The following is a list of things that you should to do so that you are prepared for almost any emergency:
- Ask what types of disasters are most likely to happen. Request information on how to prepare for each.
- Learn about your community's warning signals: what they sound like and what you should do when you hear them.
Ask about animal care after a disaster. Animals may not be allowed inside emergency shelters due to health regulations.
- Learn your community's evacuation routes.
- Ask about special assistance for elderly or disabled persons.
- Next, find out about the disaster plans at your workplace, your children's school or daycare center and other places where your family spends time.
Create an Emergency Plan
- Meet with your family and discuss why you need to prepare for a disaster.
- Discuss what to do in an evacuation.
Discuss with children the dangers of fire, floods, thunderstorms, tornadoes, winter storms, and other emergencies.
- Plan to share responsibilities and work together as a team.
- Discuss how to respond to each disaster that could occur.
- Discuss what to do about power outages and personal injuries.
- Plan how to take care of your pets.
- Pick one out-of-state and one local friend or relative for family members to call if separated by disaster (it is often easier to call out-of-state than within the affected area).
- Pick two meeting places.
- 1.) A place near your home in case of a fire.
- 2.) A place outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home after a disaster.
Complete this checklist
- Draw a floor plan of your home. Mark two escape routes from each room.
- Find the safe spots in your home for each type of disaster.
- Install smoke detectors on each level of your home, especially near bedrooms.
- Check if you have adequate insurance coverage.
- Conduct a home hazard hunt.
- Stock emergency supplies and assemble a Family Disaster Supplies Kit.
- Show each family member how and when to turn off the water, gas and electricity at the main switches.
- Teach each family member how to use the fire extinguisher (ABC type), and show them where it's kept.
- Post emergency telephone numbers near telephones.
- Teach children how and when to call 911, police, fire and your local Emergency Medical Services number for emergency help.
- Teach children how to make long distance telephone calls.
- Instruct household members to turn on the radio for emergency information.
- Take a basic first aid and CPR class. Look in the phone book for one of the local certifying agencies. (i.e. American Red Cross, American Heart Association)
- Keep family records in a water and fire-proof container.
Practice and Maintain your plan
- Quiz your kids every six months so they remember what to do.
- Conduct fire and emergency evacuation drills.
- Replace stored water every three months and stored food every six months.
- Test and recharge your fire extinguisher(s) according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries at least twice a year (coordinate this with Daylight Savings time to easily remember).