'What if?' campaign to prepare Coloradans

Program touts emergency kits

Rocky Mountain News
By Justin Coons, Rocky Mountain News

July 20, 2007

If a blizzard knocks out the heat, will you be able to stay warm through the night?

If it closes the roads, will you be able to eat until they are plowed? And if a mass influenza outbreak keeps you indoors, will you be able to stay healthy?

The "What If? Colorado" campaign, launched Thursday by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, hopes to make the answer to those questions "Yes."

The six-month campaign aims to teach residents what to do if an emergency, such as blizzard, tornado or a mass flu outbreak, leaves them stuck at home.

The program encourages yearly flu vaccinations and building emergency kits with items such as medicine, non-perishable food and bottled water.

"It's important for Coloradans who have resources to take measures to prepare themselves," said Dr. Ned Calonge, chief medical officer at the CDPHE.

According to the department, 73 percent of Coloradans surveyed do not have an emergency kit. Yet, 66 percent of respondents said they were prepared for an emergency.

"They believe they're ready, but they don't have the supplies," said Chris Lindley, director of the health department's Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response.

King Soopers and City Market stores will feature a weekly discount on various items that make up a complete kit.

As part of the campaign the health department in Novemeber will hold a mass flu vaccination to test its ability to inoculate a large number of people at once.

According to the Trust for America's Health, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., a pandemic outbreak in Colorado would cost the state $11.7 billion, and result in the deaths of about 30,000 people.

"It's not a matter of 'if,' " Calonge said. "It's a matter of when it comes."

The campaign also has a public education component. Eldorado Natural Spring Water has released a series of "What if? Colorado"-branded bottles to build awareness of the project.

In September, the health department will run a series of one-minute, educational TV spots in the style of a reality show.

And although the campaign deals with frightening propositions, Calonge insists it isn't designed to scare. "We're not looking for fear," he said. "We're more looking for preparedness."

Just in case

A household emergency kit should include:

• At least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Make sure to include food for pets.
• One gallon of water per person, per day in plastic containers. In warmer weather, more may be needed.
• Flashlight, radio, first-aid kit, utility knife, toilet paper, soap, garbage bags, duct tape and a wrench for turning utilities on and off.
• A jacket or coat and a blanket for everyone in the house.
• An extra supply of medicine in case it's impossible to get to the pharmacy or the mail is interrupted.
• A mix of 1/4 chlorine bleach and one gallon of water can be used as a household disinfectant.

For more information: www.readycolorado.com

coonsj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5617