Be Prepared for a Disaster or Emergency

4/12/2016 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Clifton Supports the RED CROSS

Do you know what to do to keep your family safe in an emergency? Plan to Protect Yourself and Your Family.

Being prepared for natural disasters - floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes - is the best way to protect you, your family, your pets and your belongings. When a natural disaster is imminent, you'll have to act quickly, so it's important that you do everything you can before disaster strikes. Your pre-disaster prep should include assembling your supply kits, gathering food, water and medication for all family members and pets, developing evacuation plans and securing your possessions. The information below will help you get started.

GET A KIT

Gather the necessary resources you need to act on your plan in the event of a disaster. Have at least three days of supplies in an easy to carry evacuation kit with additional supplies at home in case you cannot leave.

An easy way to get your kit started is to contact your local Red Cross or go online to www.redcross.org to order an emergency preparedness kit today. Store it where it is easily accessible.

Remember to check your kit and replace the stock every six months.

MAKE A PLAN

It’s important that in an event of an emergency that your entire family is prepared for the event. If a situation arises were your family isn’t together, there should be systems in place for contacting one another. 

 The following are a few basic steps to remain safe:

– If one of your family members is enlisted to serve in the military, then make sure to plan out what would happen if they were deployed.

– Allocate responsibilities to each family member in the household so that in the event of an emergency, everyone can work as a team.

– Discuss between your family how all of you intend to prepare and respond to an emergency.

How to prepare incase your family is separated during an emergency:

– Discuss two locations that all of you can meet out. Two locations are vital in case the one of the locations isn’t accessible due to the emergency.

– Make sure to have an out of state contact in case it’s impossible to call or reach anyone in your area. Every person in your family should have this contact.

How to prepare for an evacuation:

– It’s always important to know where you plan to go if an emergency strikes. This could be a hotel, a friend’s home or a relative’s home. It’s preferable to also have a location that is slightly out of your area.

– Make sure to run drills. Practicing an evacuation twice a year will keep you plenty prepared for a real disaster. Remember to also drive your planned evacuation route.

– Have pets? Then make sure to prepare for them as well. Not all hotels or motels will accept pets, so make sure to have a list beforehand.

BE INFORMED

An important step in preparing yourself for a possible disaster is by learning the types of disasters that might occur in your city.  These events could could simply be events that would only effect you and your family such as a home fire or a medical emergency, to larger disasters such as floods or earthquakes.

The following are further steps you should take to be informed:

– Figure out ways in which local authorities would be able to convey a disaster to you, such as over the radio or television.

– Educate yourself on different weather alerts, specifically knowing the difference between watches and warnings. It is also crucial to know how to react to both of those alerts.

– Prepare yourself for the type of disaster you would expect in your own city or in the city that you’re traveling to. If you’re visiting an area that is prone to floods, then prepare for a possible emergency evacuation if there is a possibility of the disaster striking.

– There should be at least one individual in your family that is trained in first aid and CPR. It would also be beneficial if they know how to use an automated external defibrillator.

Additional Tips:

Make sure to print out emergency contact cards for all your household members. On these cards should be the contact information for each household member, along with their work information. These cards should be kept in a wallet or a purse.

You may download an emergency contact card template from Red Cross at the following link.