EMERGENCY PLANNING
Before an emergency occurs, consider what steps will be important to safeguard your family and loved ones. Meet with your family to discuss the plan and practice it. Keep the plan simple so all family members can remember the important points.
1. Anticipate Difficulties and Inconveniences
Create plans to anticipate situations in order to be able to make informed decisions during a crisis. Physical and emotional stresses may cloud decision-making skills.
2. Determine Your Evacuation Plan
Know the evacuation routes leading away from your community. Plan an alternative place where family members agree to meet in the event you cannot meet at home, and determine alternative modes of travel if transportation is disrupted. Remember; follow the advice of authorities about evacuation - they do not ask people to leave unless they believe lives are in danger.
3. Memorize Emergency Contacts
Be sure each family member knows whom to contact - perhaps a friend or relative out-of-state - in the event local communications are impaired. Discuss any of your family's medical needs with someone out-of-town and in the immediate neighborhood. Make a list of insurance, banking, medical and other essential telephone numbers and account information and give it to a trusted family member. Consider including a spare charge card or ATM card with the list, so that you can access money in an emergency or they can access it for you.
4. Plan how to Communicate in an Emergency
Keep everyone's work, home, school, and cellular numbers updated and share them with everyone in the family. Remember that often in an emergency, cellular phones may not work because the systems are over-loaded. Because communications are difficult in an emergency, it makes sense to plan a family/friend “tree,” so you only need to make one or two calls, then others make designated calls on your behalf.
5. Maintain a Disaster Supplies Kit
Both natural and human-made disasters can create a need to be self-sufficient for a short period until help arrives.
|
