Prepare Your Family

 

Preparing for disaster helps everyone in the family accept the fact that disasters do happen, and that they can do something about it. Families should work together to identify and collect the resources needed to meet basic needs during and after disaster. When people feel prepared, they cope better.

 

Take the following actions with your family to get prepared:

 

Get Informed

 

•       Call your local emergency management office or local American Red Cross chapter and ask about the specific hazards in your community and about your risk to those hazards. Also learn about community response plans, evacuation plans and routes, community warning systems, and nearby buildings that are designated as disaster shelters
•               Learn about the emergency plans and procedures that exist in places you and your family spend time. Priority locations include places of employment, schools, and childcare centers.

   

  Create a Family Disaster Plan         

   

• Discuss with your family the hazards that could impact your local area, the potential for community evacuation or sheltering, and your community’s warning systems and what to do if they are used.
• Determine where to meet in the event of an emergency. Designate one location right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency, like a fire, and another location outside
• Ask an out-of-town friend or relative to be your emergency contact. Following a disaster, family members should call this person and tell them where they are.     
•  Make a communication plan where all family members know how to contact each other. A form for recordingthis information can be found at www.ready.gov or at www.redcross.org/contactcard.
•   Include provisions for your pets in your family disaster plan.
•    Practice the plan.

   

  Once you have developed your plan, you need to practice and

  maintain it. For example, ask questions to make sure your family

  remembers meeting places, phone numbers, and safety rules.

  Conduct routine fire and emergency evacuation drills, test fire

  alarms, and replace and update disaster supplies.

   

   

  Assemble a disaster supplies kit

   

  Every household should assemble a disaster supplies kit and keep in up to date. A disaster supplies kit can help your family stay safe and be more comfortable during and after a disaster. Though local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, they cannot reach everyone immediately. Also, if you need to evacuate at a moment’s notice you probably will not have the opportunity to shop or search for the supplies you and your family will need.

   

•         Pack disaster supplies in an easy-to-carry container, such as a duffel bag or backpack and label the container clearly.

   

•     Ask your children to think of items that they would like to include in the kit, such as books, games or nonperishable snack food items.

   

   Include such items as:

   

  ► Three-day supply of non-perishable food and manual can opener.

   

  ► Three-day supply of water (one gallon of water per person per day).

   

  ► Portable, battery-powered radio or television and extra batteries.

   

  ►  Flashlights and extra batteries.

   

  ►  First aid kit and first aid manual.

   

  ► Photocopies of credit cards and identification cards.

   

  ► Sanitation and hygiene items (hand sanitizer, moist towelettes and toilet paper).

   

  ► Matches in a waterproof container.

   

  ► Whistle.

   

  ►Clothing, blankets, kitchen accessories and cooking utensils.

   

  ► Special needs items, such as prescription medications, spare

  eye-glasses, hearing aid batteries.

   

  ► Items for infants, such as formula, diapers, bottles and pacifiers.

   

  ►Tools, pet supplies, a map of the local area, and other items to meet your unique family needs.

   

• Ask your children to help you remember to keep your kit updated by marking dates on a calendar to regularly review and update your kit.
• Consider having emergency supplies in each vehicle and at your place of employment.

   

   

  Learn More

  The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community and Family Preparedness Program and American Red Cross Community Disaster Education are nationwide efforts to help people prepare for disasters of all types. For more information, please contact your local emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter, www.fema.gov ,www.redcross.org. Other preparedness materials are available at these sites, as well as at www.ready.gov.