The Official RJWestmore Blog

Important lessons can be learned from the disaster in Haiti

The recent earthquake disaster in Haiti will require extensive rebuilding of the country’s emergency response systems and infrastructure. Unfortunately, as a poor nation, many Haitians did not have the proper resources to ensure emergency preparedness. The only positive result of the disaster is that it will give the country the opportunity to focus on ways to ensure quicker, more comprehensive response time for future disasters.

But the application doesn’t stop in Haiti. Some of the hard-learned lessons can be applied to emergency planning for your buildings. These include the importance of following code standards, maintaining the infrastructure of the building, and making sure that communications procedures are established and followed. Disasters can and will happen, and proper preparation can minimize losses and quicken the pace of rebuilding.

Several aspects of emergency management will need to be rebuilt in Haiti:

Earthquake Codes:

• Focus will be on implementing new building codes
• Some studies focus on minimizing population densities and overcrowding
• Authorities and aid organizations will need to provide assistance to lower income families that cannot afford to meet code regulations to prevent the building of unregulated and unsafe structures
• Scientists say that future earthquakes are likely and Haiti should be prepared
• New codes are especially important for multi-story buildings such as offices or hotels
• Many homes in Haiti were built in stages which led to inconsistent foundation standards

Emergency Planning:

• Seismologists warned of the threat of a potential earthquake, but most warnings went unheeded
• Proper planning includes distribution of emergency kits to residents, designated relief zones, and equipment for the clearing of debris from roads

Infrastructure Needs:

• Prior to the disaster, Haiti’s airport, ports and road systems were in need of repair
• Strengthening infrastructure allows for faster emergency response
• Bringing water and sanitation up to modern standards will aid the distribution of emergency supplies and information

Communications:

• Secure communications are a key to coordinating relief in time of a disaster
• Telephone and Internet systems need to be improved
• Communication systems allow individuals to quickly get needed information in terms of where food or medical relief can be located, or where to find temporary shelters

We encourage all of our readers to donate for Haiti Relief by visiting the American Red Cross. Visit www.RJWestmore.com for information about our emergency training program. BE SAFE.

Shake, Rattle and Roll

We’ve got a full calendar at RJ Westmore, Inc. One event we’re looking forward to is the Great California ShakeOut at 10:15 a.m. on October 15, 2009, when we’ll join millions of Californians to participate in the largest earthquake drill ever!

Drop, Cover and Hold On!

Now an annual event, the ShakeOut will incorporate numerous exercises and drills designed to prepare adults and children to react quickly in the rather likely event of a California quake. In much the same way kids across America have been taught to Stop, Drop and Roll in case of fire, this exercise will give us all the opportunity to practice how to Drop, Cover and Hold On.

Practice Makes Perfect

At RJWestmore, Inc., we specialize in fire life safety and disaster preparedness training and education, so we can testify to the fact that behavior has to be learned and then drilled often in order to become automatic. If an earthquake hits, you may only have seconds to protect yourself before strong shaking knocks you down, or causes something to fall onto you. So, don’t wait until an earthquake hits to figure out how you’re going to react.

How to Deal

We are proud to join thousands of emergency organizations, emergency responders, and Search and Rescue organizations in support of Drop, Cover, and Hold On education. If you wonder whether you are adequately prepared to deal with an earthquake, take this free interactive quiz, which was prepared by the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management.

Now is the perfect time to make sure you’re prepared, as September is National Preparedness Month. So check back often to learn about how to update your disaster plans and restock your disaster supplies kits.

And, in the meantime, BE SAFE.

While fires and earthquakes are common occurrences in America, tsunamis are not. But that doesn’t mean we’re without risk.

Like the unexpected tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia in 2004, the coastal United States could experience a tsunami in the future.

To keep you prepared for disasters of all kinds, RJWestmore has compiled the following information aimed at helping you stay informed about issues of life safety.

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Last week, RJWestmore participated in the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history, The Great Southern California ShakeOut, where we trained a group of commercial property managers on earthquake preparedness.

That day, millions of people in homes, schools, businesses, government offices and public areas all over southern California participated in the event to prepare themselves for the inevitable – a magnitude 7.8 or higher earthquake along the San Andreas Fault that scientists expect will happen.

As part of RJWestmore’s mission to “Save Lives Through Training,” we’re including links to earthquake preparedness resources on our blog this week, including information on the ShakeOut; the Drop, Cover, and Hold On! procedure; the Golden Guardian 2008 Exercise Series, from Governor Schwarzenegger and his Office of Homeland Security; and a great educational video from Preparedness Now, which is available below.

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We’re often asked if we really believe training can save lives. We do! And here’s why:

Training is one of the most important tools used to enhance employee performance. This is especially true in life-threatening situations like responding to a fire, earthquake, bomb threat, medical emergency or other natural or man-made disasters. Your ability to know what to do and react immediately with the correct response can save lives.

The key to successful training that has high rates of retention is to train staff broadly to understand goals and constraints of each emergency situation, rather than training narrowly to follow sets of procedures without thinking.

Bob Westmore is frequently quoted as saying, “Emergencies never read the plans written to address them.”  In other words, no two emergency situations are exactly alike. More intuitive training developed by RJWestmore and utilized on the RJWestmore Online Fire Life Safety Training System, increases retention rates by 60% to 200% while it teaches users to learn to recognize situations and adapt their responses as appropriate to achieve the safest outcome.

Proper response training is the only way to proactively prevent the loss of life in an emergency situation. We can help.

BE SAFE!