Be Prepared for Major Earthquakes

Disaster Prevention Day, Sept. 1st and Disaster Prevention Week, Aug. 30th–Sept.5t

Disaster Prevention Day and Disaster Prevention Week were established to remind all of us of the importance of lessons learned in past major earthquakes and of the correct measures to take to be better prepared on a daily basis.
It is important to be mentally prepared at all times for an earthquake so that in the event of an earthquake you do not panic and are able to remain calm.

Preparation in Daily Life

Hold family meetings:

Make sure your family knows the location of an evacuation site, shelter, or meeting place.

Keep an emergency supply of food and other necessities:

• Prepare a kit made up of valuables such as cash, bank books, portable radio, flashlight, first-aid kit, clothes, towels, etc. which should be kept at home and checked on a routine basis, ready for evacuation.
• Always stock at least three days’worth of drinking water and food.

* Minato City can arrange for a discount on the purchase of disaster prevention goods.

Implement measures to prevent toppling of furniture and shattering of glass:

• Falling furniture or broken glass may cause injuries and make evacuation more difficult. Secure furniture to the floor or wall and apply shatterprevention film on windows and glass cabinet doors.

* Minato City provides assistance for purchasing furniture-tipping prevention devices.

Develop a community cooperation system:

• It is essential for residents of a community to cooperate during a disaster. Residents should regularly participate in disaster drills held by community-oriented disasterpreparedness societies and cooperate with other citizens in the area.
• Senior citizens, people with disabilities, and foreign people may have difficulty in obtaining information or taking proper action. If possible, please offer help to those in need of assistance during evacuation, or those living in temporary housing facilities.

What to Do in Case of an Earthquake

First, protect yourself

• Take cover under a sturdy table and protect your head with a cushion.
• Do not rush outside. There may be a danger of falling window glass or signs.
• If a fire breaks out, keep calm and try to extinguish it before it spreads.
• Obtain a fire extinguisher for your home and have the entire family learn how to use it.

When evacuating

• Cooperate with your neighbors.
• Evacuate on foot and carry a minimum of belongings.
• If you are driving, pull over to the left side of the road and try to obtain information from the radio. When evacuating, turn off the engine, leave the key in the ignition and leave the door unlocked.

Measures for Pets

Disaster Prevention Goods for Pets

Pet owners should prepare emergency goods for their pets. Keep the following items in preparation for a disaster

• A three- day supply of food and water
• Toilet supplies
• Cage, carrier, leash, etc.
• Registration tag, identification tag, microchip, etc.
• Any medicine that the pet requires

Discipline/train your pets:

In the event of a disaster, both pets and people may have to live for a while as evacuees in an unfamiliar place. Train and discipline your pets to avoid bothering others.

• Train them to be accustomed to a cage
• To be housebroken
• To not to be afraid of other people or animals
• To follow commands such as to wait, to lie down, and not to bark unnecessarily.

Vaccination:

Have your pets vaccinated against infectious diseases. Spaying/neutering is strongly recommended.

Secure a temporary shelter for pets:

Find a relative, friend or pet hotel in advance as an emergency shelter for your pets.

Emergency Message Service Dial “171”

If telephone lines become congested during an emergency, use NTT’s “Emergency Message Dial” as a means to contact family and friends and confirm their safety.

How to leave a message

Dial 171 and follow these steps:

1. After the announcement in Japanese →Press 1. If you are using the PIN-number message service, press 3.
2. After the announcement →Dial your phone number including the area code. Use your home phone number if you live in the disaster area, or use the number where you are located if you are from outside the disaster area.
3. After the announcement →Those using a rotary dial phone can record a message, up to 30 seconds. Those using a push-button phone, press 1 #
4. After the announcement →Record your message, up to 30 seconds
5. Push 9 # when finished.

How to hear messages

1. Dial 171
2. After the announcement in Japanese →Press 2. If you are using the PIN-number message service, press 4.
3. After the announcement →Dial the phone number including the area code. Use your home phone number if you live in the disaster area, or use the number where you are located if you are from outside the disaster area.
4. For those using a push-button phone, press 1 # →Listen to the announcement →Messages are played back Listen to the no-more-messages announcement →Press 9 # and hang up

* This service is not available in non-emergency situations.

* In addition, you can use the emergency message service provided

Let’s join in Minato City emergency drills

Inquiries: Disaster Prevention

Section: Ext. 2541 to 2545

Disaster Information

Information boards and pamphlets with information about disasters will be distributed.

Time: During Disaster Prevention Week at different times for each city office. Location: The Minato City Hall first floor lobby, and at the lobby of each local city office