Recent surveys of Madison homeowners indicate that most households are unprepared for emergencies. To help residents prepare themselves, the Madison Fire Department has joined public health and safety partners in a program called People Responding to Emergencies Program, a year-long effort of informing the public through events.
According to Madison Fire Department Public Information Officer Lori Wirth, 54 percent of homeowners have no plan of action in case of a disaster. Out of that 56 percent, only 45 percent have discussed their plan with their family. Another 55 percent had no meeting place in case of a disaster.
\The government can do a lot in terms of preparing things like evacuation plans and well-trained police and fire departments, but individual residents need to have themselves prepared for disasters that might strike,"" said George Twigg, communications director of the mayor's office.
UW-Madison junior Ben Schuster considers himself relatively unprepared. ""Let's be honest. Where does natural disaster preparation fall on the priority list of the average Madison student? I would estimate fairly low,"" Schuster said.
According to Witte Hall housefellow and UW-Madison senior Kayla Hetland, UW-Madison Housing has detailed fire and tornado drills in case of disaster. There are no food and water reserves in the dorms themselves, but at nearby cafeterias.
However, for those who do not live in university-sponsored housing, in December, the coalition will teach homeowners how to build 'PREP kits' which contain essential supplies during disasters when stores are closed. These kits include a 3-day supply of water and non-perishable food items, flashlights, battery powered radios, prescription medication and first-aid supplies, among other items. Instead of preparing for a terrorist attack or another emergency specifically, these kits could be used in almost any situation.
According to these surveys, which were taken before Hurricane Katrina and Rita, only 56 percent of homeowners have a flashlight, 43 percent own a first-aid kit and 16 percent have a 3-day supply of food and water.
Other months will focus on preparation for pets, neighbors and public health concerns.
""You can't make people change behavior overnight. We intend to make this a year-long effort,"" Wirth said. ""We don't know how far we can push this, we don't know what we can accomplish, but we do know we need to try.\
