Member Column: Emergency Planning
by Lawrence Ahr
Mutual 12 resident, M.D.
I attended the August Emergency Information Council meeting and came away from the meeting in a state of fear for the lack of emergency preparation that this community currently has in place.
Ms. Marty Williams and GRF Safety Manager Eloy Gomez who ran the meeting are fighting an uphill battle to protect this community.
This is an at-risk community with a high percentage of people with ambulation issues, visual issues and neurologic issues, which in the event of a disaster the geriatric population here will be the first ones to suffer morbidity (injury) and mortality.
I am not an alarmist but my experience as a physician working in a trauma unit as well as being a member of medical teams in third-world countries I can attest that these disasters are not forgiving. I learned while at West Point and the military that preparation in these instances is everything and we are not prepared. This letter is a warning to all who live here that a disaster will happen not if as we are “on our own.”
I see three major issues that are at the root of confronting this problem: 1. All the Mutual directors must unite to deliver a cohesive response together and not have each Mutual have their own disaster control plan. There must be one emergency plan since in a disaster we are all in this together not as separate Mutuals.
2. We need disaster supplies stored on site, which at the minimum includes water supplies of 1 gallon per day per resident for three days minimum, emergency generators, medications and first aid equipment, food for three days, blankets, cots and lighting. This is a bare minimum. It is on this community to respond to get this done and not depend on the GRF or FEMA or local emergency teams to take care of us in the event of a disaster. Money and supplies may be able to be procured from the generous financial donations of the companies who do business here (realtors, etc.) We also need the community to step up since when I attended this meeting less then 75 people showed up to participate, including only three people of which I was one of retired medical personnel. That is a sad community response! We need people with golf carts for transport and retired heavy equipment operators to be involved. We are on our own and we need a community response.
3. The GRF needs to be more active in integrating the Mutual leadership to make all of the above happen. Unfortunately both the GRF and Mutual leadership seem fearful of liability that could occur in a disaster situation but liability in these situations would be covered under good samaritan laws, so that is a poor excuse for inaction. I am hoping this letter will create a groundswell in both community and GRF leadership so concrete steps are taken before we experience a tragedy.
