Fire & EMS Non-Emergency Telephone Number:
Business Hours:
515.278.3970
Nights and Weekends: 515.222.3321
Severe Weather Awareness Information.
Listed
below are some tips for keeping safe in the event of a severe weather
incident:
What to Do During a Tornado WARNING
Listen to a battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio,
regular radio, or television for updated information.
If the electricity should go out, you will still be able to receive
emergency information.
If you are inside, go to your safe place to
protect yourself from glass and other flying objects.
Tornadoes can change direction, intensity, and speed very quickly. The
tornado may be approaching your area. If at home, go to a basement or
storm cellar, away from windows. If neither a basement nor storm cellar
is available, find shelter under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a
workbench or heavy table and hold on to it. Use arms to protect head and
neck.
Stay away from windows.
Opening windows allows damaging winds to enter the structure. Leave the
windows alone; instead, immediately go to a safe place. It is a myth
that tornadoes cause houses to explode due to changes in air pressure.
Flying debris can shatter glass. Violent winds and debris slamming into
buildings cause most structural damage.
If in a vehicle,never
try to outrun a tornado. Get out of the vehicle immediately and take
shelter in a nearby building. If there is no time to go indoors, get out
of the vehicle and lie in a ditch or low-lying area between the vehicle
and the tornado. Do not take shelter in a ditch downwind of the vehicle.
Use arms to protect head and neck.
Get under a piece of sturdy furniture, such as
a workbench or heavy table, and hold on to it.
Sturdy furniture will help protect you from falling debris. If tornado
wind enters the room and the object moves, holding on with one hand will
help you move with it, keeping you protected.
If in a mobile home,
remember mobile homes are particularly vulnerable. A mobile home can
overturn very easily even if precautions have been taken to tie down the
unit. When a tornado warning is issued, get out of the mobile home
quickly, take shelter in a building with a strong foundation. If
shelter is not available, lie in a ditch or low-lying area between the
tornado and mobile home. Do not take shelter in a ditch downwind of the
mobile home. If a tornado hits it, debris could fall on top of you. Use
arms to protect head and neck.
Use your other arm and hand to protect your
head and neck from falling or flying objects.
Your head and neck are more easily injured than other parts of your
body. Protect them as much as you can.
If there is no building nearby, lie flat in a
low spot. Use your arms and hands to protect
your head. Tornadoes cause a lot of debris to be blown at very high
speeds, and you can be hurt by this debris if it hits you. Dangerous
flying debris can be blown under highway overpasses and bridges, or
weaker overpasses and bridges could be destroyed. You will be safer
lying flat in a low-lying area where wind and debris will blow above
you. Tornadoes come from severe thunderstorms, which can produce a lot
of rain. If you see quickly rising water or flood water coming towards
you, move to another spot.
Avoid places with wide-span roofs, such as
auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways, or shopping malls.
Wide-span roofs are frequently damaged or destroyed in tornado winds,
providing less protection and more risk of injury, than roofs over
smaller rooms.
What to Do After a Tornado
Continue listening to
local radio or television stations or a NOAA Weather Radio for updated
information and instructions. Access may be
limited to some parts of the community, or roads may be blocked.
Help a neighbor who may require special
assistance - infants, elderly people and people with disabilities.
Elderly people and people with disabilities may require additional
assistance. People who care for them or who have large families may need
additional assistance in emergency situations.
Help injured or trapped persons.
Give first aid where appropriate. Do not move seriously injured persons
unless they are in immediate danger of further injury. Call for help.
Watch out for fallen power lines or broken gas
lines and report them to the utility company immediately.
Reporting potential hazards will get the utilities turned off as quickly
as possible, preventing further hazard and injury.
Avoid disaster areas.
Your presence might hamper rescue and other emergency operations, and
put you at further risk from the residual effects of tornadoes.
Stay out of damaged buildings.
Tornadoes can cause great damage, creating further hazards. If you are
away from home, return only when authorities say it is safe.
When entering damaged buildings, use extreme
caution. Moving through debris presents
further hazards. Carefully watch every step you take.
o Wear sturdy shoes.
The most common injury following a disaster is cut feet.
o Use battery-powered
lanterns or flashlights when examining buildings.
Battery-powered lighting is the safest and easiest,
preventing fire hazard for the user, occupants, and
building.
o Examine walls, floors,
doors, staircases, and windows to make sure that the
building is not in danger of collapsing.
o Look for fire hazards.
There may be broken or leaking gas lines, or damage to
electrical systems. Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches,
gasoline, or other flammable liquids immediately. Fire is
the most frequent hazard following other disasters.
o Check for gas leaks.
If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a
window and quickly leave the building. Turn off the gas
using the outside main valve if you can, and call the gas
company from a neighbor's home. If you turn off the gas for
any reason, it must be turned back on by a professional.
o Look for electrical
system damage. If you see sparks or broken or frayed
wires, or if you smell burning insulation, turn off the
electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker. If you
have to step in water to get to the fuse box or circuit
breaker, call an electrician first for advice. Electrical
equipment should be checked and dried before being returned
to service.
o Watch for loose
plaster, drywall, and ceilings that could fall.
o Take pictures of the
damage, both of the building and its contents, for insurance
claims.
Use the telephone only for emergency calls.
Telephone lines are frequently overwhelmed in disaster situations. They need
to be clear for emergency calls to get through.
After a Tornado
Check for injured or trapped persons.
Give first aid when appropriate. Don't try to move
the seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger of further
injury.
Listen to radio or television for emergency
information.
Re-enter buildings with extreme caution.
Use the telephone only in an emergency.
Be alert to fire hazards such as broken electrical
wires or damaged electrical equipment, gas or oil leaks, or smoldering
piles of wet hay or feed.
Report broken utility lines to appropriate
authorities.
Do not shut off utilities unless instructed to do so
by local officials or unless you are in immediate danger from something
like a gas leak. Remember that your gas supply must be turned back on by
a professional.
Have damage to your property assessed by your
insurance company.
Blood Pressure Checks
Stop by either Urbandale Fire Station during business hours to have your
blood pressure checked by skilled medical providers. Members of the fire
department are also available to provide regularly scheduled blood pressure
checks for businesses during work hours. Please contact Fire Marshal Jon Rech at
515-331-6733 or jrech@urbandale.org
for more information.
Fire Drills and Emergency Evacuation
Does your business or school need assistance with a fire drill or
emergency evacuation? Because this training can often be logistically and
technically difficult, the Urbandale Fire Department provides on-site advice
at no cost to those wishing to prepare their employees or students for what
to do in the event of an actual emergency. Please contact Fire Marshal Jon Rech at
515-331-6733 or jrech@urbandale.org
for more information.