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One
Year After Katrina:
AAP URGES FAMILIES TO CREATE EMERGENCY DISASTER PLANS
For Immediate Release
CHICAGO - On the one-year
anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
is encouraging families, pediatricians and communities to prepare for
potential natural and other disasters to minimize the physical and emotional
toll on children.
Children are especially
vulnerable during and after disasters. The AAP recommends that parents
discuss possible disaster plans with their children, so the children will
know what to do in hazardous situations.
Parents can create a family disaster plan by taking these simple steps.
- Talk with your
children about the dangers of disasters that are common to in your area
and how to prepare for each type. Make sure they know where to go in
your home and school to stay safe during an earthquake, tornado, hurricane
or other disaster.
- Teach your child
how to recognize danger signals. Ensure your child knows what smoke
detectors, fire alarms and local community warning systems (horns and
sirens) sound like and what to do when they hear them.
- Explain to children
how and when to call for help. Keep emergency phone numbers where family
members can find them.
- Pick an out-of-state
family contact person who family members can "check-in" with
if you are separated during an emergency. For older children, help them
to memorize the person's name and phone number, or give them a copy
of the emergency list.
- Agree on a meeting
place away from your home (a neighbor or relative's house or even a
street corner) where you would get together if you were separated in
an emergency. Give each family member an emergency list with the name,
address and phone number of the meeting place.
- Put together a
disaster supplies kit for your family. http://www.aap.org/family/frk/frkit.htm
- Practice your family
disaster plan every six months, so everyone will remember what to do
in an emergency.
- Include your pet
in your family disaster plan. In an emergency, shelters can't take pets,
so plan what to do in case you have to evacuate. Ask your humane society
if there is an animal shelter near you. Prepare a list of kennels and
veterinarians who could shelter your pet in an emergency.
"It is imperative
to consider both the physical and emotional needs of children during and
after a disaster," says AAP President Eileen M. Ouellette, MD, JD,
FAAP. "The thousands of children still displaced by Katrina, and
still grieving the loss of their homes and loved ones, need continued
care and support."
Because of children's
developmental limitations, they are often unable to express their needs
directly or clearly. They rely on adults to help them identify and express
their concerns, to help them access supportive services, to model appropriate
coping behaviors, and to provide a supportive environment so they can
begin to understand and adjust to the crisis.
The AAP urges parents
and caregivers to remember that if children receive appropriate support,
they may emerge from a crisis more capable and resilient. Without such
support, children are more likely to have difficulty adjusting, and may
be at risk for long-term problems.
More information can
be found on the AAP Web site, http://www.aap.org
and on the following links:
The AAP will be holding
an educational session and reception on "Disaster Preparedness,
Response & Recovery for Children & Pediatricians" at the
AAP National Conference & Exhibition in Atlanta. This session will
be held Friday, October 6, 2006 from 1:00-6:30pm at the Georgia World
Congress Center, Rm B308/309. More Info.
END
The
American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care
pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical
specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants,
children, adolescents and young adults.
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