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Home Page \ Emergency Preparedness
Emergency Preparedness
The Emergency Preparedness Manager is available to give presentations to clubs, schools, civic organizations, and other groups.
If interested, please call to schedule an appointment.
Contact: Cindy Serrano
Emergency Preparedness Manager
(760) 247-7618
The County of San Bernardino has been the site of many declared disasters in the last few years, some of which affected the
Town of Apple Valley. Whether a disaster is natural – flood, earthquake, wildfire – or manmade, such as a hazardous
materials spill or terrorist incident – the Emergency Preparedness Office wants you to be prepared. The information in
this area will equip you and your family with the knowledge to deal with any type of disaster.
Family Preparedness Plan
The Town of Apple Valley and the local first responders have a plan – you need one too! Follow these steps and get prepared:
- Get trained! Be prepared to help your loved ones by learning CPR and First Aid. Enroll in a CERT course and learn how to
stay safe.
- Have an out-of-state emergency contact! Oftentimes during a disaster, local telephone lines may be down or circuits full, but
out-of-state lines may remain open. Have an out-of-state contact so you can call and communicate your whereabouts and health
status. Regardless of your family’s location at the time of the disaster (at school or at work “down the hill”), your o
ut-of-state contact can keep track of your loved ones as they call in.
- Have a meeting place! If you must evacuate your home, have a meeting place for the family -- normally at the curbside or by the
mailbox. Have another meeting place at least one-half mile from home in case you cannot make it into your neighborhood –
a friend’s home, parking lot, school, etc.
- Have an evacuation plan! If you must evacuate your home because of fire, have an evacuation plan in place and get together at
the meeting place. Practice this evacuation plan at least once every six months. If you must evacuate the neighborhood,
pre-plan NOW and develop a list of 25-30 items that you would take with you and be ready to do so when the time comes.
- Be informed! Listen to local radio stations to determine what has happened and what you need to do (Clear Channel radio).
Be sure you are listening to a reliable source – city, county, or state representative.
- Know how to shut-off utilities! Know when and how to shut-off utilities … electrical, gas, and water. Have the tools available
when necessary to do so.
- Know how to use a fire extinguisher! It’s not enough just to have them available in your home; you need to know how to use them
too. Have an extinguisher in your garage, kitchen, near the fireplace, and on the second story if you have a two-story house.
- Know how to purify water! You can heat water to a rolling boil for 1 minute or use commercial purification tablets to purify water.
You can also use household liquid chlorine bleach if it is pure and unscented, 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. To purify water,
add 1 teaspoon to 5 gallons of water, shake or stir the water container and let it stand for 30 minutes before drinking.
(For 1 gallon of water, use 16 drops of bleach. For 1 quart of water, use 4 drops of bleach).
- Know everybody’s plan! Be aware of the disaster preparedness plans at the schools your children attend and at your spouse’s
workplace.
- Have a plan for pets! If you have pets, be prepared to evacuate them to a safe place. Have proper identification on your
animals at all times.
- Pack a Survival Kit! Some people call it a Disaster Kit – we call it a Survival Kit because it may be what you need to survive
on for a few days. Everyone’s kit will be different – personalize it to meet your family’s needs. Just be sure it has enough
supplies to last for at least 72 hours. (Remember to make a much smaller version that fits in a backpack for each vehicle too).
Survival kit ideas:
- Food & Water
- Water – 1 gallon/person/day
- Food – non-perishable (ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables are a good idea)
- Canned juices or soup
- Powdered milk (store extra water to mix)
- Staples – sugar, salt, pepper
- High-energy foods (peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix)
- Comfort/stress foods (cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, instant coffee, tea bags)
- Kitchen Items
- Manual can opener
- Paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils
- All-purpose knife
- Household liquid bleach (unscented) to treat drinking water
- Aluminum foil and plastic wrap
- Re-sealable plastic bags
- If food must be cooked, small cooking stove and a can of cooking fuel (or Sterno?) … use only if safe to do so!
- First Aid Kit
- First aid manual
- Sterile adhesive bandages and gauze pads in assorted sizes
- Hypoallergenic adhesive tape
- Towelettes
- Antibacterial ointment
- Thermometer
- Petroleum jelly or other lubricant
- Safety pins in assorted sizes
- Latex gloves
- Sunscreen
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Nonprescription Drugs
- Aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever
- Anti-diarrhea medication
- Antacid (for stomach upset)
- Laxative
- Vitamins
- Tools & Supplies
- Battery-operated radio and extra batteries
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Tent
- Pliers
- Duct tape
- Compass
- Matches in a waterproof container
- Signal flare(s)
- Paper, pencils
- Work gloves
- Medicine dropper
- Wrench (to turn off household gas and water)
- Whistle
- Plastic sheeting
- Sanitation
- Toilet paper
- Soap and liquid detergent
- Feminine supplies
- Personal hygiene items (toothpaste/brush, mouthwash, etc.)
- Plastic garbage bags and ties (for personal sanitation use)
- Plastic bucket with tight lid
- Disinfectant
- Clothing & Bedding
- Sturdy shoes or work boots
- Rain gear
- Blankets or sleeping bags
- Hat and gloves
- Thermal underwear
- Sunglasses
- Household Documents
- Personal identification
- Cash
- Copies of important documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, social security cards, passport, wilds, inventory of household goods, insurance papers, etc.)
- Emergency contact list and phone numbers
- Extra set of car keys and house keys
- Special Items
- For baby: Formula, diapers, bottles, powdered milk, medications, toys
- For adults: Special dietary needs, medication, denture needs, contact lenses/supplies, eyeglasses, entertainment
- For pets: Medications, food, water, identification
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