Book details

  • Genre:reference
  • Sub-genre:Research
  • Language:English
  • Pages:72
  • Paperback ISBN:9798990530423

Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Checklist

By Steven Craig

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Overview

Disaster and Emergency Preparedness is a comprehensive guide designed to help individuals and communities take practical steps toward readiness, beginning with the basics of emergency planning and gradually advancing into more detailed strategies. The book starts by outlining essential preparedness measures that apply to all hazards—such as creating emergency kits, developing family communication plans, and safeguarding important documents—before delving into specific disaster scenarios. It offers tailored guidance for a wide range of emergencies, including wildfires, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and more. Drawing from decades of real-world experience and advanced education, the book provides actionable checklists, expert insights, and short stories to help readers prepare effectively, respond confidently, and recover more quickly when disaster strikes.
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Description

Disaster and Emergency Preparedness is a comprehensive, easy-to-follow guide designed to help individuals, families, and communities build resilience before, during, and after disaster strikes. Drawing from decades of real-world experience in emergency management, the book begins in Section 1 with the foundational elements of preparedness. It introduces basic and all-hazards planning strategies, emphasizing the importance of early action, regardless of income or resources. Readers will find guidance on essential items for both the home and vehicle, including detailed checklists for building "To Go" bags and making practical preparations for evacuation. The section also addresses ways to begin preparing even on a limited budget, offering suggestions to help readers gradually build their readiness over time. In Section 2, the book turns to specific disaster types, offering tailored strategies for dealing with wildfires, home fires, earthquakes, pandemics, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. Each chapter delivers expert tips, planning tools, and case-based insights to help readers understand risks and take appropriate action before it's too late. Section 3 covers often-overlooked areas of emergency planning, including the needs of pets and vulnerable populations—especially seniors. These chapters provide compassionate and practical guidance to ensure all members of a household or facility are considered in the planning process. A disaster preparedness tip highlighting the emerging role of artificial intelligence (AI) is also included. Finally, Section 4 focuses on recovery—both personal and operational. It outlines what households can expect in the aftermath of a disaster and how to take the first steps toward rebuilding. It also includes chapters for Emergency Operations Center (EOC) personnel and senior leaders, offering insight into coordination, decision-making, and leading recovery efforts at the community level. Throughout the book, readers will find a wealth of checklists, planning templates, real-life stories, and actionable advice designed to meet people where they are—whether they're just starting out or refining an existing plan. The goal is to empower everyone to prepare effectively, respond confidently, and recover with strength and resilience.
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About The Author

Steven Craig is a retired Coast Guard Reserve Captain with over 38 years of service and a retired Postmaster. He has more than 30 years of emergency management experience, including extensive Coast Guard disaster work. He was recalled to active duty 13 times for various incidents, including five recalls for Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Haiti earthquake port recovery, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Captain Craig was awarded five Coast Guard Commendation Medals and one Coast Guard Achievement Medal during these recalls. His assignments included serving as the senior officer in charge at the Coast Guard relocation site in Alexandria, LA, in response to Hurricane Katrina; overseeing Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) for both Sector New Orleans and Sector Portland (OR); serving as Deputy Incident Commander for the Coast Guard/FEMA/State of Louisiana Evacuation Plan—supervising 10 Coast Guard officers and 50 FEMA contractors; acting as Port Operations Chief for the Atlantic Area Haiti Earthquake Incident Management Team in Portsmouth, VA; and serving as senior officer in charge at the Coast Guard command post in Mobile, AL, during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response. Among his notable accomplishments, he completed a one-year assignment as the senior U.S. Coast Guard planner for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Conference in Honolulu, HI, concluding in December 2010. He also served as the maritime security planner subcommittee leader—the only member of that subcommittee not affiliated with the U.S. Secret Service. After retiring from the U.S. Postal Service in 2005, he transitioned to a full-time emergency management career, working with several agencies including the Washington State Department of Emergency Management, The Evergreen State College, and Columbia County, Oregon. He also served as a volunteer Emergency Operations Center Manager and Planning Section Chief during the 2007 Boistfort Valley, Washington, floods. His final professional assignment was as a project manager contractor overseeing five FEMA contracts, the last of which concluded in 2018. His first contract involved leading the team that developed the Alaskan Earthquake Response Plan for FEMA—a plan that received FEMA's highest award that year. He later led Region X (Pacific Northwest and Alaska) planning efforts focused on energy infrastructure and tribal coordination. Steven has delivered numerous presentations and taught disaster preparedness courses both online and in person, including a teaching role at the University of Advanced Studies in Pavia, Italy. He has two books on emergency preparedness scheduled for release this year and is the author of four previously published books: Chronicles of Katrina, All Present and Accounted For, Italy Travel and Adventures, and a photo book titled Italy – Villages of Tuscany, Le Marche, Lake Garda, Venice, and the Cinque Terre. His book All Present and Accounted For recounts the true story of the grounding and near sinking of the Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis in November 1972, and the heroic efforts that saved the ship. It has received multiple honors, including a Silver Medal from the Military Writers Society of America. He holds a master's degree in emergency management and is a Certified Emergency Manager (Lifetime) through the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). Additionally, he is a certified Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP), a certified Continuity of Operations Planner (COOP), and an Incident Command System (ICS) instructor. Steven resides in Centralia, Washington, and can be reached at Scraig7002@gmail.com. More information is available at www.stevenjcraig.com.
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