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Man-Made Hazards
Hazardous Materials (chemicals), Power Outages and Terrorism
These are man-made threats that can range from inconvenient to life threatening. Chemicals, can be hazardous if released improperly, usually as a result of transportation accidents or chemical accidents in plants. Power outages, can occur for any number of reasons - weather, accidents, etc. Terrorism, an intentional violent action intended to attain political or ideological goals can range in type and size and could happen anytime and in any place. Below are some actions that you can take to help prepare for these situations and help you get through them or maybe keep them from happening.
If you see something,
SAY SOMETHING!
Suspicious activity may include:
Unusual Items or Situations
- A vehicle is parked in an odd location.
- A package/luggage is unattended.
- A window/door is open that is usually closed, etc.
Someone Asking Too Many Questions
Questions beyond curiosity about a building’s:
- purpose, operations,
- security procedures and/or
- personnel, shift changes, etc.
Someone Being Too Interested in a Building or Facility
Someone pays unusual attention to facilities or buildings beyond a casual or professional interest.
For example:
- extended loitering without explanation (particularly in concealed locations);
- unusual, repeated observation of a building (e.g., with binoculars or video camera);
- taking notes, measurements; counting paces; sketching floor plans, etc.
Reporting Suspicious Activity
IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY, CALL 9-1-1! To report suspicious activity, contact your local law enforcement. Try to answer the following questions:
- Who did you see?
- What did you see?
- When did you see it?
- Where did it occur?
- Why is it suspicious
You can prepare for hazardous chemical spills, power outages, and acts of terrorism
There are things you can do to prepare for the unexpected. Be aware of your surroundings. Be wary of suspicious packages and letters. Preparing for such events will reduce the stress that you may feel now, and later, should an emergency arise.
BEFORE:
- Find out about chemical hazards in your community by attending the Maricopa County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meetings.
- Prepare to shelter in place:
- Identify a room without windows.
- Keep duct tape, scissors and plastic in the room.
- Pre-measure and cut the plastic sheeting for doors, vent openings.
DURING:
- Turn off air conditioning/heating system.
- Seal your home. Close windows, doors, and vents. Seal any gaps.
- Bring pets indoors.
- If outside, stay upstream, uphill and upwind at least one-half mile away.
- Protect your face and any exposed skin.
- Cover your nose and mouth.
AFTER:
- Open windows and vents.
- Turn on fans for ventilation.
- If exposed to hazardous chemicals:
- Follow decontamination instructions from local authorities.
- Do not make contact with other people or materials.
- Place clothing and shoes in tightly sealed containers.
- Call local authorities about proper disposal of clothing.
- Seek medical treatment for unusual symptoms.
- Advise medical staff that you have been exposed to a toxic substance.
- Report any lingering vapors or other hazards to local emergency services office.
- From local authorities, find out how to clean up your land and property
BEFORE:
- Determine a back-up plan.
- Keep your car’s gas tank at least half full.
- Have cash available.
- Sign up for outage alerts.
- Know how to manually release your electric garage door.
- Have a battery or solar-powered radio available.
- Use surge protectors on electronic devices.
- Consider a generator. Get advice from a licensed professional.
- Ask the power company to clear branches from power lines.
DURING:
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Unopened, a refrigerator will keep food cold for 4 hours; a freezer will stay cold for 48 hours.
- Unplug major appliances and HVAC system to prevent damage due to a power surge.
- Leave one light on so you know when the power returns.
- Use flashlights for emergency lighting. Candles can cause fires.
- Never use a generator indoors, including the garage.
- Go somewhere cool: movie theaters, malls or a local cooling center for extended power outages during high temperatures.
- Stay at least 100 feet away from downed power lines. The ground may be electrified.
- Drive with caution. Traffic lights may be out and power lines may be down.
- If a power line is touching your car, call 911. DO NOT leave your vehicle until professional help arrives.
- If you MUST evacuate your vehicle, DO NOT touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Jump from the vehicle, keeping your feet together so they touch the ground at the same time. Hop away until you are 100 feet from the vehicle.
- If someone else is trapped by a power line, DO NOT try to remove them. Call 911.
AFTER:
- Don’t try to repair electrical problems on your own.
- Throw away any food that has been exposed to temperatures above 40° F (4° C) for 2 hours or more.
- Throw away any food that has an unusual odor, color or texture. WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT.
RUN, HIDE or FIGHT (as a last resort)!
RUN
- Leave your belongings behind.
- Warn others nearby.
- Keep your hands visible
HIDE
- Hide in an area out of the shooter’s view.
- Block entry to your hiding place and lock the doors.
- Silence your cell phone.
- Stay as quiet as possible.
FIGHT
- Fight as a last resort.
- Only when your life is in imminent danger.
- Attempt to incapacitate the shooter.
- Act with physical aggression.
- Throw items at the active shooter.
BEFORE:
- Be wary of suspicious packages and letters.
- Telephone bomb threat? Get as much information as possible and notify police and building management immediately.
DURING:
- Get under a sturdy table or desk.
- Protect your face and any exposed skin.
- Cover your nose and mouth.
- If trapped, avoid creating or breathing dust:.
- Avoid unnecessary movement.
- Shout only as a last resort.
- Signal using a flashlight or create noise by tapping or using a whistle.
AFTER:
- When objects stop falling leave quickly
- Watch for obviously weakened floors and stairways.
- Do not use elevators.
- Watch for falling debris.
- Get low if there is smoke.
- Check for fire and other hazards.
BEFORE:
- Take steps to protect your devices and personal information.
- Trust your gut; if you think an offer is too good to be true, then it probably is.
- Make sure system software updates are current.
- Only connect to the Internet over secure networks
- Use strong passwords. Change them monthly
- Visit www.dhs.gov/topic/cybersecurity for more information.
DURING:
- Immediately change passwords for all of your online accounts.
- Scan and clean your device.
- Consider disconnecting your device from the internet.
AFTER:
- Verify that your Personally Identifiable Information isn’t compromised.
- Monitor your accounts and contact companies, such as banks to report online crimes.
BEFORE:
- Ensure all required or suggested immunizations are up to date.
- Children and older adults are particularly vulnerable to biological agents
DURING:
- Avoid crowds. Wear a face mask.
AFTER:
- Do your symptoms that match those described by officials?
- Is the group considered at risk?
- Immediately seek emergency medical attention.
BEFORE:
- Be wary of suspicious packages and letters.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
DURING:
- Quickly define the impacted area.
- Take immediate action to get away without passing through the contaminated area.
- Protect your face and any exposed skin.
- Cover your nose and mouth.
- Turn off air conditioning/heating systems that pull air from the outside.
- Seal windows, doors, and vents.
- Seal any gaps.
AFTER:
- If outside during or after incident:
- Get clean or decontaminate as soon as possible.
- Carefully and thoughtfully remove clothing.
- Shower if possible and wash with soap and water.
- Water is available, but not a shower, wash areas of body not covered by clothing.
BEFORE:
- TIME, DISTANCE AND SHIELDING key factors.
- Any protection is better than none at all.
- The more time, distance and shielding you can take advantage of, the better.
- Protection from radioactive fallout requires shelter in an underground area or the middle of a large building.
- Make your own list of potential shelters near your home, workplace and school.
DURING:
- If outside, lie flat on the ground and cover your head.
- As soon as possible move to an upwind location.
- Seek shelter immediately, placing as much distance and dense shielding between you and the outdoors.
- Find the nearest building, preferably built of brick or concrete, and go inside.
- If the threat is from a nuclear blast, do not look at the flash or fireball-it can blind you.
AFTER:
- If outside during or after incident:
- Get clean or decontaminate as soon as possible.
- Carefully and thoughtfully remove clothing.
- Shower if possible and wash with soap and water.
- Water is available, but not a shower, wash areas of body not covered by clothing.