Emergency Preparedness: The Plan

Saturday, November 29th, 2008 at 4:29 am

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An emergency plan will help you and your family what to do in case disaster should strike. It's hard to know how you will react during an emergency so having a solid plan covering the risks in your geographic area will help ease the stress and help make positive decisions. Here are a few items that should be in your Family Emergency Plan:

Health Information:Medical conditions, allergies, surgeries and history are good to have written down in case you are not able to communicate to health authorities. Also work with your doctor to prepare a suggested two week supply of prescription medication to keep in rotation in your emergency kit.

Safe Exit and Meeting Place:Planning multiple safe exits from your home and neighborhood is essential. Depending on the emergency, a quick exit and preplanned meeting location will help ensure you and your family will be safe. Remember that your your family may not be together when an emergency arises, so having a planned meeting place with multiple safe exit routes from home, work, school, etc... is a must.

Children: if you have children in school or daycare, find out how they will communicate with you and your designated support person should you not be available. Always make sure they have correct contact information.

Pets: don't forget to prepare for your family pets. You'll need to pack food and water for your pets along with possibly a pet friendly shelter and/or hotel. Pets will not be permitted in most public shelters and take secondary precedence over human life of course, so it is your responsibility to plan and care for your pet during an emergency.

Quick Home Shutdown: All house members should know where and how to shutdown your electric panel, water main and natural gas where applicable quickly in case of emergency.

The most important part of your emergency plan is to keep it up to date and keep it in an accessible place. Keep a copy in your emergency kit and leave a few copies with your extended family. Planning and preparedness will give you and your family the edge in an emergency. Be Prepared.