MARINA SAFETY

We go through our lives expecting that disasters can’t happen to us. Sure, they talk about disaster preparation, and I’ll get to it one day…, why not today? In the Bay Area we worry about earthquakes, but there are many other disasters that could befall us. A day of prevention could prevent much suffering for you, your family, and your community.

Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast and wrecked hundreds of thousands of people’s lives. A friend with 4 kids had his whole family in the attic of their flooded house for 4 days with minimal water and no food. At one point he thought his kids would die from starvation. He lost his house, his business, and everything he owned and his insurance didn’t have to pay. The whole family still suffers health issues from exposure to filthy water during those 4 days. Even after they were rescued, they could not get to their bank (no electricity and all banks were closed), and they were completely reliant on the inadequate disaster relief for all their needs.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pandemic influenza develops in 6 phases.

Phase 1 – risk to humans is low

Phase 2 – No humans affected but flu subtypes pose risk to humans

Phase 3 – Human infection but no human to human spread

Phase 4 – small clusters with limited human-to-human spread

Phase 5 – Larger clusters with human-to-human spread but sill localized

Phase 6 – Pandemic, increased and sustained transmission in general population

The H5N1 Avian flu is in Phase 4 and the WHO expects it will progress to a pandemic, but have no way of saying when that will happen or how severe it will be.

The following is a list that is in no way exhaustive, but things to think about and some items you might consider putting together – just in case:

FIRE

• A fire at Docktown would be very serious since the boats and floating homes are all so close together and the fire would spread fast. The fire trucks might be some distance from the fire, and firemen may have some difficulty getting down the docks to the fire.

• Most boats and floating homes have flammable materials such as gas, diesel, and propane. Store flammable materials properly (No more than 2 gal flammable liquid stored in dock boxes).

• Have smoke detectors in every room and change the batteries every year (pick a day you’ll remember like your birthday or New Years).

• Keep a fire extinguisher handy and make sure it is charged, but get everyone out and call emergency before you try to fight the fire yourself.

• Keep a fire ladder or some other way to get out of your home fast if the usual exit is blocked. Make an evacuation plan and review it occasionally.

  FALLING IN THE WATER

• Most common serious danger is falling in the water, mostly from trying to walk around stuff on the dock.

• If you fell in the water you WILL NOT be able to hoist yourself up on the dock, especially if you have winter clothing on! The minute you come up, grab something to hold onto, your clothes will quickly get waterlogged and will pull you down if you try to swim. It is harder than you think to get out of your wet clothes with cold hands while struggling to stay afloat or trying to hold onto something. As you look for something to grab onto, yell for help, and look for a place where you can get up out of the water. Look around now and make a plan of what to do if you do fall in. If there isn’t anything you can grab should you fall in, hook up a line, and consider attaching a boarding ladder to the dock.

• Have a line and/or float ready to toss to someone in trouble.

• If the tide isn’t too high, you may be able to reach the ground and can walk on the mud, you have around 20 minutes before hypothermia sets in, and in the winter the water is warmer than the air.

• If you hear something or someone outside, be a good neighbor and check it out, it could be your boat in trouble, or someone may need your help.

  DOCK HAZARDS

• Remove debris or items on deck, it is a hazard for yourself, your neighbors, and in an emergency may delay emergency services getting to you.

• Check lines and bumpers. 75% of the boats and floating homes have lines not checked or changed for years, and may be crusted to the cleats. Proper marine line will stretch 20%. If your line is less than 10 ft, you could use shock chords. The yellow lines that float are cheaper but are susceptible to UV rays and should be changed every 2 years. 3-strand marine lines used for anchoring do not get degraded - take them off yearly and wash them in front end washer with fabric softener and they will last 8 – 10 years. If you put them in a laundry bag in the washer, they will get less tangled up.

• Cleats disintegrate from salt when lines are not changed or cleaned. When you cleat your lines, do not wrap all the extra line around and around the cleat, feed it back to the boat for extra safety if you can, cut it to fit, or coil it neatly on the dock.

  ELECTRICAL SAFETY

• Stay away from and report downed power lines. Keep others from getting close to downed power lines.

• If your boat or floating home is flooded, do not use electricity and turn off all the breakers.

  SINKING YOUR BOAT OR FLOATING HOME

• Flooding your boat or floating home is usually the result of leaving the water on while you are away, a water line breaks and your boat fills up. Turn the water off when you leave the boat or floating home. You may be able to install a simple valve to turn off the water.

• There are limit valves for toilets that will prevent them running on and on after flushing.

• Install a moisture alarm.

• Install a bilge pump and check to see it is functioning at least annually.

• Tell the harbormaster and a trusted neighbor (or two), how to turn your water off and how to get in to check your place if the alarm goes off while you are gone.

  FLOOD

• Do not drive your car through more than 6 inches of water.

• Wear protective footwear, you won’t be able to see debris under the water.

• Wear a life vest when walking or working near the water.

  EARTHQUAKE

• In emergencies such as an earthquake, a lot of deaths and injuries happen after the earthquake due to fires, electrocution, and untended injuries. Make a plan with your family. Put on good shoes, there will be broken glass and debris and a simple cut on your foot could limit your mobility and end up seriously infected.

• Stay somewhere safe and avoid getting out onto the road right after an earthquake if you can help it. Stay away from damaged buildings, your material things can be replaced.

• Stay off the phones so people with emergencies can get help.

• Don’t use an open flame until you are certain there are no gas leaks in the area.

• Throw away food that may be spoiled.

• Boil water at a hard boil for at least 2 minutes to kill bacteria. If you can’t boil it, add 1/8 teaspoon unscented liquid household bleach per gallon of water and let stand for 30 minutes. Treat water until you hear tap water is safe to drink.

• Keep emergency supplies; recommend 3 gallons of water per person, can opener, 3-day supply non-perishable food, bedding or sleeping bags, bleach, eating utensils, tarp, rope, duct tape, toiletries, toilet paper, extra keys, important papers, medications, first aid (bandages, antibiotic ointment, disinfectant for cuts), soap, pet food, comfortable shoes, extra change of clothes, warm coat, space blanket, a radio, flashlights and lots of extra batteries. Consider getting a generator and keeping a little cash around, banks may not open for days if electricity is out.

• Remember Katrina - it took the emergency responders many days to get help to people. If the emergency is something like a bird flu pandemic, the entire nation may be affected and there may be no one to send help.

• Stick together and help your neighbors.

  GENERAL

• Go to RWC website and sign up for the RWC emergency list, and you will be called with local emergencies.

• Call directly to RWC emergency number 650-363-4915, is much better than 911.

• If you call 911, a land line will get you through much faster than a cell phone, and they will immediately have your location.

• Go over emergency evacuation plans with your family and/or neighbors so you could do it in the dark, but keep flashlights in each bedroom so you don’t have to.

• Sign up and take emergency preparedness through RWC.

• Let’s talk about an emergency plan for Docktown.

  Be prepared and be safe.

  JoAnn McDonnell