♪ ♪ ♪ >> cheryl: welcome to "beyond the headlines". i'm cheryl jennings. today's show looks at the importance of being prepared for the next major disaster. natural and human caused disasters can happen without warning. our guest today will show us how to protect our belongings and find a safe place for our pets. the biggest challenge for americans is complacency. here a public service announcement. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> cheryl: joining me in the studio is kelly houston, assistant secretary of communications with the california emergency management agency. >> we used to be the governor's office of emergency services. >> cheryl: but now you are an umbrella organization. >> right. after september 11th there was the office of homeland security that was formed by then governor davis and that focused on terrorism issues. then there were the services but

the two have merged together and we collaborated on everything. >> there is so much information. the thing that struck me was a list to get your family prepared. it's like a contact list. people think it's a lot of work. >> it is. we have found through studies less than half of californians have taken the first step to prepare themselves for a disaster. ones that have is felt a significant earthquake and scared them or family members have been involved with them or some sort of disaster they have seen. so how do we motivate that other half of california to take steps to prepare themselves. >> for family emergency plan. >> it doesn't have to be complicated. when you say create a plan, that is going to be all in work and you don't have to do that. go on to our website and

ready.gov and there are a lot of things. single page, contact information important information you'll need in a disaster. really if nothing else it helps you get in the space, what am i going to do and family going to do before the disaster strikes and during the disaster so when there is a fire approaching our neighborhood. >> one of the things that coming to mind is the 1989 earthquake because our station was on fill and was rocking like crazy. we had monitors all over the place. i bet you have good vice about securing belongings. >> there is. the other half, they are the ones saying, i really don't need to. i'm not too concerned about myself. what they don't think about is what happened at the station, you had monitors crash and break things that were valuable that

were lost in that. it wasn't people weren't dying in the studio but you had stuff that broke. what we say, take a lk what you have that you can secure now. like a television, five dollar strap cv. how about not having that fly off the wall with a simple strap. taking steps to try to protect things around you. which in return keeps stuff from injuring you. >> and also to secure their water heater and things like that. if there is a disaster and emergency in the middle of the night we don't think it's going to happen while we're sleeping. >> we also found that a majority of injuries in major earthquakes occur because of the shrapnel and broken glasses. it's not because everything collapsed but it's cuts and

injuries, you probably don't wear shoes in bed, most people don't. but if you is step out of bed, maybe you got vases and glass that is broken, you have to walk out of your house, walk through basically a debris field of broken glass. how about having a pair of slipers next to the bed. always know you might need to put those on. >> cheryl: like a firefighter. we have so much more to talk about. next segment i want you to show folks what emergency kit is. we do have to take a quick break. stay with us, we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] this is a special message from at&t. [ male announcer ] it's no secret that the price of things just keeps going up. [ female announcer ] but we have some good news. it's our bundle price promise. [ male announcer ] a price you can definitely count on

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>> cheryl: welcome back. joining me in kelly houston, he is with the emergency management agency for the state of california. you brought a lot of stuff here that people should have ready to go in case 6 an emergency. >> this is it. when you talk about a kit or emergency kit, it's as simple as a bag you have. you want to havesome just basics. these are probably in your house already. water is one of the most important things to have because if the pump systems in the city isn't working you can't get water out of your faucet.

bottled water and non-perishable food items. you may have to sustain yourself up to 72 hours or longer. other things, how about an extra set of keys. let's say you need to leave the house or get into somewhere you don't necessarily have your keys all the time. an extra set, throw those in the bag with you. toss this in your car and have it. people are like, well, how often. these bags are great if you become disabled on the roadway. >> and you have prescription medication and something nobody thinks about. >> really, you of toilet paper. i would rather use that than maybe newspaper. >> a variety of things and tools

and something for entertainment. one thing i notice a whistle, about people that might be trapped. >> folks that have disabilities or that maybe elderly and hard to move around, they have challenges already every day. so throw in extra challenges like a disaster. they could find themselves stranded. in many cases for folks in the disabled community we recommend they have a whistle or flashlight and several of these. if a bookcase falls they can't step over it. they can alert the neighbors, i am in trouble. i need to navigate around to get out. >> if somebody has made it out safely and worried about neighbors, what should they do. >> if you have made it out, check on your neighbors. we recommend that you do that ahead of your time and develop a relationship. neighborhood watch program isn't

just for crime, you may have a neighborhood elderly that can get in and out okay, you now would be the person that saves their lives. you don't want to have them stuck there and have no way of getting out. it's the whole communication before the disaster that really is critical. >> keep thinking about taking another course on cpr, is that good idea for everybody? >> of course you wanted to be cpr and first aid certified. i talk to people who have said they watched somebody go through heart attack or they've been injured. that is the time when they thought, i so regret not knowing what to do. what am i supposed to do. do i breathe in their mouth, i don't know what to do. that is horrible feeling. do something good. go out and get first aid certified. >> this is not expensive.

getting certified is not that expensive. >> i'm sure you have toilet paper at home. >> most people do. >> and certain indication, in some cases it is free -- certification, call the red cross and talk to your employer and maybe you can get program. we actually give these things out. in september, these are given away for free, thousands of them >> cheryl: safety kits? >> we have them at capitol and bay area with the red cross. in september preparedness month. today, grab a paper bag, throw some water in there, a flashlight and some extra things that is better not having thought about it or having done anything. you don't want to get and not be prepared. >> it's very easy.

>> cheryl: thank you so much. we're going to put that on our website for everybody to make sure that you get it right. thank you so much. we do have to take another break. when we come back, we're going to learn how to protect our valuables and what kind of insurance you should have. stay with us.

>> cheryl: welcome back. we are talking about the important steps we need to prepare for a natural or human caused disaster. and different kinds have insurance is holly raymond is an industry spokesman. let's start with the homeowners? >> one of the things need remember how well you recover is how well you prepare. one thing you want to keep in mind. as a homeowner one of the things you need to do, talk to your insurance agent at least once a year to make sure everything is up to date. >> that means if you've had upgrades to your house or anything that could upgrading? >> like your kitchen, you want to make sure that is reflected in your insurance policy so if anything happens to your how long it will be covered. >> there are so many disasters. we had hurricane sandy and it

looked like they lost everything. they didn't have insurance or they were underinsured. happens in a situation like that. >> in particular cases we had storms in the northern bay area, northern california, one of the things you want to know your homeowners insurance covers specific things, covers things for wildfire, theft, liability coverage. one of the things it doesn't cover is damage from flooding, flood damage is separate. that is from fema. it also doesn't cover earthquake damage and that is something very important in the bay area. you want to make sure what your homeowners covers. find out what policies complement each other. >> and i was thinking about the horrible situation in san bruno. how could that be covered by insurance. >> it's one of those things that insurers will take a look at typical risk do.

all the math and they come up what is and isn't covered. an explosion is covered. you have pg&e who is responsible for that whole process going through and finding where the money is going to come to rebuild those homes. >> cheryl: renters, there are millions of renters and not that many people think to get renters insurance? >> they assume, i don't have that much. i don't need insurance. when you start adding up all your contents, your belongings you realize how much money is in those contents. so one of the things you want to do is look into renter's insurance, you are looking at about $12 a mow for $30,000 policy. that covers the contents. now if something does happen to the apartment you are living in or rental home, if it is damaged your contents coverage will be covered.

the property for landlord will cover the structure. >> so for everybody, write it down, keep receipts, video? >> conduct a home inventory. it can be low-tech, take a piece of paper and write things down. write down serial numbers. it can be more comprehensive and you videotape and document it that way. keep the home inventory software is available on our website you can download and walks you through the process room to room. you start putting in all the different items. take it to junior insurer, we know what you have in your house. they can cover you specifically for what you have. also a shopping list after a disaster so you can figure out what need replace. >> cheryl: we're going to link to that. thank you so much. we do have to take another break. just a moment we're going to talk about how to make an

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fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder. get your first prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com. >> cheryl: welcome back. we're learning how to get ready when disaster hits and how to protected our loved ones. joining us is scott with the peninsula humane society. >> thanks for having me. >> cheryl: folks think about their kids and elderly relatives but they don't think about their pets? >> there is lot of them, too. 60 to 70%, they are a member of the family. they could be in the backyard or garage or in a crate. we might not think about them all the time. we have seen the impact on people's lives after katrina.

>> cheryl: you are so prepared. you have trailers all over the place in your country? >> we did that after san bruno but during that explosion, we were on site first. we were checking on homes pets were left behind. we had animals who were displaced and spend time in our shelter at no cost while owners could get settled. we kept them safe there. we were handing out supplies as well. we were helping on a lot of fronts after san bruno. >> that is fantastic. you brought a lot of stuff here. people need to think about for their pets. you've got a little bag that collapses? >> it's collapsible and you transport it. it's important. having visible identification. there is little collar. we see far too many pets that don't have i.d. and if they do

have i.d. it's an outdated phone number or address. it has to be current. also a way to transport animals. their dog or cat has never been in a carrier or never been in the car before. you want them to be used the to being in a car. this is good way to do that. also have a few places to go in an emergency. have one place in your community where your petted can go and place outside the community. we saw the people in san bruno did learn from katrina, many of them had safe places for pets to stay. >> you have couple other things we should talk about. >> same theme doggie bag says very important to clean after your petted. you may wonder, it can be a pet security blanket. having common items to bring those along to make them feel secure. food we know about food and

water. i brought this because it has top, you wouldn't think about a can opener and good way to transport pet food. tolerance port a lot of things in zploc bags. it's nice to have things that are clear, trying to figure out what is in this bag. the other thing, is their pets carry their own bags, they have pet supplies, you can put supplies in that. >> you talked about katrina and we have pictures. >> our shelter and other bay area shelters had 24 hours' notice animals are coming in on a flight. we turned back lot in san mateo for a temporary home. we took in 61, 62 dogs and took care of them, some of them for months. we offered them up for foster

families. to get the animals back with the owners. the woman was reunited with her dog, it was three or four months. >> my goodness. in last 15 seconds, what is the best advice for people? >> think ahead of time. it's common sense, have a bag ready, have it with your obama things, people talk about first aid kits, medicines are very important too. >> cheryl: thank you so much. we're going to put the website for spca on our website for you. we do have to take another break. when we come back, valuable tips how to stop a scams of a disaster. stay with us. [ man ] we have a go for auto sequence start. t-minus 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... ignition. [ male announcer ] launch your internet experience on at&t's newly expanded advanced digital network

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this includes scams and fake websites just to take your money. joining us for consumer action, is rose chin. thank you for being here. >> i get so mad about people tried to rip off folks that have been hurt in the disaster? >> we hear a lot about scams. a lot of times they will charge you up front for helping you when without paying a fee or having the information out there for you. >> cheryl: what is advice you have for people like the san bruno disaster and hurricane katrina and hurricane sandy, looking for help. people say i can fix that for you. what should you do? >> contact government agency and fema. there is also other nonprofit

agencies out there to help you and identify themselves. >> so always look for the photo i.d.? >> look for photo i.d. and name and information. then you have a way to check them. >> how about contractor? >> with contractors you want to make sure they are licensed. california state license board, you would also want to see their license and photo i.d. >> cheryl: is it hard to do to check some of these licenses? >> it's very easy. you go to the state license board website and type in the license number and they will give you information. >> cheryl: and if they want to send money what should they watch out for? >> watch out for social media, phone calls from solicitors, they will make a fake