Are You Ready? or What Do You Do With An Old Pair of Loafers?

Posted: March 8th, 2010

Recently we saw the devastating effects of the earthquake in Haiti…then came Chile…then Taiwan…and just today, a 6.0 quake in Turkey.

Ask yourself: are you ready should a disaster happen in your neighborhood? Could you subsist without outside support for up to 72 hours after a disaster? If you think we live in such a civilized area that surely help would reach us quickly, you must have missed the Katrina debacle.

The truth is, if we have a major disaster, we may need to rely on our own devices for quite a while. And in the aftermath of Katrina, it became obvious that few people were prepared. At the urging of the Belvedere and Tiburon Foundations, a task force was created to address this on the Tiburon Peninsula and the GET READY program was born. Designed by the Tiburon Fire Department, a 2-hour course is offered to teach residents how to better prepare for a natural disaster. This program is ongoing, and is so successful it has been expanded to all of Marin County. To date over 14,000 Marin residents have been trained; over 3,000 residents on the Tiburon Peninsula alone. If you are interested in taking the course, call your local Fire Department. Is it worthwhile? Your life may depend on it!

Helpful Hint #1

Just what do you do with an old, comfortable pair of loafers you can’t bear to throw out?

Answer: SAVE THEM! They should be placed under the bed and left there. In an emergency (most likely an earthquake in this area) your first reaction will be to get up and run. You will need something nearby to get into fast. If you try to escape in bare feet and if there is any broken glass nearby (again most likely) you will be in big trouble. Without your mobility you will be unable to help yourself or your family.