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Emergency preparedness is all about being prepared for a disaster BEFORE it happens. If you wait to long, you may be caught in a situation where it is too late. Sometimes even the smallest efforts can pay off big in the long run.
An extra flash light, a radio, that extra set of keys; These are all things that could make or break your chances of survival in the event of a disaster.
Websites such as Fema.gov offer some information, but this information can sometimes be limited.
Even though you should have addressed every aspect of emergency preparedness before they happen, here are some questions to ask yourself and family:
- What types of disasters occur where you live?
- How do you prepare for each specific disaster?
- How will you be aware that there is an emergency?
- What are your communities evacuation routes?
- Do you have elderly or special needs people who live with you?
- What are your job’s emergency plans?
- What are your children’s school or day care emergency plans?
Important Things to Consider and Plan for…
- Power outages
- Personal injuries
- Do your children know emergency numbers such as 911?
- Do you or does someone in your family wear glasses? It is a good idea to have an extra pair of glasses available.
- Do you have an infant? Infants may require extra items. Ensure that you have these stocked along with your emergency items.
- What would you do if your vehicle(s) are damaged and inoperable
Items You Should Have in a Disaster…
This is by no means an entire list of what you should prepare, but these are some of the most important items.
- Water – at least 1 gallon of water per person per day. It is best to plan for 72 hours or 3 days. So a 3 member family would require 3 gallons of water or more.
- Non-perishable food – canned food or packaged food works best. Make sure that you have a can opener.
- Extra clothing – in a disaster, you may damage your clothes or get them wet. Have a pair of dry clothes. Also have water proof clothes at hand.
- Sleeping bags and blankets – This is often overlooked by many people who are preparing.
- First aid kit – a first aid kit is very important in the event that someone is injured. Also ensure that you have all prescription medications with you.
- Battery operated radio – You may also use a hand crank radio. This is used to get information about the disaster.
- Battery operated flashlight – Light is very important because there may be power outages in the event of a disaster. Hand crank flashlights are also good to have.
- Credit cards and cash – credit cards may be useless if city power is compromised. Make sure that you have cash on hand. Also, you may want to carry silver.
- Keys – store and extra set of car keys in your designated emergency prep area/bag.
Keep reading about emergency preparedness checklist here.
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