Come snow, rain, or sharknado: National Preparedness Month encourages emergency and disaster readiness

  • Published
  • By Air Force 2nd Lt. Michael Trent Harrington
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  A large, muscular man with lengths of .50-caliber ammunition draped over his shoulders sprints towards you, fiery explosions erupting behind him.

"Get to the chopper!" he yells.

He grasps a weapon with one hand and uses the other to pull you, singed with ash and covered and dirt, from your daze atop a heap of rubble. You escape just as the hyper-intelligent space creature destroys the forest for miles.

Whether tornado-borne shark attacks, sentient time-traveling computer networks or extremely-agile apocalyptic zombies, Hollywood has done much to raise awareness of the unlikeliest of emergencies. More than a few automobiles bear stickers for "Zombie Protection" or videogame-inspired self-defense, and "anti-telekinetic" aluminum foil hats are a yearly staple at Halloween parties. Yet many local residents, even some well-acquainted with all an Alaska winter has to offer, are unprepared for some of the most mundane and common of potential emergencies.

September is National Preparedness Month, an annual Department of Homeland Security effort to highlight emergency preparedness and simple steps to prepare for emergencies at home, work or school -- in the real world.

Disaster preparedness certainly means being ready for natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks. But while floods, blizzards and earthquakes grab all the dramatic headlines, it is often the more minor emergencies--water main breaks and local power outages, for instance--that cause the most headaches for the unprepared.

In that vein, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is doing its part to ensure the worst of circumstances will find the base community ready.

A dusty, forgotten can of sardines and an old two-liter of soda, however, do not constitute adequate survival food. A flashlight with no batteries, four hundred yards of forgotten-about holiday lights and several spare packages of fluorescent light bulbs do not constitute an emergency illumination system. Nor does advanced preparation for a blizzard mean slipping and sliding to the supermarket two days after the snow has started falling. Indeed, even the most useful of smartphone applications requires the one resource most likely to become scarce in an emergency: electricity.

"Much of the effort involves from the JBER Office of Emergency Management involves debunking the common assumptions that 'I've already done enough' or 'I'll get it if I need it' said Tech. Sgt. Leslie Baxter," 773d Civil Engineering Squadron.

Forward-thinking saves the most time, money and peace of mind only when it is actually forward.

Visitors to the Joint Military Mall on JBER can visit the National Preparedness Month booth in front of the Exchange now through the end of September. The table has pamphlets of recommendations for earthquakes, tsunamis and cold weather kits to carry at home and in the car, as well as coloring sheets for children.

The Federal Emergency Management's Ready program maintains a Web page with detailed and easily navigable information on preparing and staying informed for emergencies, building and maintaining appropriate disaster preparedness kits, and activities to gauge your disaster readiness at: http://www.ready.gov.

Army and Air Force personnel should be sure to remember to check in with the Army Disaster Personnel Accountability and Assessment System or Air Force Personnel Accountability and Assessment System in the event of a major emergency event.
The links to sites, as well as emergency management readiness programs and reporting for all branches and services are available at Military OneSource: http://www.militaryonesource.mil

Prepare ahead of time. The life you save may be your own.