Great Two Weeks w/ United States District Court

Recently after completing a series of disaster preparedness presentations for the United States District Courts, I was humbled by being presented with a very nice certificate of appreciation. Thank you to all who attended, contributed and most of all learned something to help increase your disaster preparedness IQ.As wonderful as our time together was, it means nothing without action. Learn from the Wizard of Oz. (Yes, a children's story can teach you all you need to know about DP-disaster preparedness)
1.) As we learned from the Cowardly Lion-COURAGE. Have the courage to step up and be the one in your family, condo association, college dorm or where ever you live to start the DP ball rolling.
2.) As we learned from the Tin man-Heart/Love. Love yourself enough to take care of yourself. A part of loving yourself is preparedness. You can not love anybody else, until you love yourself.
3.) The Scarecrow-A Brain. Put together a brain. A brain is a central location in your "GO" bag that contains your important documents (flash drive/CD rom or hard copy), spare eye glasses, money, out of state contact information, pack of checks, spare keys, emergency credit card.

Just like Dorothy, your ability to take care of your home is already inside of you. Just click your heels three times and repeat..."I will prepare my home and my family-I will prepare my home and my family-I will prepare my home and my family" then DO IT! After all-"There's no place like home!"

Natural Gas Earthquake/Seismic Shut-off and Excess Flow Valves

A natural gas seismic shut-off valve automatically shuts off your gas service when an earthquake of a sufficient magnitude occurs at your home's location. An excess flow valve automatically shuts off your gas service when a significant gas leak or overpressure surge occurs at a pipe or appliance located beyond the point where the valve is installed.
If an earthquake or other significant event causes your seismic shut-off or excess flow valve to close, you may follow the manufacturer's instructions for resetting the valve so that gas flows again. However, The Gas Company recommends that you contact a licensed, qualified professional or The Gas Company to reset the valve, and to verify that no gas leaks exist, to ensure that all of your gas appliances are safe before being placed back in operation and to re-light your pilot lights. Remember that following a major emergency it may take many days or even weeks before someone can come to your location. (The Gas Company charges a fee to reset valves and re-light pilot lights.)

Seismic and Excess Flow Valve Installation Requirements
If you choose to have a seismic gas shut-off or excess flow valve installed, or are mandated to have one by your insurance company or the local Department of Building and Safety, the valve must be installed on the customer’s houseline. If installation requires gas service closure, you must contact The Gas Company to shut-off the service and restore service when installation is completed.

Under the regulations of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), General Order 112-E, only The Gas Company or its certified contractors are authorized to operate the gas service shut-off valve.

Gas service shut-off and restoration of service orders can be scheduled by contacting the gas company at 1-800- 427-2200.

NOTE: When you hire a licensed, qualified professional to install your seismic or excess flow valve, you must ensure that the valve is installed on your houseline, not on The Gas Company’s facilities. The Gas Company’s facilities include all of the pipe fittings installed and maintained by The Gas Company, up to and including the last elbow or tee connecting to your houseline. All unauthorized valve installations found on The Gas Company’s facilities will be removed. In addition, Seismic or excess flow valves are not permitted in utility curb meter vaults.
If you have any questions about your insurance company requirements, contact your insurance company or agent.

Did you feel that?

Los Angeles experienced a series of "wake up" trimmers Sunday night as many families where settling down and getting ready for school and work the next day. At about 8:30 PM, a sharp jolt that rolled for about 20 seconds shook the metro Los Angeles area. While originally reported to be a 5.0 earthquake. It was later downgraded to 4.7 in magnitude.

No immediate reports of any major injuries or damage, however local first responders did go into "earthquake" mode and checked for structural and physical damage.
The magnitude-4.7 quake hit at 8:39 p.m., about 10 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles, near Inglewood, according to a preliminary report by the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake was followed minutes later by at least three smaller aftershocks, with the largest registering at magnitude-3.1.

Empower our children

Thank you to the members of Fire Station 76 who participated in the fire extinguisher demonstration at Valley View School. OUTSTANDING!

The one thing that kills fear is knowledge. By giving our children the knowledge they need to be a part of the solution, we empower, educate and elevate. Make your children strong. Give them roots to grow deep and wings to soar high. Give them the tools to survive.

www.LAAnimalServices.com

An additional resource for disaster preparedness and small animal preparedness is SmART. SmART stands for Small m Animal Rescue Team. To read more, learn more and prepare for your little buddies, check out: http://www.laanimalservices.com/info_prepemergency.htm

DOGS-CATS-PETS-OH MY!

One of the most common questions I get regarding disaster preparedness is: “What should I do to prepare my cat and/or dog for a disaster?” While much has been written regarding disaster preparedness, the data pool for pets and pet care is not as deep. Pets have always been special members of many of our families, but it has been the last decade or so that we have seen pet rescue get the attention that many have been seeking. Please keep in mind that while the rescues of pets are a high priority consideration, most first responders will not place pet rescue above human life.
To help streamline the information gathering process, I have made a 911/Pet Rescue Information sheet. Fill this out and place in your window near your door. (After you fill it in, fold the sheet in half to protect your personal information.) While placing this document in your window is not a guarantee, it will increase the chance of a rescue, providing that the first responding agency is able to safely search for your pets.
For additional pet rescue information, you can search the internet. Below are three web sites that I have looked up and found to be excellent resources.

United Animal Nations
http://www.uan.org/

The Humane Society of the United
http://www.hsus.org/

Noah’s Wish
http://www.noahswish.org/

Recently I had the pleasure of meet Thea Martin of Noah’s Wish at the L.A. County Fire CERT refresher held on May 2, 2009. The people from Noah’s Wish had many great ideas regarding preparedness and strategies for pet care during and post disaster.
To reach Noah’s Wish, click on the above web link and be sure and tell them you read about them from “JJ”.
If you would like me to send you a copy of the “911/Pet Rescue” document, just email me at: jaysonajohnson@gmail.com and place “911 pet rescue” in the subject line.

Thank You To The US Army/Thank you for all you do, have done and will continue to do to keep this country safe and free.

Today, I had the distinct honor of presenting my disaster preparedness class to the men and women of the US Army as a part of their annual safety stand down. I am truly grateful to be of service to those who dedicate themselves to the preservation of our safety, freedom and security. Our time together was fun, productive and I hope to be apart of future stand downs.