Where’s Your "Safe Room" Malibu?

Emergencyland.com is based right here in Malibu, home to many kinds of disasters. The founders of Emergencyland believe in joining the national program called Community Emergency Response Team or CERT through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) so you can be prepared to help yourself and others in a emergency. 

One of the things you learn about in CERT is "sheltering in place." That’s what you do when there is a sudden emergency such as a tornado, hurricane or nuclear attack, and there is no time to get to an emergency shelter. While this is not recommended for fires—there is usually time to get to a safe place—it might be your only option if you cannot get out in time. It could also be the best place to ride out in an earthquake and through the aftershocks.

It’s typically a place with no windows like a laundry room, hall, closet or a basement. It’s also called a "safe room." Hundreds of people were killed in the recent tornado, and perhaps many lives could have been saved had people prepared ahead of time with their own safe rooms. 

"Any time is a good time to install a safe room, but when a home undergoes restoration—that’s the best time to include a hardened bathroom or a reinforced closet," said Mike Bolch, federal coordinating officer for FEMA in North Carolina. "It’s easier and less expensive to plan and build a safe room during a full-scale repair."

According to FEMA, a small interior room on the lowest living level of a home is the most practical location because warning times can be very short, making quick access to the safe room important. The room needs to be rated to withstand winds in excess of 200 mph and flying debris that could include tree limbs, two-by-fours and concrete blocks.

So stock your safe place with water, a portable toilet, human food, animal food, first aid supplies, masking tape, batteries, a hand-crank radio and if you have electric outlets (which probably won’t work in an emergency, however) extra cell phone chargers.

Most important, sign up for free Malibu CERT classes. They are fun, inspirational and great practical knowledge for helping yourself and your neighbors. Learn more here http://bit.ly/jnP4Uj

The FEMA publication Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business helps home and business owners assess their risk and determine the best type of safe room for their needs. The publication also provides designs for basement, in-ground and above-ground safe rooms.

The publication can be downloaded at: www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1536.

There’s also a great Q and A here.  http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=54686