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Educating the Public on Preparing a Disaster Survival Kit

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Educating the Public on Preparing a Disaster Survival Kit

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Disaster Preparedness and Response Institute (HKJCDPRI) joined the Hong Kong Observatory’s (HKO) Open Day on 23-24 March 2019, to promote community resilience by encouraging the public to prepare disaster survival kits.

 

Being prepared means being equipped with the proper supplies needed, in the event of a disaster. Your kit should be assembled well in advance based on your personal and family needs, since you may have to evacuate without any prior notice.

 

We should always prepare for the best and plan for the worst. Therefore, it is best to assume that after a disaster, basic services such as electricity, gas, water and telephones may be cut off for days. Roads will be inaccessible by vehicles, while public transportation will also be shut down. You may therefore need to survive on your own, while away from home or remain at home.

 

An easy-to-carry kit will therefore provide you emergency food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Relief workers and materials will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. Therefore, a 3-day supply could help you to maintain your safety and health before reaching those.

 

Bear in mind also the special needs of different vulnerable groups, such as the babies, children, elderly and people suffering from chronic diseases. Regular relief items and basic medications may not suit their needs, so be prepared to put additional items in your survival kits that can help them also to survive.

 

The Open Day is HKO’s annual signature event, attracting thousands of participants to gather at the HKO Headquarter. This year, the theme is "The Sun, the Earth and the Weather" which echoed the 2019 World Meteorological Day. Exhibitions on-site introduced information about space weather, and showcased how the HKO applies the latest technology to provide various services including weather forecasting, aviation weather, microclimate monitoring and radiation monitoring.

 

The HKJCDPRI introduced to the participants essential and special items in a disaster survival kit.

 

Mr Shun Chi Ming, Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, visited the HKJCDPRI’s booth and experienced virtual reality (VR) video on adverse conditions under Typhoon No. 8 through the goggles.

 

Children were keen to learn the ways, and have the capacity to help protect themselves and their family, at the time of an emergency or a disaster.