 Welcome to a special broadcast from Enet. I'm John Getter. Today's broadcast marks the debut of some new valuable information for everyone in your community. There will be three different segments in this one hour program. The first segment is Are You Ready? produced through a grant from the British Petroleum Employees Association. This is a guide to help families to be better prepared. It focuses on how to develop practice and maintain emergency plans and to learn what must be done before, during and after a disaster to protect people and property. Also included is information on how to assemble a disaster supplies kit that contains the food, water and other supplies for individuals and their families to survive following a disaster, especially in the event they have to survive on their own resources. The second segment is an instructional video to explain the steps to follow in setting up a portable generator as an effective power supply while minimizing the risk of fire and eliminating the danger of carbon monoxide fumes. And our final segment is a look at flash floods. It will give you some real insight into the terrible danger these floods can create literally in just minutes. So thank you for joining us today. We begin now with a very important question. Are you ready? Disasters disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Every disaster can have lasting effects to both people and property. Being prepared can reduce fear, anxiety and the loss that accompany disasters. For this reason, it is important that everyone, including you and me, be prepared. This video is one family story on how they prepared themselves for any disaster. You're about to see the Parker family, mom, dad, Zach and Katie as they participate in one of Zach's school projects and learn about disaster preparedness. Their actions show us the practical step every person and family needs to take to get ready in case a disaster should strike. Looks like Zach is just coming home with his assignment. Hey, I'm Zach Parker. I'm 12, almost 13, and this is my house. I got assigned a project today in Earth Science. My mom loves school projects. She really gets into them. Come on, I'll show you. Mom, I'm home. Hey, honey, I'm here at the computer desk. Hey. I got assigned an important project today. Okay. It's kind of cool, but I got to get you and dad to help me. Oh, why is that? Because my teacher, Miss Davis, said we should get the whole family involved. Cool. It's really a project for all of us. It's about disasters, what kinds there are, what to do to prepare, and we need to put together a kit, a disaster supplies kit. Okay. Let's see. Preparing for disaster. Wow, this does look really cool. And look, this is distributed by FEMA, the American Red Cross. Yeah, I can hardly wait. Oh, come on, Zach, we can make this fun. What disasters could happen around here anyway? Oh, that's part of your homework assignment, Zach, to figure out what disasters can happen right here in your hometown. Because according to this book, disasters can happen in anybody's hometown. Well, you know what, according to your teacher in this plan, there are four following easy steps that we need to do. All right. So number one, we need to get informed. Number two, we need to make a plan. Number three, we need to assemble a kit. And number four, we need to maintain the kit. Okay. Okay. So, look here. She even lists some places that we can get information. Yeah, the local chapter of the American Red Cross and our local emergency management office. Exactly. Look down here. Before we even get started, she wants you to write down why you think she's given you this assignment. What do you think she wants you to learn from this? Well, first of all, she said it was important to know what disasters could happen around here. And? And that if you got ready, you could protect your home, right? Keep your family safe, even your pets. Exactly. Zach, you know, there looks like there are some really simple things that we can do to prepare for a disaster. And I really think that your dad and your sister can help us out with this, too. This looks like a very, very cool project. You know how much I love school projects. Great little quality family time. Oh, come on, Zach. Hmm. And it even says here that you get to make a presentation to your class. No way. Oh, come on, Zach, you're gonna do great. You know that. Hmm. Where's that list again? Here you go honey. Okay. First step is to get informed. Okay. You know, my teacher said that the Red Cross and the Emergency Management Office would have maps and stuff. Great. Hmm. See, where is it? Ah, here it is. The Emergency Management Office. Okay, Zach. What's the telephone number? We'll go ahead and call him. Hi, I'm Bob Larimer, the Emergency Manager. Hi, Bob. I'm Linda Parker. Linda. This is my son, Zach. Zach, nice to meet you both. Nice to meet you. I understand that you're on a fact-finding mission. Yes, I am. All right, well, let's go back to my office. Talk. Okay. Let's go. Let's go back this way. Thank you for seeing us. You're welcome. Thank you for coming by. Well, Zach, how can I help you? Well, I wanted to ask you some questions about our community so I could put it in my family's disaster plan. Okay, shoot. Well, what disasters could happen here? Well, our community is impacted by a lot of different disasters, floods, fires, thunderstorms, tornadoes. Oh, and remember when we had that train derailment last year that spelled all that hazardous material. Zach, that was a really good question. You know, it's important that we know about hazards that happen in our area, but it's also really important that we know about hazards that happen in places other than here. Really? Why is that necessary? Well, Linda, because the hazards that happen in the places where you travel on vacation or maybe have business trips may or may not be the same as those that we face right here. But isn't that a lot to remember? You're right, Zach. It really is. But I guess the good news is that a lot of the steps that you take to prepare for one disaster or one hazard are to prepare for other hazards. All right, I've got this guide. I'd love for you both to bring it home, take a look at it with your family. This guide has a lot of the same information that you have in the booklet that you brought with you, but also has protective actions to take for very, very specific hazards. Yeah, look, it's even got pictures and maps and everything. Very nice. Yeah, but how would we know if something's about to happen? That's a good question, too. But you already know something about warning systems, Zach. Think about when your fire alarm goes off at school. Oh, yeah. In fact, we just had a drill the other day. Well, you know, our community uses a variety of different warning systems. Local radio and television stations often warn of bed weather, which may even close your school. Oh, yeah, I like that. Mm hmm. But we also use, you know, the internet, we use pagers, we use cell phones as part of our warning system as well. You know, sometimes we can find it necessary to go door to door to warn people, like during that train around it last year. We also recommend that each family have a NOAA weather radio that has a tone alert feature. What's a NOAA? Well, NOAA stands for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. So they operate a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information. Bob, I was thinking about evacuations. What are our community's plans for evacuation? Well, Linda, we often try to find routes that we can take and we try to use the same routes. But as you know, quite often that can change. So it's really important that we listen to the radio or television for specific instructions as far as which roads to take, and also where we can find shelters for emergencies. All right. Does that make sense to you guys? Yeah, it does. Okay. Now, we've spent a lot of time talking about plans for our own community. But it's really important that you find out what emergency plans are in place, say at Zach School, or even places where you work. That is a very good point. You know, I guess it is very important to make sure that all plans work together. It really is. Bob, thank you so much for taking time to see us. I really appreciate it. It's my job. And you know what? Keep in mind that the American Red Cross and other disaster service organizations have a lot of information that can help you as you put together your plan for your family. Just feel free to call in any of us. Hey, I guess we are making progress. We sure are. The emergency manager went well. We learned a lot about hazards, warning systems and evacuations. I needed a break after mom and I went over all that stuff with the rest of the family. Well, time to get back to it. Well, looks like next we have to put together an emergency communications plan. Wait, what's that? It's a plan on how to communicate with one another during an emergency. What does it look like? Well, according to this booklet, you can find a sample form for recording this information at ready.gov or at redcross.org. And look, there's one right here in the are you ready guide? Looks pretty simple. We can even use a blank sheet of paper if we had to. Well, whatever we use, here's the basics it needs to cover. We need contact information for family members at work, school, cell. Hey, sounds like a cell phone out of this. We also need an out of town contact to call and let them know where we are and that we're safe. Why do we need that? Well, sweetie, it could be hard to get through on local phone lines after a disaster. For instance, you all might not be able to get through to me at work. So it's good to have an out of town contact. Like Nana, she would be our out of town communication link. Well, we also need to establish some sort of meeting location for in case we get separated during an emergency and we need the contact information for emergency services such as fire police and the nationwide poison control hotline. Well, whoever's going to do it. There are cutout forms in the back of the are you ready guide, which should make things real simple for you. Okay, let's get to work. Oh, looks like we're done. Well, it didn't take too long, did it? But now remember, we're going to have to make sure that we update this plan whenever the information changes. That's right kids. I mean, I mean, like Katie, the phone number is going to be different next year when you change school. So here's what I'm going to do. Now that we're finished. I'm going to go ahead and post this by the phone just in case we need it. Good idea. Hey, says here we should do a wallet sized version to carry with us. Linda, didn't you say there were cutouts in the back of the guide? Yes, honey, they're right there. Yeah, here they are. Who's going to make these up? If you do it, I'll do your dishes two times. Yeah. Hey, didn't I see something in the book here on what to do with your pets in the event of an emergency? You know, I did. Here it is right here. All right, it says family should call their vet, their animal control office, or an animal shelter ahead of time for information and advice. Wow, this is really, really good information. Also, if an evacuation is necessary, find out which hotels and motels take pets. Pets are not typically allowed in emergency shelters with the exception of service animals. Mommy, is that because somebody could be allergic or scared or something? Well, I would think so honey, but also because of health and hygiene. And what's a service animal? Well, it's like Aunt Becky's dog, a seeing eye dog. So we need to be sure to have up to date veterinarian records to prove the pets vaccinations are current. Each pet should have proper ID and the family should gather pet supplies, food, water and medications. A pet carrier and leash are a must. It's complete. There are some other things for us to do. Like what? Well, honey, it says here that we need to learn how and when to shut off our utilities. It also says that we need to learn how to use our fire extinguishers, install and maintain our smoke alarms, review our insurance coverage. Gosh, what about all my family files? Oh, well, those are important things. We have to store things like insurance policies, passports, all of our deeds, titles, all of that stuff has to be put in a safe place somewhere away from the house, like a like a safe deposit box. And most importantly, we have to keep copies of all of those documents in our disaster supplies kit. What in the world is a disaster supplies kit? It's a good question. Actually, Zach, what does it look like? How big is it like a first aid kit? It's bigger than a first aid kit. But first items go into the kit. It's a container. It might even be two containers that hold supplies your family would need to survive for three days. You know, stuff like food, water, a battery operated radio and a flashlight. Hey, can we make one of these up tonight? Well, that sounds like step number three, assemble a kit. Yeah, hey, this project is going pretty good, huh? Zach, this project is going very well. Thanks to you, pal. Let's go over this together for just a minute here. It says you may need to survive on your own after a disaster. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers, I guess that's police, firefighters, EMTs, that sort of thing, will be on the scene after a disaster, but they may not be able to reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it may take days. So we need to be prepared for that. Yeah. Hey, give you a little pop quiz here. Can you name any of the services and things we might have to do without during a disaster? See how much you know? Maybe stuff like our water, right? Gas, electricity, phone lines, and our sewage, sewage treatment. Very good. You just named all of them. That's right. We may have to do without all of those for days or even a week or longer. Very good. I'm impressed. We may have to evacuate at a moment's notice and take essentials with us. And that means that since we probably won't be able to shop for those supplies or even look for them after a disaster, we need to put together a disaster supplies kit now. Yeah. Let's see. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items that members of a household may need in the event of a disaster. Oh, listen to this. Since you don't know where you'll be when an emergency occurs, prepare supply kits for home, work, and vehicles. That makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Well, here. Yeah. Here's a list of all the items that we need for our home disaster supplies kit. There you go. Put the containers. Hey, Zach, why don't you go ahead and give me that list? There you go. Thank you. This is great. Looks like we have a lot of these items right here in the cupboard. Good. Zach, I have one more question for you. What do you think is one of the most important items to consider for supplies? Water. You're right. You should store at least one gallon of water per person per day. A normally active person needs at least a half gallon of water just for drinking each day. Okay. Store in a cool, dark place. Hey, we'll need to include some water for whiskers too. Definitely. Also, put together a three day supply of non-perishable food. So, we've got that right here. Okay. And it says that we should try to avoid foods that will make us thirsty. Okay. Choose salt-free crackers. Here. Good. Whole grain cereals. Oh, we've got that here. And canned foods with high liquid content. Alright. Hey, we'll need to include a manual can opener too. Use foods before they go bad and replace them with fresh foods. Change stored food and water supplies every six months. Be sure to write the date you store it on all the containers. I can handle that job. Rethink your needs every year and update your kit as your family needs change. Next year, I'll be eating more, Katie'll be eating more. And I'll be eating less, I hope. Now, we should also keep items in airtight plastic bags and put the entire disaster supplies kit into one or two easy to carry containers. This is a lot of stuff. I've seen you eat that much food in one weekend. You know, it does feel pretty good, though, to get all of our food supplies in order. It really does. Of course, this isn't everything. We still have to worry about, what, flashlights, batteries, radios, that sort of thing, but we'll we'll get to that later on. Okay. I hope not, sweetie, but it's always a possibility. If a disaster does strike, though, this family is going to be as prepared as possible. Yes, we will. Let's get this stored away. Okay. That's right. Cool, dark place, right? Anything for me? No, not really. Just a letter here from Aunt Becky. Oh. Hey, you know, now that we have our kit and plan and all, it would be good if we could help others get prepared. Yes, and we can start with Aunt Becky. Yeah. Would Aunt Becky's kit and plan be any different than ours? Well, I would assume that it would be somewhat similar to ours, but because she's blind, probably have a few differences. You know, we can go talk to our friend Karen. She's disabled and she also volunteers for the American Red Cross. Yeah. I'm going to give her a call right now. Road trip. Good to see you both again. Please, come in. Karen, it's so good to see you too. You remember my son, Zach, don't you? Yes. Hi, Zach. Hi, how are you? Good. Yeah. My mom says you might be able to help us with something. I have a school project that's all about preparing for disasters. Now, my family put together a plan and we also put together a disaster supplies kit, but now we need to help my Aunt Becky get prepared. You see, my sister, Becky, she's got a disability. She's blind. I'd be glad to help. I have something here that I think could help her. Oh, thank you. Preparing for disaster is everyone's personal responsibility, but for the millions of Americans with disabilities, emergencies can present a real challenge. Part of my work as a volunteer with the American Red Cross is to help senior citizens and persons with disabilities get prepared. And one of the tools that we use is this booklet, Preparing for Disaster. It is produced by FEMA and the American Red Cross and it's give a step-by-step process to helping her get prepared. Yeah, this is good stuff. Wow. It will be very important for her to set up a personal support network made up of trusted individuals where she spends her time. My support network is made up of my family, neighbors, friends and coworkers who can assess my capabilities, know what I would need help with, and be available within minutes. I don't really depend on one person because they may not be available when I need them. It would also be important for her to create a personal assessment. What's that? That would be a list of her needs and her things that she would need help with before, during and after a disaster. The booklet that I gave you can provide you with the questions that would guide her through the assessment. Wow. You know, Zach, just imagine if Aunt Becky lost the power in her elevator and couldn't get out of her building or Nemo, her dog, what if he got injured and couldn't couldn't help her? Yeah, I never thought about that. Well, you know what, Zach, we're gonna go see her in two weeks and we are definitely gonna take this booklet with us. Karen, thank you so much for letting us come and talk to you. I really appreciate it. Thank you for coming. Food and water in an emergency. Hey, Mom, come and see this information they have about food and water on the FEMA website and this booklet, Food and Water in an Emergency. It's put up by FEMA on the Red Cross. I don't know how to put all this into my report. Wow. This is a lot of info. But you know, this is really good information on how to store our food and water, not only here in our home but also in our disaster supply kit. You know, Zach, I have an idea. Did you ever think about using a poster board for your project? You could kind of categorize it, then you wouldn't have to put it in a paragraph form, kind of like in an outline. Then you could use it for your presentation. What do you think? Yeah, that's a pretty good idea. I think so too. Could you buy me some poster board? In the meantime, I can study this and take down notes. Well, you know what? I think I have some poster board in the closet left over from your sister's project. You want to go take a look, okay? Okay, I'll take notes. Store at least one gallon of water per person per day. Try to get at least two weeks worth of water for each person in your family. A normally active person needs at least a half gallon of water just for drinking each day. To prepare the safest and most reliable emergency supply of water, it is recommended that you purchase commercially bottled water. Keep bottled water in its original container and do not open it until you need to use it. Store bottled water in the original sealed container and observe the expiration or use by date. If you are preparing your own containers of water, it is recommended to purchase food-grade water storage containers or you can reuse two liter of plastic soda bottles, preparing containers. Thoroughly clean the bottles with dishwashing soap and water and rinse completely so there is no residual soap. Additionally, for plastic soft drink bottles, sanitize the bottles by adding a solution of one teaspoon of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to a core or a quarter gallon of water. So swish the sanitizing solution in the bottles that it touches all surfaces. After sanitizing the bottle, thoroughly rinse out the sanitizing solution with clean water. Filling water containers. Fill the bottle to the top with regular tap water. If your water utility company treats your tap water with chlorine, you do not need to add anything else to the water to keep it clean. If the water you are using comes from a well or water source that is not treated with chlorine, add two drops of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to each gallon of water. Tightly close the container using the original cap. Be careful not to contaminate the cap by touching the inside of it with your fingers. Write the date on the outside of the container so you know when you filled it. Store in a cool, dark place. Here are your poster boards, honey. Oh, thank you. So, how's it going? Pretty good. Good. All I need to do now is outline food supplies. Fabulous. You keep working, okay? I'm starving. By the way, honey, dinner will be ready in 10 minutes. Cool. The following are things to consider when putting together your food supplies. Avoid food that will make you thirsty. Stop canned foods, dry mixes, and other staples that do not require refrigeration, cooking, water, or special preparation. Be sure to include a manual can opener. Managing food supplies, safety and sanitation, things to do. Keep food in covered containers. Keep cooking and eating utensils clean. Keep garbage in closed containers and disposed outside, bearing garbage if necessary. Wash hands frequently with soap and water that has been boiled or disinfected. Use only pre-prepared canned baby formula for infants. And here is the list of don'ts. Don't eat foods from cans that are swollen, dented, or corroded, even though the product may look safe to eat. Don't let garbage accumulate inside for both fire and sanitation reasons. Don't eat any food that looks or smells abnormal. Well, no joke. Zach, dinner. Perfect timing. Is Craig here? Yes. Oh, hi Craig. Let's go get my stuff. Oh Carol, it's so good to see you. I know. It's been so long. Please sit down. Oh, thanks. Well, how have you been? Good. Good. Busy. Busy. Always busy. Me too. Always busy. I know. I see you've got the Helping Children Copa Disaster pamphlet. I do. So how is Zach doing with this disaster project? Real good. That's right. Craig is in Zach's earth science class, isn't he? Yeah, they are. I'll tell you what, Carol, this has been a wonderful project. He's doing great. In fact, our entire family's gotten involved and now we all know what to do to get prepared for a disaster. It's wonderful. That is so good. Did you get a chance to read the booklet? Actually, I did. My husband and I both have had opportunity to sit down and read it every night. We've been able to sit down and kind of take all this in. Good. Good. We went through it too. And actually, I was talking with my sister and she brought up some good points. She and her family experienced a disaster last year and her kids weren't coping well until she got some help. She had brought up a few things and there's such as, there's several factors that cause stress and fear for children. Direct exposure to the disaster, loss of family, friends, pets, even ongoing stress just from losing other things that are important to them. I'll tell you, that makes a lot of sense, Carol. It does. And she also said that it didn't depend on how the children learned about the disaster, that they still may have problems dealing with it and we just have to be ready to help them cope. Absolutely. You know, the one thing that I was pleased to see in this booklet was the information on how to help us recognize their symptoms like fear and sadness or behavioral problems. Right. And with older kids, you know, they may not display things the same as the younger kids. They may have anger, aggression, just school problems in general and I mean it could be a variety of things. Exactly. I mean according to the booklet there are great number of things we can do to help them. Right. And there's also, it says that there's several signs that you need to be on the lookout for that can key into potential problems. That way you can react sooner. And the one thing that I really liked that the booklet brought out was the fact that we can encourage them to talk and if we do that we can listen to their concerns which is very important, very important. It says here that we need to calmly give the facts that children want to hear about what's being done for their safety. Right. Which I think is very important information. Exactly. I mean it makes them feel more comfortable. Just simple things, you know. We can involve them in updating the family disaster plan or just include them in specific chores. That way they feel as if they're helping deal with the recovery, you know. Exactly. And you know it says here that it's important to spend extra time with them. That if we re-establish their daily routines for work, for school, for place, for meals, and for rest. It also says that we need to praise and recognize responsible behavior. Right. Oh you know what, another important thing that I read in there we really need to limit their exposure to the media. I mean news coverage of disasters causes fear, confusion, anxiety, particularly the large-scale disasters and these terrorist events. They just don't understand you know this large amount of damage and this loss of life they don't understand. Right. Right. You know I really like the the several suggestions in the booklet on parents and managing our reactions to all of these things. They suggest that if we if we can control our reactions that it will help them cope with this a lot better. Right. And particularly with younger kids, because they see these images repeated over and over on the mean news and on TV and they don't understand that it's not happening over and over again. Exactly. Dealing with children in situations such as this, it's a touchy situation but this information it sure has helped us. It's a really great resource and I'm glad the school gave it to us. Yes I am too. Okay boys in the car. I'm so glad we get to talk to each other again. Um oh by the way I'll have Zach back about 6 30. Great thanks. All right see you boys. To recap the four steps of preparing for disaster are get informed, make a plan, assemble a kit, and maintain your plan and kit. Being prepared can reduce fear, anxiety, and can reduce the impact of disasters and sometimes avoid the disaster completely. Zach. Very nice Zach. Very very good. Very good. Very proud of you Zach. Now you ready to do that in front of your class? I think I'm ready. I think you are too. Through our son's project our family was able to take the steps necessary to prepare for disasters of any type. Fortunately we had lots of help along the way from those who work in the disaster field and for many publications that are available nationwide. The booklets that we used can be obtained through your local American Red Cross chapter. They're also available from FEMA along with the are you ready guide. You can contact the FEMA distribution center at 1-800-480-2520 for copies. Every American can and should do their part to be better prepared and better protected and help their communities do the same. Absolutely. I mean our family just volunteered on our community emergency response team. That's right it's also known as SERPs. Right now our team is learning how to provide immediate assistance to victims and we're learning how to assemble information to give to first responders as soon as they arrive on the scene. SERP is a part of the Citizen Corps program which helps to ensure that you have a safer home, community and neighborhood to live in. To find out more about Citizen Corps and their programs and who the point of contact is for your local area just visit their website at www.citizencore.gov. You see the American Red Cross and other volunteer organizations provide vital services before and during times of disaster. And the demands for their services are great and they continue to grow. Absolutely and the ability for them to continue the level of service to help your community really depends on volunteers like you and like us. Right to find out more about their programs and how you can help just contact your local chapter of the Red Cross organization or any other non-profit disaster relief organization or even your local emergency management office. Even the kids are lending a helping hand. That's right. Yeah we raise money and are using it to buy stuff for disaster supply kits for those who can. Yeah we wanted to get involved and learn to helping hand others. You know we are sure that your family like ours is very very busy but you have to remember that it is so important to be ready and really to help others be ready as well. Just remember to get informed make a plan assemble a kit and maintain your plan and kit. That's right which means there's only one thing left to say are you ready. As mentioned in the video there are a number of places to find support and information on preparing for disasters like Zach and his mom. You could also begin your plan with a visit to your local emergency management office to gather information about hazards and readiness in your community. Share what you learned with family members and let that be the starting point for your family's disaster plan. Remember to take the steps that Zach outlined. Get informed make a plan assemble a disaster supplies kit and maintain the plan and kit. Pay close attention to the guidelines for storing and maintaining food and water. Also be careful to take into consideration the extra steps required for people with disabilities or other special needs and like our two soccer moms be aware that children of all ages will react differently during a disaster. If your family includes children learn how to help them cope with disaster and remember reach out and help others prepare so that when a disaster strikes we are all able to say yes we are ready. We hope you enjoyed are you ready if you would like more information or to learn about getting copies of Enet programs please phone us 800-500-5164 or on the web at www.usfa.gov slash training slash Enet. More and more people are relying on portable generators to keep the power on when the utilities have failed. Generators can be lifesavers but if used improperly they can also be killers. Here's some practical advice on generator safety. Portable electrical generators are useful when temporary or remote electrical power is needed but they can also be hazardous. The primary hazard to avoid when using a portable generator are carbon monoxide poisoning from the toxic engine exhaust, electrical shock or electrocution and fire. Don't take shortcuts that could cost you or someone else their life. Carefully read and follow all instructions for safe operation found in your portable electrical generators owner's manual. Connecting portable electrical generators directly to a home's wiring can backfeed onto the power lines connected to your home. Transformers on the power poles can step up or increase this backfeed to thousands of volts enough to kill or seriously injure a lineman making repair some distance from your home. In many states it is illegal to connect a generator directly to house wiring. The only safe way to connect a portable generator to existing home wiring is to have a licensed electrical contractor install a transfer switch in accordance with the national electrical code published by the National Fire Protection Association and all applicable state and local electrical codes. The transfer switch transfers power from utility pole lines to the power coming from your generator. The vast majority of incidents associated with portable generator use reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission involve carbon monoxide poisoning from generators used indoors or in partially enclosed spaces. Never use a generator in an enclosed or partially enclosed space such as interior rooms, garages, basements or crawl spaces. Opening doors and windows does little to prevent the deadly buildup of carbon monoxide. Place generators outdoors where exhaust fumes will not enter the home. Operate portable electrical generators only in well ventilated dry areas protected from direct exposure to rain and snow. Generators use internal combustion engines that produce high levels of carbon monoxide very quickly so even if you see and smell nothing you can still be exposed to deadly carbon monoxide. A good precautionary step is to install a battery operated carbon monoxide alarm in your home in accordance with manufacturer's instructions. Test your carbon monoxide alarm frequently and replace old batteries. A properly grounded generator presents a greatly reduced risk of electrical shock. Before purchasing a generator determine the amount of power you will need. You can do this by checking the labels or other information found on the appliances, equipment and light bulbs you plan to supply by portable power. Choose a generator that produces more power than the total you plan to draw. Portable generators have their output rating displayed on a plaque on the generator and will be displayed on the packaging of new generators. Never attempt to operate more appliances and equipment than the output rating. Overloading a generator can lead to excessive heating and stress of generator components leading to generator failure. Portable electrical generators should only be used when necessary and only to power essential appliances and equipment. Plug individual appliances into the generator using heavy-duty outdoor rated cords with a wire gauge or thickness adequate for the appliance load. Never use extension cords with worn shielding or exposed wires. Do not place extension cords under rugs where cord damage may be hidden or where heat can build up and cause a fire. Cords may also present a trip hazard so route them to avoid potential travel paths. Never attempt to refuel a portable generator while it is running. This is an extremely dangerous practice. It is best to let the generator cool for several minutes if possible before refueling. Gasoline, propane and kerosene like all flammable liquids should always be stored away from living areas and other interior home areas such as garages. Vapors from flammable liquids can cause explosions and fires by traveling invisibly to ignition sources such as pilot lights and electrical arcs caused by electrical motors or from light switches. Flammable liquids must be stored in properly labeled safety containers designed for their storage. Always disconnect or turn off appliances and equipment before shutting down the portable generator in order to avoid damaging the generator or the equipment attached to it. Portable generators can ease the inconvenience caused by temporary power outages if used properly. Finally today some of the most spectacular and powerful dangers we can face are from flash floods. They can happen in some places every year and in others they may happen only once in a lifetime and catch most people unaware of their danger. Learning to respect flash floods can save your life. Flash floods one of nature's most terrifying forces. Every year they kill hundreds of Americans, drive thousands from their homes, destroy billions of dollars worth of property. Flash floods spare no one and no place. They happen in every state in the union on city streets by rural streams in mountain canyons from heavy rain overhead or from storms miles away. These are a few examples. July 1976 139 people drowned or were crushed to death when 12 inches of rain fell in six hours sending a wall of water plunging through big Thompson Canyon Colorado. August 1985 Cheyenne 12 died in the biggest natural disaster ever to hit Wyoming. Many were trapped in cars on streets and roads when seven inches of rain fell in two hours. June 1986 Pittsburgh nine died millions in damage five inches of rain fell in 90 minutes and then in May and July of 1987 flash floods turned placid streams in and near San Antonio, Texas into raging monsters. Charles Lovett and his son Charles Jr. were caught in the first one. The biggest realization that happened for me was that that water was such an awesome power that that water could swell up against the side of the truck and totally carry us away truck and two human beings and knowing I guess that we had no control over the situation you can't imagine that that water can have that kind of awesome power. I saw the water situation I saw what appeared to be a little Toyota pickup that had just driven through it. Turns out that Toyota pickup had actually made a U-turn and had driven away thinking that it couldn't get through from the other end but I thought geez if that Toyota can get through no problem I can get through. We started down I saw some further saw some people up here on the knoll here that were filming it and I thought boy you know geez they're not making any gestures at all there's really nothing to worry about and I'll charge through it and I tried to charge through the water and I got about right here when the truck just stopped stopped dead and I got I panicked a little bit here and it started to move a couple of inches a couple of feet as we moved down into the stream here and we started to get carried away it wasn't a floating sensation it was if we were completely out of control and that it was like a little teeny toy being bounced around by fabulous waters you can imagine a little teeny top being in a toilet bowl. Few people appreciate the power of running water even fewer may realize how fast water can rise in a small stream. Jimmy Claus knows he found out in his own backyard in suburban Pittsburgh during a heavy rainstorm. My mother decided to move her car because the water started coming from the driveway there a little bit so she moved her car and I thought I'd better do the same so I backed it out the driveway by the time I got to the end car was floating already towards the creek and I tried to open my door but it wouldn't open due to the water pressure around it so yeah jumped out the window and I was trying to make it back to the house I couldn't make it so I grabbed the tree branch and I just grabbed it I went underwater and I pulled myself back up and climbed the tree my car went back and hit the wall stood straight up on end flipped upside down and took off and I found about a mile down the road the next day I was probably up there an hour and a half and as the water kept rising I kept going up a little higher a little higher and so I was pretty close to the top of the tree and the debris were slamming into the trunk and the tree was rocking and shaking and creaking and everything else and which had me really scared architect Ron Duke had an equally horrifying experience at his home near the headwaters of the Guadalupe River in rural hunt Texas the house itself is built 16 foot up in the air on pilings and is approximately 200 to 225 foot from the Guadalupe River it is three foot thereabouts above the 100 year flood plain the night of the flood I had gone to bed approximately 10 o'clock after watching the evening news and indicated on the weather channel and local weather that there was a thunderstorm about 50 50 miles west of here near a town of junction Texas at 2 o'clock in the morning I woke up and heard a loud noise beneath the house walked downstairs to see what was taking place and at that point realized that there was a thunderstorm and there was two to three foot of air between me and the Guadalupe River when I was out on the deck here about half of the deck collapsed and I was thrown into the river dropped into the river grabbed a next piling and pull myself back up on and eventually it got to about a foot and a half above the actual deck portion which would place it approximately 22 foot rise at this point of the river right here I had no earthly idea that water could rise that fast the time limit that was involved from 10 o'clock of going to bed where there was no rain whatsoever and 2 o'clock and close to 20 foot of water in a given area was beyond imagination absolutely scared to death never been so frightening my entire damn life downstream the flood surged across a field and caught a school bus convoy leaving a summer camp john patent national weather service hydrologist describes what happened by the time the last bus in van reached this gateway the river had risen high enough that it trapped the bus and van 43 young campers and counselors had to exit the van into the cold churning waters the river would continue to rise over the next hour reaching a crest of 30 feet your 940 a.m. that morning this 30 feet was 12 feet above the point on which I'm standing the same height this survey is right is the campers and the bus were swept into the raging flood waters the lucky ones were carried into trees where they could take refuge army red cross and police helicopters swarmed to the scene and began plucking the teenagers from the river but 10 were drowned the scenes speak for themselves show you stuck in a tree yeah for what's going through your mind right there we prayed a lot and sang just talked we started crying because because we was thinking of the other people's lives that that had been taken that we saw float float down the river if these scenes convey some of the horror of being trapped in flash floods remember the worst ones could never be photographed how can a foot or two of water cost you your life water weighs 62.4 pounds per cubic foot and typically flows downstream at 6 to 12 miles an hour when a vehicle stalls in the water the water's momentum is transferred to the car for each foot the water rises 500 pounds of lateral force are applied to the car but the biggest factor is buoyancy for each foot the water rises up the side of the car the car displaces 1500 pounds of water in effect the car weighs 1500 pounds less for each foot the water rises two feet of water will carry away most automobiles there are things we can do to escape the dangers of flash floods whatever we do we should remember that rain will fall again and in a flash turn tiny streams into raging floods sweeping away buildings boulders trees cars trucks and people with incredible force those who've survived will never forget them we kept our arms wrapped around the tree for hours just waiting for help it wasn't but a few minutes the whole front of his house tore off but his wife and children were gone it was a great big metal building it had to be like about 60 feet long and it was totally wrapped around a trailer truck that was over absolutely scared to death never been so frightened in my entire life you can imagine that water can have that kind of awesome power for more information comments or copies of enat programming we invite you to call us 800 500 5164 or visit our website at www.usfa.gov slash training slash enat for all of us at the united states fire administration and enat i'm john getter thank you for watching this is enat