Meet with family members to develop an emergency plan, and regularly conduct drills to practice your plan.
Become aware of emergency situations that can occur in your area. Contact your local emergency management office, American Red Cross chapter, or Fire Department for information.
Plan Guidelines
Follow these guidelines in order to develop your plan:
- Learn your community’s evacuation plan.
- Determine safe rooms to go to if you are not told to evacuate.
- Post emergency numbers by the telephone. During an emergency, only use the telephone when someone needs immediate emergency assistance.
- Teach children their address and phone number.
- Note special assistance needed by people with disabilities
- Prepare for family health needs (prescriptions, medical supplies)
- Plan not to leave pets behind. Locate a "pet-friendly shelter or location (most emergency shelters for people do not accept pets). Consider care for livestock/farm animals.
- Learn terms used to describe emergency levels (advisory, watch, warning); learn types of emergency signals on air, radio, and television.
- Learn basic first aid and CPR. Contact local American Red Cross.
- Establish a meeting place in the event of family separation.
- Identify check-in contact that family will call if separated.
- Find out day care/school emergency procedures.