Ready for Anything. A Disaster Planning Manual for Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs

摘要

Its midnight . The youth living in your emergency shelter are asleep. Youre the lone staff person on duty. Suddenly, you catch a faint whiff of smoke. The fire alarm goes off. Moments later, you hear panicked voices down the hall. You have precious seconds in which to react. So what do you do. Do you know where your fire extinguishers are. Do the young people you house know how to evacuate the building. Do they know where to meet. What emergency number will you call. What will you bring with you when you evacuate. And what if your facility burns down. Where will you go. How will you get there. What will you do. It is that final question: what will you do. This manual helps you answer. By walking you through the process of preparing for disasters before they happen, it will help ensure that you have an effective response ready. Whether you operate an emergency shelter offering short-term residencies or a transitional living program serving youth who stay for more than a year, this manual will help you take steps to ensure that disaster does not equal catastrophe. Across the country, thousands each year are affected by large-scale disasters: Wildfires in the West. Floods in the North, Midwest, and South. Hurricanes in the Gulf States. Terrorist attacks in major cities. Disasters can also occur on a smaller scale, caused by everyday events such as power outages, kitchen fires, or burst water mainsanything that has the potential to significantly disrupt the lives of your youth.