September is Emergency Preparedness Month. The motto is “Get a kit. Make a plan. Be informed”. With so many things to think about when an emergency comes, evacuating quickly and with all you need can be done easily with preparing and planning. I did this video last year for the Hampton Roads Show, {click link if video is not displaying} but the information is timeless. With September upon us again, now is a good time look at how prepared your family is (or isn’t) and make your own plan.
1. Prepare-
- Make a list of emergency contacts and let them know they are on your list (see Family Emergency Plan sheets)
- Make an emergency evacuation kit. The Red Cross website has an interactive tool as does Lowe’s home improvement store
- Identify any valuables that you want to take. Make a plan for gathering them.
- Keep the 5 “P’s” in mind
- Pets
- Prescriptions
- Papers-valuable papers such as legal docs, passports, insurance info, birth certificates, etc.
- Pictures
- Plastic-credit cards and cash
I recommend a fire & waterproof safe box for documents, plastic, and any other valuables that you want to take with you. This box should stay ready all year and be accessible should you need to evacuate immediately.
2. Plan-
Make evacuation plans for Fire, Hurricane, Earthquake, Tornado, & Flooding
Fire-
- Draw a floor plan of your home. Identify the escape routes out of each room and practice the escape route with each family member.
- Purchase escape ladders for second floor bedrooms.
- Decide on a meeting place that everyone goes too once outside.
Hurricane & Flooding-
- Decide on where you will go. Make all your emergency contacts aware that if you should evacuate, this is where you will go.
- Get your emergency evacuation kit in the car
- Pack for 5 or more days, including sleeping bag, pillows, medical supplies, and chargers for phones, computers, and other electronics.
- Use the 5 P’s to direct your packing needs.
- Gas the car up.
- Get cash out-if power goes out, ATM’s and credit machines won’t work.
- Turn off electricity, main water valve, propane tanks, and unplug electronics
Earthquake & Tornado-
- Make a plan for if you are at home or away.
- If home, where will everyone go too? Outside, doorway, etc.
- If away, make a plan on how you will contact each other when the event is over. Make your emergency contact the first person to be called by an adult.
- If you have time, grab your emergency kit, fire safe box, and pets.
Point to remember:
- Text messaging is often available when calling isn’t
- Pre-program cell phones with emergency numbers
- Purchase a land line phone as part of your emergency kit
- www.Ready.gov
- www.redcross.org
*courtesy of Bismark.org website, Ready.gov, & American Red Cross.
