Hi, I am Rebecca Mills
and I work for Utah, State University Extension.
Today I want to share with a concept called sheltering in place.
My goals with you today are to first;
define what is sheltering in place
and when you might need to shelter in place,
and secondly I want to show you my shelter in place kit
and help you devise a plan for your family so,
that you can can build your own kit
so, that you can feel prepared in an emergency.
So, lets get started.
You might be wondering what is sheltering in place?
Well, sheltering in place simply put means
to stay put in order to stay safe.
That might be where ever you are.
In your home, in your car, in your office,
or maybe even at school for your kids.
Now lets think through what might cause you to have to shelter in place.
It could be chemical spills or leaks,
nuclear explosions, radio active contaminates,
violent storms, or acts of crime and violence near by.
If you happen to be outside when one of these emergencies occur,
seek immediate shelter.
If the hazard is chemical in nature you'll
want to remove any contaminated clothing before entering a safe place
and shower with soap and water to remove as much residue as you can
and avoid contaminating your safe place.
If your inside you want to secure your space.
Again in the event of chemical or air born hazards
you'll want to seal off any openings where those chemicals might
enter your safe place.
Such as, putting plastic or towels around doorways and vented areas
and understanding how to close your windows in your home or in your shelter.
Then make your way to an internal room without many windows
and have a radio available to receive updates from emergency professionals.
Then basically wait it out until it's safe to return to business as usual.
Now I like to show you the items that are in my shelter in place kit.
All the things that I have in my kit fit in this plastic tote.
This plastic tote would probably be in addition to an already established
72 hour kit that you would have in your home.
Or if you want to incorporate the two just making sure that you know
what's in the kit and what you might need to add to your 72 hour kit.
I really like, I put a, I was able to put a label on my, on my kit.
So, that if I use any of these materials then I can replace them
and know what I have in the box.
The first things I have in my kit is plastic sheeting.
As I mentioned, you'll want to cover any open areas
to keep contaminants out of your safe place.
A good idea would to, to would be to take the plastic sheeting ahead of time
and measure your doorways, measure your windows, measure your vented areas
and have precut plastic sheets.
That will speed up the processes of securing your area.
If you don't have any plastic sheeting and your in an emergency
and your in a hurry you can also use something
as simple as a heavy duty shower curtain
liner to cut up and use to secure those areas.
Of course it's a great idea to have duct tape and scissors in your kit as well
so that you can accomplish these tasks quickly when you need to.
Other items to have in your kit are safety items,
such as, safety glasses and masks in case of air born hazards.
Great things to have in your kit include fist aid items.
Have a small first aid kit, some water purifying tablets,
even just hand sanitizer and this is an emergency blanket.
And then pairing with that this is a flashlight but it's also a radio.
To be able to receive those emergency messages
while you may be in your safe place.
Other items to have is a small food supply.
As I mentioned you.. this kit isn't a full out 72 hour kit
so it wouldn't have three day supply of food and water
but usually when you're sheltering in place it's for a short time
possibly a few hours.
That's something to think of if you're providing a kit for your children
to go to school something they can keep in their backpack,
a snack something that can keep them calm and comfortable.
And lastly if you don't have anything to do for a few hours and
to keep your nerves calm, it's a great idea to have some entertainment.
Maybe, some card games a book to read, even some hard candy for your kids
just to bring that little bit of comfort in a stressful situation.
Here's some things to think about when you're preparing your
shelter in place plan or kit for your family.
What items do you already have on hand,
where are they located,
what items may you need to purchase to add to your kit,
do you want to incorporate it with your already established
72 hour kit or do you want it to separate.
All these things are important so that you can set a goal
and make a plan so that your family can feel comforted in a time of an emergency
if you happen to have to shelter in place.