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Disaster Happens–Is Your Family Ready?
Disasters can occur when you are not expecting them. Often they come without warning. Does your family know what to do? If you are separated, do you have an agreed on meeting place or contact strategy? Do your children know who they can go to if they cannot reach you? Do you have the necessary supplies ready in case the worst does happen? The best time to get ready for a disaster is before they happen when you have the time to plan and prepare. Taking the time to gather essential supplies and make contingency plans can pay off big time when catastrophes happen or when time is of the essence. What can you do to get your family ready? 1. Collect the supplies you are most likely to need in the event of an emergency or in case you need to evacuate you home in a hurry. 2. Make sure that each of your family members know where the supplies are kept. 3. Keep your supplies up to date. Have a regular schedule to check on the items in your emergency stash. Rotate perishable supplies regularly (food and water, for example should be replaced at least twice a year). Replace any items near expiration dates. Don’t forget to keep fresh batteries on hand. Remember kids grow and emergency clothes may need to be changed to accommodate changes in size. Medications should be kept up to date – check with your family doctor about the best way to safely store medications for emergency purposes. 4. Create a family plan. Make sure that emergency phone numbers and contact information is in a central location and readily available. Identify steps each family member will take in case of disasters. Consider contingencies for leaving your home in case of fire or evacuation and for the possibilities of being stranded in your home in case of a severe snowstorm or quarantine. Plan ahead what you will do if you are separated from your family members during an emergency – have agreed on meeting location(s) identified. It is also a good idea to have an out of the area or out of state contact person that all members can contact as a central check in during an emergency scenario. 5. Practice and update your plan on a regular basis. What supplies should you have on hand? Make sure that you have a good supply of the basics – water, food, clothes, first aid supplies, basic tools and other emergency items and any medications or special needs items that your family members have. Store items in plastic bags and keep these items in an easy to access location. In case you need to leave your home quickly, as in the event of an evacuation, you will want to make sure that you have a store of these items in a bag or container that you can carry easily such as a backpack or duffel bag. You should also remember that you may not be at home and a kit with essential supplies should also be kept handy in your car. Create a checklist of items that should be in your kits, both at home and in the car. You can get more information about specific items to include in your emergency supply kits and other helpful information to help your family plan in case of an emergency through your local Red Cross or your State’s Office of Emergency Management.
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