An emergency can happen in an instant and it is imperative you have an emergency preparedness plan in place so you can keep yourself and your family safe. When a real emergency occurs, it can be easy to panic.[bctt tweet=” If you are mentally and physically prepared in times of crisis, you can keep everyone calm–and most importantly, safe.” via=”no”]
Be Prepared
Preparation and practice are the keys to an effective emergency preparedness plan. An emergency plan should include a disaster supply kit and any other emergency essentials. All supplies need to be easily accessible and your plan needs to be easy to remember for the entire family. Write up an emergency checklist and perform practice drills so everyone will know what to do if and when a disaster or emergency strikes. Here are six indispensable ways to ensure you are prepared for any emergency.
1. Inventory Family Needs
It is important to consider specific needs of your family and home. Don’t forget any necessary items. Keep in mind medical supplies and medications. Make sure your emergency checklist includes emergency contacts, as well as important items to take from the house, such as vital documents, spare keys, and anything else that is necessary to have once you’ve left your home.
2. Go Bags
Grab it and go! Everyone in your family should have an emergency bag ready for any disaster. Each bag should contain water, blankets, non-perishable foods, clothing, and any other items needed once you leave the house. When filling your emergency preparedness bag, make sure to ask yourself “Does this meet my basic needs? Or is this a luxury?” Only pack the essentials needed for living. Our basic needs include water, food, clothing, and shelter. Everything else is a luxury.
3. Give Each Family Member a Role
Everyone in the family should have a role in your emergency preparedness plan. Discuss what responsibilities each person will have. Perhaps one child will gather the pet dog, while another is in charge of calling a loved one in another state to let them know what is happening. By assigning roles to each family member ensures that everyone knows what they are supposed to, and expected do during an emergency.
4. Regularly Review the Plan
Emergency plans aren’t effective if they are forgotten. This is especially true for families with children or elderly adults. It is crucial to regularly review and practice your emergency preparedness plan. Practicing every couple months is a good way to make sure your family remembers what to do when an emergency happens, and they will be less likely to forget what to do.
5. Strategize Meeting Places
One of the main things to consider when developing your emergency preparedness plan is where to meet once leaving the home. Depending on what type of emergency is occurring, people might not be leaving the house at the same time. By having a set meeting place is critical for reconnecting with your loved ones and keeping them safe. There might be different meeting places, depending on the severity of the emergency. Make sure to choose familiar and nearby places to meet and report to after leaving the home.
6. Share Your Plan
It is also important to share your emergency preparedness plan with your community. Tell your neighbors if you plan to come to their home if you have a fire. Or, encourage them to come up with and practice their own plans. Building a proactive network of people during an emergency can further safeguard your family and also allow you to help others in need.
Protect Your Property
Even though disasters can happen, it doesn’t mean we can’t be as prepared as possible. There are some ways to protect your home, even if you have to leave. For high winds or hurricanes, you can reinforce doors and windows with plywood. For floods, a Water-Inflated Property Protector (WIPP) can help keep your home and property safe and dry.
Your Emergency Preparedness Plan
Emergencies can come quite unexpectedly, but you don’t have to panic when you have an emergency preparedness plan in place. Don’t forget to plan ahead and have everyone’s go-bag all ready for when and if the time comes. Communicate with your family and community and, practice throughout the year to keep the plan fresh in everyone’s mind and your loved ones safe.
To learn more about how you can keep your family and home safe with an emergency preparedness plan, Contact Us.