Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The phrase “I am safe at home” has been a common utterance from people. But is your home really safe in case a disaster, like an earthquake, strikes?
Related: Disaster imagination lessens casualties – Solidum
Emergency preparedness advocate Martin Aguda advises disaster imagination to every household.
“Lahat dapat should be doing their disaster imagination. In fact, ang term ko nga diyan ay make your own disaster movie.”
Aguda explains that disaster imagination goes beyond the numbers — the expected death toll or how many buildings might collapse. It should involve possible scenarios that could happen and actions that you could take.
“Just try to imagine: You’re in a corporate set-up wherein you’re wearing high heels. Having your office on the 20th floor of a building in Buendia. You have to evacuate sa building using the emergency exit. Then from Buendia, from Makati you have to walk all the way to Fairview wearing high heels,” he says.
“If that is your disaster imagination what is your corresponding action? I will have rubber shoes in my work station na pampalit ko. Yan yung sinasabi ko na kung may inimagine ka may kapalit kang action.”
Related: Sturdier structures can lessen quake casualties – Phivolcs
Aguda calls these scenarios “storylines,” which each individual should create in preparation for emergencies.
He also urges for “storylines” to be specific and include both a daytime and a nighttime emergency scenario.
“Kapag nag-brownout [ng] 1 a.m., nasa bedroom ka, yun ang storyline mo. Ano aksyon mo? Saan mo kukunin yung flashlight? Meron ka bang flashlight? Kung wala, ilagay mo sa listahan mo ngayon: ‘I should have a flashlight on my bedside.”
Home hazard hunt
Aguda also recommends conducting a “home hazard hunt” to look for earthquake risks or areas where there is a possible danger of falling objects.
In conducting a “home hazard hunt,” Aguda says you can start assessing your home from the eye-level to the ceiling, followed by checking from the eye-level to the floor.
“Ano ang puwedeng bumagsak sa iyo diyan. So nakita mo na on your bed may ceiling fan ka, on your bed may chandelier ka. Then eye-level pababa, tingnan mo cabinets mo. Ano puwede matapon, kung yung cabinets mo hindi mo puwede i-rearrange baka gusto mo naman i-anchor,” he says.
Here are some home items that you might need to fix to reduce damage in case of an earthquake:
Institutionalizing preparedness
But aside from making an inventory of areas to fix in your home, Aguda says making a skills checklist is equally important.
He recalls one lecture he gave where he asked how many of the participants know how to conduct first aid. He says no one raised a hand.
With this, he says there is a need to implement various emergency preparedness programs. One of which is a massive first aid training. He explains that in case of a mega-disaster, immediate response from government is not expected, so first aid know-how could help save lives.
He adds that families should practice earthquake drills at home.
“Dapat very detailed. In the dining room, ilan kakasya sa ilalim ng dining table? I-practice niyo. Paano kung trapped ka sa second floor. So bukod doon sa making your homes earthquake resilient, your family emergency procedures din is very important.”
He adds that the institutionalization of earthquake drills could help make emergency preparedness second nature to the public.
“We have to live with having to live with a West valley Fault,” Aguda says. “So every year dapat ang schools may mga go bags na mga estudyante nila tapos nagdi-drills na regularly.”
The challenge, according to him, is for the momentum to continue even after the metrowide earthquake drill last July 30.
Related: Shake drill has achieved awareness, says expert
