JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- National Preparedness Month is coming to a close, but winter is just beginning – bringing with it a slew of risks military personnel may be unfamiliar with.
National Preparedness Month is an opportunity for us to refocus on the threats we confront, what we can do to be ready," said Air Force Capt. Ted Labedz, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Emergency Management flight commander.
In most places on base, when Airmen get to know each other, people inquire as to a person’s time in service, job, and their enjoyment of the job. At JBER, there’s another question that follows: Have you been through a winter yet?
“You always hear the phrase, winter is coming, there isn’t anywhere in the world where that’s more true than in Alaska,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Scott Copeland, 773d Civil Engineer Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of training for the EMF. “At least where people live anyway. We live right by the coast, so flooding is possible too.”
Copeland advises JBER personnel to keep supplies in their vehicle – enough to live on for at least a day. A snowstorm can turn a routine drive into a chilling adventure with very little forewarning.
The American Red Cross recommends emergency kits be tailored to threats in the local area, and must contain the basics. These include: water, non-perishable food, first-aid kit, important documentation, flashlight/light source, hand-cranked or battery-powered radio, extra batteries, multi-purpose tool, personal hygiene items, extra cash, emergency blanket and map(s) of the area.
For more information on preparing an emergency readiness kit, visit www.fema.gov, www.earthquake.usgs.gov, www.pdc.org, www.avo.alaska.edu, and www.ready.gov/build-a-kit.
Dehydration is a winter risk many overlook, Copeland said.
“When it’s cold people forget to hydrate,” Copeland said. “No matter what happens, emergency or not. If you need to act, you gotta have fuel in your body.”
Apart from the unique winter risks Alaska brings to bear, there’s also the ever-present threat of earthquakes, which may catch new members off-guard as such things are usually associated with California, not Alaska.
"We have a very different geographical layout. So a 6.0 in California is more severe than a 6.0 here because most of our earthquakes are remote," said Michael West, State Seismologist with the Alaska Earthquake Center. "The one that I fear is the 6.0 that could happen in Juneau or any other city."
Earthquakes happen quickly, with very little warning. There may not be enough time to come up with a plan, so have one ready. Sometimes, the safe choice is the counterintuitive one.
“Don’t put yourself anywhere something may fall on your head,” Copeland said. “Get in the middle of your house as best as you can, and someplace where things aren’t going to fall on top of you. You do not want to get out of the house, because you don’t know what’s going to get shifted around out there. Your best place to be is inside your house.”
For more information on emergency management, visit www.beready.af.mil or stop by the office at 6326 Arctic Warrior Drive between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.