Seven Days to Disaster Readiness in Santa Monica

Ann K. Williams
Staff Writer

May 3 -- If you’re like most of us, you have a pretty good idea what you need to stock up on to prepare for a disaster. You just haven’t done it.

Leaders from the City, the business community, the schools and the Red Cross want to help you make this the month you finally prepare -- for seven days of emergency survival, no less.

In an unprecedented community-wide awareness campaign, they launched a pledge drive Tuesday called “I’ve Got 7” to get every home, classroom and workplace ready in case of the worst.

“Hurricane Katrina taught us that we really should have seven days worth of emergency supplies on hand,” said John Pacheco, executive director of the SMRC. “That’s why we adopted ‘I’ve Got 7.’”

Pacheco shared the podium at Santa Monica Fire Station No. 1 with Mayor Bob Holbrook and Council Member Kevin McKeown, who urged Santa Monicans to fill out the pledge cards they’ll find at local stores where they can stock up on food, water, batteries and medical supplies.

“We hope that people of Santa Monica will jump into this with both feet,” Holbrook said.

After being introduced as “Seven McKeown,” the council member said, “If I can survive seven years on the City Council, I can survive seven days.”

McKeown emphasized the importance of self-reliance. “I’m not going to be able to take care of my community if I can’t take care of myself,” he said.

In a city with a day-time population that sometimes reaches half a million, workers need to put the same effort into making sure they’re prepared on the job as they do at home, Pacheco said.

That’s one of the reasons why City TV Producer Robin Gee and City Emergency Services Coordinator Paul Weinberg decided to extend the annual City workers’ disaster preparedness drive to the community at large.

If this year’s multi-agency effort is a success, they’ll try to extend it to the greater Los Angeles region, maybe even the state. Gee envisions it as “the first in the country.”

Shoppers can find pledge cards in stores like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Vons, or on www.ivegot7.com Cards returned to Red Cross of Santa Monica headquarters will be eligible for a raffle on June 3.

All the local school district’s seventh graders will take home cards and materials and the class that brings in the most pledges will win a pizza party hosted by the Fire Department.

And the Chamber of Commerce is working with the Red Cross to make sure local workplaces distribute pledge cards and information that employees can use at work and take home to their families.

Not only will the cards encourage everyone to “prepare for the unthinkable,” they’ll give disaster relief officials numbers of how many people actually are supplied in case disaster strikes.

Captain Scott Ziegart of the Fire department gave listeners some practical advice.

Stock up an item at a time, and it won’t seem so expensive, he said. Build up your stores of food, water and batteries and use the oldest supplies first, replacing them with back-up supplies. That way, you’ll use the oldest first – even batteries have expiration dates, Zeigart said.

Make sure you have medical supplies and food for people on special diets, he said.

And be sure you have a supply of cash. Banks and ATM machines may be down, as may credit card machines and computerized cash registers.

And seven-year old Daniel Gilhuly had a piece of advice to his peers. Be sure to pack away some toys, but not the ones with electronic parts, he said.

The official “I’ve Got 7” list will be posted around town. It reads:

The seven steps necessary to be prepared for disaster.

Have a week’s supply of nonperishable food and water on hand – including pet food.

Keep a battery-powered radio, flashlight and extra batteries available.

Keep a fully stocked First Aid Kit.

Have cash on hand. ATM machines and credit cards are useless without power.

Sturdy clothing – gloves, long pants, long sleeved shirts, sturdy shoes – to protect against injuries from debris.

Special needs such as medicine, eyeglasses, sanitary supplies, plastic and paper goods, matches and copies of passports and important personal identification.

A plan for coping with a disaster including having a non-local contact who can relate messages to family and friends out of town when local communications are overtaxed.