your Emergency Supply Kit after every disaster. This is important not only to keep it refilled for the next disaster, but also to update/ modify it according to the experience obtained from the recent disaster.
Some Myths and Facts about Emergency Supply Kit…
Myth 1: Only rich can afford Emergency Supply Kit
Fact: Emergency Supply Kit helps both rich and poor. We can make an Emergency Supply Kit within our budget. Some of the most important items will not cost you a cent: Store boiled water in a used bottle or gallon. We can use the food items if not used before the expiry date. Emergency Supply Kits have been proven to be beneficial even in poor communities such as flood affected people in Bangladesh.
Myth 2: Assembling and Emergency Supply Kit is a waste of time and money.
Fact: Assembling of an emergency supply kit will of course take some time and money when you are doing it for the first time. However, once you have assembled it, the maintenance will not cost you much time or money. Intact, the Emergency Supply Kit will save a lot of money and time if a disaster strikes.
Myth 3: Emergency Supply Kit is suitable for western cultures, not for us.
Emergency Supply Kit is not a concept to be learnt from western culture, even our own ancestors had many practices which helped them to prepare for disasters. For example, they used to save part of the daily rice consumption to be used in difficult situations (Mitihal Muttiya). Emergency Supply Kit is a part of the preparedness culture that we should adopt as a nation.
(Please contact the author if you need the complete article.)
Sunday, September 7, 2008
World Rabies Day 2008: Awareness is the Best Defense against Rabies
The world is again joining together on September 28th to raise awareness and understanding about the importance of rabies prevention. Rabies is the oldest and deadliest disease known to mankind and Safer Sri Lanka is supporting this initiative.
Led by the Alliance for Rabies Control and supported by numerous human and animal health organizations worldwide, World Rabies Day is a unique campaign that brings together hundreds of thousands of people across the world to reinforce the message that rabies is a preventable disease, yet kills 55,000 people needlessly each year, half of which are children under the age of 151.
“Rabies is primarily a disease of children, who are particularly at risk from this terrible disease, due to their close contact with dogs, the major global source”, said Dr. Debbie Briggs, Executive Director of the Alliance for Rabies Control. “Children are more likely to suffer multiple bites and scratches to the face and head, both of which carry a higher risk of contracting rabies. Children are often unaware of the danger that dogs transmit rabies and may not tell their parents when a bite, lick, or scratch has occurred from an infected animal”, says Briggs.
Rabies is a viral disease that can be transmitted to animals and humans. The disease is transmitted mainly by bite, but exposure may also occur through contamination of broken skin or mucous membranes with saliva from an infected animal. Once neurological symptoms of the disease develop, rabies is fatal to both animals and humans. The good news is that rabies is easily preventable. “Vaccination prior to possible exposure is a crucial part of health management of domestic animals, and is the single most important factor in rabies prevention”, said Peter Costa, Global Communications Coordinator for the Alliance for Rabies Control.
Rabies prevention starts with the animal owner. Protect yourself, your pet and your community by taking animals to be vaccinated. Avoid stray animals and wildlife. If you are bitten, wash bite wounds with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately. If your pet is bitten, consult your veterinarian immediately. Prompt and appropriate treatment after being bitten and before the disease develops can stop rabies infection and/or prevent the disease in humans and animals.
The World Rabies Day initiative also raises money towards local rabies prevention and control programs, with five projects funded in 2008. “Through the World Rabies Day campaign we continue to engage all the major stakeholders associated with rabies to take action”, says Costa. “We invite everyone to join the team that is Making Rabies History!”
More information on World Rabies Day can be found at the official web site, www.worldrabiesday.org.
References:
1 WHO. Human and Animal Rabies, Rabies: A neglected zoonotic disease. Available at: http://www.who.int/rabies/en/. Accessed on July 23, 2008.
Led by the Alliance for Rabies Control and supported by numerous human and animal health organizations worldwide, World Rabies Day is a unique campaign that brings together hundreds of thousands of people across the world to reinforce the message that rabies is a preventable disease, yet kills 55,000 people needlessly each year, half of which are children under the age of 151.
“Rabies is primarily a disease of children, who are particularly at risk from this terrible disease, due to their close contact with dogs, the major global source”, said Dr. Debbie Briggs, Executive Director of the Alliance for Rabies Control. “Children are more likely to suffer multiple bites and scratches to the face and head, both of which carry a higher risk of contracting rabies. Children are often unaware of the danger that dogs transmit rabies and may not tell their parents when a bite, lick, or scratch has occurred from an infected animal”, says Briggs.
Rabies is a viral disease that can be transmitted to animals and humans. The disease is transmitted mainly by bite, but exposure may also occur through contamination of broken skin or mucous membranes with saliva from an infected animal. Once neurological symptoms of the disease develop, rabies is fatal to both animals and humans. The good news is that rabies is easily preventable. “Vaccination prior to possible exposure is a crucial part of health management of domestic animals, and is the single most important factor in rabies prevention”, said Peter Costa, Global Communications Coordinator for the Alliance for Rabies Control.
Rabies prevention starts with the animal owner. Protect yourself, your pet and your community by taking animals to be vaccinated. Avoid stray animals and wildlife. If you are bitten, wash bite wounds with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately. If your pet is bitten, consult your veterinarian immediately. Prompt and appropriate treatment after being bitten and before the disease develops can stop rabies infection and/or prevent the disease in humans and animals.
The World Rabies Day initiative also raises money towards local rabies prevention and control programs, with five projects funded in 2008. “Through the World Rabies Day campaign we continue to engage all the major stakeholders associated with rabies to take action”, says Costa. “We invite everyone to join the team that is Making Rabies History!”
More information on World Rabies Day can be found at the official web site, www.worldrabiesday.org.
References:
1 WHO. Human and Animal Rabies, Rabies: A neglected zoonotic disease. Available at: http://www.who.int/rabies/en/. Accessed on July 23, 2008.
Monday, July 14, 2008
The Sphere Project
Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response
Sphere is based on two core beliefs:
All possible steps should be taken to alleviate human suffering arising out of calamity and conflict.
Those affected by disaster have a right to life with dignity and therefore a right to assistance.
Sphere is three things: a handbook, a broad process of collaboration and an expression of commitment to quality and accountability. The project has developed several tools, the key one being the handbook.
Visit http://www.sphereproject.org/ to learn more about the sphere project.
Hope we will never have snowfall in Sri Lanka!!!
Measuring Snowfall.....This is an obviously an obsolete topic for Sri Lanka however, as all of us in the Disaster Management class were very keen on knowing how to measure snowfall, this article was published.
Equipment needed:
Usual 8’ rain gauge without the inner tube and the funnel – this helps to collect the solid snow with ease.
Snowboard - a flat board, painted white, ideally about 16" x 16". This can be marked with a falg or so to find it after the snowfall.
Ruler
There are 3 measurements with regards to snow fall:
1. Precipitation – the water content of snow
To measure the water content of snow with this type of gauge, you will need to
melt the contents ( by adding measured amount of warm water for example)
and put them into the inner cylinder.
2. New Snow Amount
Usual 8’ rain gauge without the inner tube and the funnel – this helps to collect the solid snow with ease.
Snowboard - a flat board, painted white, ideally about 16" x 16". This can be marked with a falg or so to find it after the snowfall.
Ruler
There are 3 measurements with regards to snow fall:
1. Precipitation – the water content of snow
To measure the water content of snow with this type of gauge, you will need to
melt the contents ( by adding measured amount of warm water for example)
and put them into the inner cylinder.
2. New Snow Amount
Snowfall is the maximum accumulation of fresh snow during the past day prior to melting or settling. This is measured on the snow board using your ruler.
3. Snow depth - Total depth of snow on the ground
This is the total depth of snow on ground at your scheduled observation time
4. Snow Cores - Core Precipitation
If you think that all the snow has not fallen into the cylinder and has rolled down on its outer walls, example in windy conditions, you can take core precipitation. After measuring the precipitation, you cut a cylinder of fresh snow using the gauge for example on the snow board, collect the snow, melt it and add it to the precipitation.
3. Snow depth - Total depth of snow on the ground
This is the total depth of snow on ground at your scheduled observation time
4. Snow Cores - Core Precipitation
If you think that all the snow has not fallen into the cylinder and has rolled down on its outer walls, example in windy conditions, you can take core precipitation. After measuring the precipitation, you cut a cylinder of fresh snow using the gauge for example on the snow board, collect the snow, melt it and add it to the precipitation.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Helpful Telephone Numbers
Bomb Disposal 243425, 2440527
Police Emergency Service 119, 2433333 (Colombo)
General Hospitals
Colombo General Hospital 2691111
Sri Jayawardanapura 2778610
Lady Ridgeway 2693711-5
Ragama 2959261Kalubowila 2822261
Karapitiya 091-2245848
Kandy 081-2222170
Peradeniya 081-2388001
Jaffna 021-2222833
Ambulance Services
St. John Ambulance Service 2433756
Health
Central Blood bank 2692317
Poison Information Centre 2686143, 2691111 - Ext 430
Electricity Board
Colombo 2466611-3
Dehiwala 2713662,2739324
Ratmalana 2637703
Sri Jayawardanapura 2863070
Public Transport
Central Bus Stand Pettah 2329606
Road Passenger Transport Authority
Western Province 2421731
Colombo Fort Railway Station 2434215
Flight Information
Airport katunayaka 2252861-5
Water Supply and Drainage Division
Colombo Municipality 2695348
Disaster Information
Disaster Management Centre 2861197
Meteorological Department 2686686
Geological Survey and Mines Bureau 2728227,2725750, 2734634
Community Tsunami Early-warning Centre 0914385408-9
Others
Probation and Child Care 2448577
Legal Aid Commisiion 2433618
Abduction Disappearences 2676513, 0602119246
National Dangerous Drugs Control Board 2868794 (3 lines)
Bribery Commission 2581632,2586257
Fraud Bureau 2583512
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Protecting right to breath…..
Vehicle gas emission test compulsory from 15th July 2008….
Vehicle gas emission test will come into effect from 15 of this month onward, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Champika Ranawaka said.
Revenue license would not be issued to vehicles which do not comply with the environmental standards on vehicle emissions, the Minister added.
Obtaining an emission test certificate will cost less than 500 rupees for small vehicle while bigger ones will be charged 500 - 1,000 rupees. Vehicle owners will be required to come to the testing centre, obtain the certificate and take it to the revenue authorities for renewal of their revenue licenses. This move is part of the efforts to improve the air quality in the island, especially in Colombo, where pollution levels are high owing to a concentration of vehicles. A center to test vehicle gas emissions is setup close to the Fort Railway Station.
The Ministry has taken steps to establish four new testing centers by the end of this year at a cost of Rs. 88 million to purchase related equipment for testing.
At the commencement of this programme the Ministry will test the vehicle of its own.
Vehicle emissions -carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons – contribute to the formation of photochemical smog, acid deposition and elevated CO levels and these pollutants cause respiratory problems, increase toxicity and mortality, and the effects are more severe in urban areas where vehicle use is higher.
Vehicle gas emission test will come into effect from 15 of this month onward, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Champika Ranawaka said.Revenue license would not be issued to vehicles which do not comply with the environmental standards on vehicle emissions, the Minister added.
Obtaining an emission test certificate will cost less than 500 rupees for small vehicle while bigger ones will be charged 500 - 1,000 rupees. Vehicle owners will be required to come to the testing centre, obtain the certificate and take it to the revenue authorities for renewal of their revenue licenses. This move is part of the efforts to improve the air quality in the island, especially in Colombo, where pollution levels are high owing to a concentration of vehicles. A center to test vehicle gas emissions is setup close to the Fort Railway Station.
The Ministry has taken steps to establish four new testing centers by the end of this year at a cost of Rs. 88 million to purchase related equipment for testing.
At the commencement of this programme the Ministry will test the vehicle of its own.
Vehicle emissions -carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons – contribute to the formation of photochemical smog, acid deposition and elevated CO levels and these pollutants cause respiratory problems, increase toxicity and mortality, and the effects are more severe in urban areas where vehicle use is higher.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
