Be Prepared To Be Prepared (Part 1)

As I am glued to the television set while the newscaster dispenses yet another tornado warning in our area, accompanied by yet another severe thunderstorm threat, I can't help but think back to what Ines de Pablo recently told me about disaster preparedness: Most people don't have any plan at all. Unfortunately, that includes me.

Yes, the earnest weatherman on the news did give me plenty of helpful tips about where to hide and what not to do. Beyond that, I wasn't prepared. Heck, I wasn't even sure if the batteries in my flashlight still worked! I didn't have a plan, and I sure didn't know what to do with my two furry kids beyond knowing I would never let any harm come to them. That's where Pet Emergency Management and Ines de Pablo come in.

Ines de Pablo is the "Chief Wag'N Officer (CWO)" of Wag'N Enterprises, LLC, a local company that offers pet parents and first-responders the necessary gear, supplies and training to effectively mitigate, prepare and respond to emergencies that impact pet health and safety.

A bunch of fluff, you think? Hardly.

De Pablo's credentials are impressive: a master's degree in risk, crisis and emergency management from George Washington University, as well as extensive field training including law enforcement, EMS, and most recently certification as technical large animal rescue technician. Next on tap, her certification in Swiftwater Rescue and Technical Rope Rescue. In addition, she has received special training from the American Humane Society, the Red Cross and FEMA. Definitely not a shrinking wallflower!

De Pablo was motivated to get involved in emergency pet management after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and several southern states, forcing many disaster victims to simply because there was either no plan or because resources in place were ignored. As she sees it, this tragedy did not need to happen. Now, her goal is to empower petowners to learn the skills and to provide the tools necessary to save lives should a crisis occur.

In light of all the recent and devastating natural disasters around the country and the world, from tsunamis to earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes and the like, I couldn't help but ask de Pablo whether it was really worth any of us living in Northern Virginia to be prepared for something so unlikely to occur in our region.

She wasted no time in setting me straight that "disaster" was just a generic word that could easily represent any daily hazard that could strike anywhere at any time, from a house fire to a natural gas leak explosion (as recently happened in Maryland); from a flood to a tree falling on your house in a storm or being trapped in a blizzard without power for days (as happened the previous winter in many neighborhoods throughout our region). Her strongest caution: "Do not rely solely on the government or supporting agencies to help you in a disaster. You are your own first responder." She definitely made her point.

I learned quite a bit from interviewing de Pablo, including that to truly be prepared to  protect not only yours and your family's health and safety, but your pet's as well, you must have a plan, the plan should be in writing and you must rehearse the plan. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but it must be well thoughtout.

In my next column, I'll share some of de Pablo's tips on an evacuation plan vs. shelter-in-place, what to include in your ready "Go Bag," and how to run a fire-drill for dogs. Meanwhile, my lights are flickering as the thunderstorm rages on, and I better go check those batteries in my flashlight.