Personal Prepardness For Disasters - Essay Example

PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS FOR DISASTERS Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Personal Preparedness for Disasters Introduction Even though it is not possible to predict where and when a disaster will strike, the impacts of disasters can be lessened through implementing numerous safety measures at the personal level. It came to my attention that being prepared for any form of disaster can effectively help reduce the damage caused by the disaster. As recognized by disaster planners as well as emergency management officials, three days after the disaster occurs, families as well as individuals, must be ready for self-reliance because supplies and services may be disrupted and help from the government may be delayed. For this reason, personal preparedness is related to successful withdrawal during a disaster the resilience of a person to trauma is improved. Given that personal preparedness behavior differs significantly across various social groups, I think it is imperative to recognize subpopulation differences so as to design suitable preparedness plan. Demographic as well as socioeconomic attributes, which includes education, income, age, gender, home ownership, as well as children presence are often found to be related to preparedness behaviors, even though the association direction is not continually consistent. In this reflective essay, I will focus on how I can survive with little food and still maintain the needed nutrition level in case a disaster strike. I will further highlight transformative learning related to this experience. Discussion The Great East Japan Earthquake that took place in 2011 displaced almost 470,000 people, who consequently were offered with almost 8.4 million meals of rations weekly. From this disaster I learnt the essence of preparing oneself to survive with little food in case a disaster occurs. Currently, emergency food stored by households as well as local governments is very low, and only a small proportion of this food can be consumed with no heat or water, which is often inaccessible after a disaster occurs. Besides, cases of diverse and large food stockpiles are few, and the majority of the food stored for disasters goes unused resulting in its disposal after its shelf life expires. It is for this reason I decided to change my mind from conventional emergency food that is rarely utilised to disaster preparation food that may be utilised in normal days and also during the disaster. I understand the essence of carrying out research on nutritional science that is applicable a during a disaster, creating methods for processing disaster response food, developing disaster preparation food packaging techniques, and developing disaster preparation food cooking equipment. In a number of disaster drills I have participated, I realised that my body behaved differently during a disaster because the food I consumed is different from the everyday diet. This is attributed mainly to the fact that more energy is used during a disaster and consumed little food but high in proteins and energy. Considering that during a disaster, the food supply is limited, it is imperative to consume less but higher-quality foods. During an emergency or a disaster everybody needs their calories; so, if the water supply is limited it is crucial to avoid foods that are high in protein as well as fats, and people should avoid stockpiling salty foods because they increase thirst. In this case, I would eat whole grain cereals, salt-free crackers as well as canned foods that have a high liquid content. In essence, access to adequate nutrition as well as food is imperative to survival during a disaster situation considering that malnutrition may lead to a serious public health issue during a disaster. I think there is a need for food emergency in case the exhausted food supplies are not replaced immediately by the food aid. A number of people survive well on day-to-day diets that are considered by others as a high level of starvation.  People eat different foods, and the consumed food is used by the digestive systems in rather different ways.  Every food has a limited shelf-life, regardless of how they are preserved or stored. For this reason, I decided to develop a plan for surviving with less food and by rotating food supply so as to keep it fresh. This is designed mainly to maintain the nutrition level because I understand that even if the food fails to spoil, it will lose much of its flavour and nutritional value if stored for long. In consideration of various disasters that have taken place across the globe, I have realised that scores of survivalists spend lots of money on prepared foods, which they rarely eat. They often buy highly-touted Meals Ready to Eat (MRE's), which were invented by the military for enduring storage of foods for survival conditions when food cannot be prepared or cooked. However, MRE's are exceedingly expensive, particularly when preparing for a lengthy emergency. So, I think it is not recommendable to depend on them as a disaster food supply. In our country, we face numerous hazards, like tornadoes, blizzards and wildfires. Besides natural disasters, the country faces other types of hazards like transportation or industrial accidents and power outages. During the disaster drills, I noted that food may be unsafe to eat during as well as after the disaster. But a person needs safe water for cooking, drinking, which are often inadequate during a disasters, so consuming food with a high liquid level is recommendable. Food supply can be disrupted easily during a disaster, so I think it is imperative to plan for a 3-day food supply. While stockpiling the food, it is imperative to consider dry mixes as well as canned foods because they can remain fresh for almost two years and still retain their nutritional level. Certain conditions for storage may improve the shelf life of the dried or canned foods; so, the perfect place is a dark, dry, and cool place with a temperature between 4°C and 16°C. It is imperative to store the foods clear of heat because heat makes a lot of foods to spoil faster. While preparing food for disasters, I would stockpile a supply of non‐perishable food, whereby I will choose foods that need no refrigeration, cooking or preparation, and can be consumed without water. If I have to heat the food, I will pack a sterno can and will choose food items that are lightweight and compact. When body activity is reduced, I can survive on half my normal food intake for some period of time. Unlike water, food may be safely rationed, exclusive of the pregnant women and children. Critical preparedness planning as well as mitigation, are crucial factors in making sure that historic properties are recognized appropriately, assessed and treated instantly following the occurrence of the disaster and the later recovery process. Even though disasters are unpredictable, crucial steps may be espoused prior to the occurrence of the disaster with the intention of reducing the damage threat. Disaster preparedness in my view is a responsibility of every person. I have learned that an immediate measure for people at high nutritional risk during a disaster is facilitating 3 or 4 kg of food consumption per individual weekly. When experiencing high nutritional risk, it is imperative to consume an adequate energy quantity, even if it does not amount to the balanced diet. For a short duration, 1700 Kcal every day can help prevent severe nutritional status deterioration. Surviving with little food and still maintain the nutritional status during a disaster is imperative; so it is important to consume basic food (such as corn or rice), a concentrated energy source (such as oil) as well as a concentrated protein source (such as canned meat or canned or dried fish). Even though dried vegetables are a good source of protein, I think it is vital to consider the difficulties attributed to its cooking during an emergency situation. While preparing a disaster food, I always make a list of everything in my storage and check dates of expiry after every year so as to keep the food fresh. I always include a can opener in my list because without it then the food will be of no use. In order to survive with less food, I always consider a number of foods that can be stored for long time and still retain its nutrition level. On of such foods is the peanut butter, which is a great energy source and packed with healthful protein and fats, and importantly does not require refrigeration. Besides that, whole-wheat crackers are an ideal substitute for bread since they have extra fibres, but because of their higher fat content their shelf life is shorter (so I always for expiration date). I always consider vacuum-packing my crackers so as to lengthen their freshness and maintain their nutrition level. Dried fruits like raisins and apricots can help sustain a disaster victim for days since they offer dietary fibre and have a high level of calories and nutrients. Canned meat products such as salmon, tuna, turkey, or chicken can offer the needed protein. Besides that, I believe canned vegetables like peas, carrots, and green beans can offer a disaster victim with essential nutrients and also canned soups may be consumed straight from the can and offer various nutrients. Nearly all dairy products need refrigeration, but powdered milk can be stockpile for emergency purposes since it is an ideal source of vitamin D as well as calcium. Moreover, multivitamins supplements can offer the nutrients that a disaster victim could have consumed on a normal diet. I agree with Harvey (2009, p.1) that disaster preparedness has to be supported by public awareness campaigns, training as well as emergency response rehearsals. As evidenced by numerous disasters such as the Haitian earthquake in 2010, the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, as well as the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, food shortage after the disasters is prevalent and always results into rationing. Therefore, the intention of the public awareness as well as education programmes is to alert and inform the public the essence of personal disaster preparedness and the need to prepare food for disasters, especially in areas prone to disasters. I consider education to be a crucial part of the disaster preparedness plan, and even though the mainstream media cannot replace the impact attributed to direct instruction; considerately designed and broadcasted messages can offer the public a useful information source for the disaster preparedness process. While developing the preparedness plan and after completing it, I have realised that it is imperative to rehearse its key elements. Through Rehearsals it is easier to expose gaps that otherwise remain disregarded, and are mainly effective the majority of disaster response players are involved. As mentioned by Dasgupta (2007, p.98), rehearsals help keep the disaster preparedness plans fresh and can also simulate first aid provision, search and rescue operations, , coordination meetings, and needs assessment. While preparing a disaster food, it came to my attention that preparedness action is associated closely with how people see and handle risk. In view of this, trained persons do have greater risks awareness because they are inclined to have adequate access to various sources of information and can analyse the received information. As evidenced by Harvey (2009, p.50), education improves the attainment of general knowledge that may have an effect on the priorities, values, and ability to plan for the future. The competence as well as knowledge that I did gain from the Survival Training Exercise has helped me to come up with a plan on how to survive with little food in case a disaster strike. Conclusion In conclusion, I have focussed on how I can survive with little food and still maintain the needed nutrition level in case a disaster strikes. As mentioned in the reflective essay, disaster preparedness can be partially realised through readiness measures that accelerate disaster response as well as recovery and lead to timely and rapid aid. Disaster preparedness can be realised through individual-based approaches as well as activities that improve a person ability to manage and reduce the impact of the disaster on his/her life. The disaster food preparedness as I have mentioned above is very crucial for managing disaster considering that disaster food performs and functions sufficiently for daily use and still maintains good nutritional balance. Disaster preparation food can help a disaster victim maintain richer dietary and healthier life, even after a devastating disaster. References Dasgupta, R., 2007. Disaster Management and Rehabilitation. New Delhi, Delhi: Mittal Publications. Harvey, P., 2009. Towards good humanitarian government: The role of the affected state in disaster response. HPG Report. London: Overseas Development Institute (ODI). Read More