When SHTF Know How To Flag & Tag The House To Help FEMA Out

  • We've all seen photos or video footage of homes tagged in the aftermath of disasters like Hurricane Katrina. The strange symbols and various colors allow for quick communication between rescuers and victims, and can ultimately help emergency relief efforts become more streamlined.

    Why Flagging Your Home?

    • Avoid duplication of effort – thereby speeding rescue and recovery efforts.
    • Speed rescue effort – thereby saving lives and property.
    • Prevent property damage – If you are able to effectively communicate that there are no victims trapped in your home and it poses no danger to surrounding property, then there is less reason for honest responders to break into your home.
    • OPSEC (Operational Security) – prevent others from seeing what resources you have.
    • Situational awareness – understanding the markings helps you understand.

    In cities that already have a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) or block captain program, groups of homes (typically 8-10) are organized into blocks with a block captain and assistant or co-captains checking on each block and reporting number of reds and greens to the EOC (Emergency Operations Center).

    Tools to Flag Your Home

    • Public Alert Certified All Hazard Radio
    • Headlamp – the power may be out.
    • Turnout bag – a bag containing everything you need to dress quickly.
    • Sheets of red & green construction paper – stored in a plastic sheet protector with a copy of this article. If you do not have this on hand, a piece of cloth or several feet of flagging tape or anything conspicuously so colored will do.
    • Duct tape – to affix flag.
    • Non-sparking gas wrench
    • Water shutoff tool or key
    • First aid/trauma kit
    • Smoke/Gas/Carbon Dioxide alarm
    • Fire extinguisher
    • Non-contact voltage tick mete

    Establish Situational Awareness

    Hopefully you already have a Public Alert Certified All Hazards Radio. It will issue information and instructions that will aid you in making decisions that will save lives. If you do not have one, turn on a NOAA weather radio or tune AM/FM radios to stations issuing emergency information for your area.

    See If Family Members Are Injured or Trapped

    Determine whether anyone in the home needs medical attention. If yes, call for help and flag the home red by taping a piece of red construction paper in a sheet protector.

    If you are in an apartment, condo or building, tape it on the wall beside your door or entryway where it will be visible to someone walking by.

    If no one is injured, tag your home green instead of red and proceed to the next step. If family is trapped, flag the home red and rescue the most lightly trapped individuals first so they can help extricate more heavily trapped individuals.

    • Gas – if you smell gas, turn it off at the meter by turning the valve 1/4 turn in a clockwise direction. The gas company must run a check and turn it back on.
    • Electrical – in the event of an electrical fire, short or gas leak, turn off main breaker in fuse box.
    • Water – if a water pipe is broken, you will want to turn off water to your home until you can repair it to prevent flooding and water damage.
    • Fire – if you hear, see or smell fire, size them up before attempting to fight them. Extinguish small fires within your ability with a buddy if they are smaller than a kitchen trash can and you have the equipment to safely do so. For larger fires, evacuate and call for help.
    • Structural Damage – tape off any hazards to prevent injury if it is safe to make repairs, but understand that emergency workers may deem your home inhabitable and ask (force if necessary) you to relocate.

    How to Tag Your Home

    Just as with flagging, tagging is done to side of the door, instead of on it, so the tag will be visible even if the door is closed.

    • Marking instruments – choose colors that contrast with your home.
    • sidewalk chalk
    • lumber crayons
    • XL paint markers or spray paint
    • green and red flagging tape
    • yellow caution flagging tape
    • Camera or notebook & pencil – optional
    • Binoculars – optional.

    Finally, let’s see what to do to rag you home properly.

    Observe Markings

    If other structures in your area have already been marked, take note.

    • Marking Instrument(s) – What are they using to mark structures? What colors?
    • Time – Are they writing the time or time and date, and in what format?
    • Team Initials – Who is doing the marking? Take note of the initials.

    Diagonal Slash

    Upon entry, the SAR (Search & Rescue) Team makes a diagonal slash to communicate that searchers are inside and a search is in progress. This prevents duplication of effort and alerts others to their location, should they become trapped…

    “X”

    Upon completion of a search and extrication and removal of all victims, the SAR Team makes a second diagonal slash, completing an “X” communicating that the search of the structure is complete and that both the victims and searchers are safely out.

    Time

    The SAR Team writes the time operations cease in the structure (and possibly the date) in the 12:00 quadrant of the “X”.

    Actions Taken

    The 3:00 quadrant of the “X” is for actions taken that need to be communicated to the homeowner such as: “Gas Off” “Elec Off” “Water Off”

    Unit/Team Initials

    The 9:00 quadrant of the “X” is where the team or unit is identified by its initials.

    Have you had to flag or tag your home in an emergency situation?

    Article Source: Survivopedia

     



    *

    *

    Top