A flood leaves families stuck in their homes for several days on the Front Range. The rapidly moving West Fork Complex wildfire forces evacuation of the entire town of South Fork. Mudslides close East Animas Road (County Road 250) north of Durango twice in four days.

All of these natural disasters in the last few months have had many residents asking themselves, “How prepared would our household have been if any of these natural disasters had struck where we live?”

The answer in many cases is, “Not very,” said Cindi Shank, executive director of the Southwest Colorado chapter of the American Red Cross, speaking at a public meeting last week to teach residents what they need to know. The government has limited resources when it comes to handling large-scale emergencies, she said.

“Don’t have the mentality, ‘Oh, the government will come take care of me,’” she said. “We saw it (Sept. 18), when every firefighter was out, and they were still screaming for more help. It’s up to you to take care of yourself and your family.”

Resources are more limited than most Americans realize.

“The United States has only one firefighter for every 480 people and one police officer for every 385 people,” the Federal Emergency Management Agency says on its website. “That means in an emergency, most people are going to be on their own for at least 48 to 72 hours or longer.”

The first step is to plan – gather what you need to take with you in one place, stock your home and business with items critical for survival and arrange where to meet with family members if separated or evacuated, she said.

Planning should include food, water, medical supplies and tools for you and your pets. Figure out how you will handle sanitation, establish multiple routes for evacuation and gather materials for survival without power, perhaps for a long period of time.

“Sometimes you should shelter in place, meaning you stay wherever you are because it’s not safe to go outside,” Shank said. “Other times you need to evacuate. With wildfires, you almost always evacuate. Many times, people perish because they waited too long to leave.”

It’s not just your home and business where preparations should be made.

“You just never know what’s going to happen in Colorado,” Shank said. “You should have a kit in your car with water, food and a sleeping bag. And I always have a change of clothes, including sweatpants and a sweatshirt, because it can get cold, even in the summer.”

She recommends following authorities’ orders. If an evacuation order is issued by the Sheriff’s Office, it’s best to leave, she said.

“In South Fork this summer, I was shocked at the amount of people who chose not to leave,” Shank said. “I was watching all the residents standing there and watching the fire come over the hill in disbelief. After 20 years in the fire service, I wouldn’t have given you a plugged nickel that South Fork would have survived.

“I know you love your stuff,” she said, “I know you want to stay, but the last few years, fires have shown extremely erratic behavior.”

Pam Wilson, executive director of FireWise of Southwest Colorado, echoed the fact that people need to be responsible for their own safety and well-being.

“You need to be aware,” Wilson said. “Don’t wait for the knock on the door if conditions are rapidly changing. And if you’re not sleeping or have a health issue, don’t wait for someone to tell you to go.”

FireWise, local fire departments and the Colorado Forest Service can all work with homeowners, particularly in the urban-wildland interface, to minimize the potential threat of wildfires. It’s best for neighborhoods and subdivisions to do it together – to be more effective in fire-mitigation efforts and more efficient for the experts.

“Most houses burn within 48 hours if authorities don’t have enough resources to fight a wildfire,” Wilson said. “Fire travels uphill, so defensible-space measurements vary based on location. And sometimes nothing can save your home because a fire can start from ember showers from half a mile away.”

Shank said her philosophy is best expressed in a quote from Max Mayfield, former director of the National Hurricane Center: “Preparation through education is less costly than learning through tragedy.”

abutler@durangoherald.com

Emergency kits

There are a number of actions to prepare your home or business to deal with an emergency, but one of the main strategies is to always have an emergency kit prepared. Kits should include:

Water, the single most important item. The Red Cross recommends at least 1 gallon per person per day for drinking, sanitation and personal use, more in hot weather. The organization suggests at least a 72-hour supply, although two weeks is better. Infants might require more, and supplies should take pets into account. Household bleach or water-purification tablets also might come in handy.

Food that doesn’t require a microwave, oven or running water to prepare – canned goods, including soups, meat, fruits and vegetables; ready-to-eat foods such as cereal; high-energy foods; and instant food and Meals Ready to Eat or other commercially available shelf-stable preparations. Include a hand-operated can opener. At least 72 hours worth, but several weeks worth is better.

Any medications for you and your pet, as well as a deluxe first-aid kit.

Tools and supplies such as duct tape, waterproof matches, hand wipes, a flashlight with extra batteries, a crank-operated radio, plastic bags with ties for sanitation purposes, a wrench to turn off utilities and dental-care supplies.

On the net

Preparing for emergencies in general: www.RedCross.org.

Contacts and information about wildfire mitigation and preparing for wildfires: www.southwestcoloradofires.org and http://csfs.colostate.edu