AHS: Disaster module in 2013

From: Paul Burke [mailto:numbersinstitute@juno.com]

Attached are my suggestions for the proposed Disaster module in the 2013 AHS.

Dav kindly sent me the draft questions, and I inserted some comments between the lines (attached)./p>

Dav says goals are

• info to help FEMA prepare
• measure how well citizens are prepared
• inform the long term rebuilding process.

I like these goals, and suggest adding the following questions to cover more about citizen preparation. FEMA has done surveys, and as Dav has pointed out, AHS has already had useful questions on smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, vehicles, insurance, etc.

My suggestions are based on the summary of disaster odds and advice from FEMA, Red Cross, Insurance Information Institute, other countries, etc, which I have at http://NumbersInstitute.com

ADDED QUESTIONS:

21. Does everyone in the household carry the name and number of a local person and a distant person to contact in an emergency?
[For EMS as well as disasters]

22. Does someone in the household know how to get drinking water from your hot water tank, when the power and water are turned off? (If not, or no hot water tank in unit) How many gallons of drinking water do you have in your home now? (note to interviewer: 24-bottle case of 16-oz bottles is 3 gallons)

23. Have you stored backup copies of important documents away from your home?

24. Is your building number clearly readable from the street at night?

25. Are all your telephones cordless?
(If yes: Does anyone in the household have a cell phone?)
[Yes, followed by No identifies families who cannot phone without electricity]

26. (Freezing regions only:) Does someone in the household know how to drain water pipes if the heat stays off in freezing weather?