We don't like to think about it, but in the scheme of things, some of us will have to someday deal with some type of disaster or emergency. Due to the unexpected nature of these occurrences, it's obviously difficult to plan ahead on how to deal with a bad situation if one should arise. On the other hand, disaster and emergency planning is one of the smartest things you can do for yourself and your family. A bit of time spent on planning ahead, just in case, could spare you considerable difficulty in case disaster should strike. In fact, it could even save your life or the life of a loved one.
Here are some steps you can take to assess your current circumstances and put together a basic disaster and emergency action plan tailored to your specific environment.
Discussion: Discuss with your family what you would do in case of an emergency. If you have children, determine what kind of natural disasters might strike in your neighborhood, and what kind of dangers your family may have to face. Working together you should be able to come up with some possible solutions. The goal isn't to frighten your children or other family members, but to discuss openly the potential dangers they might have to deal with. If you come up with a good plan of action, it should make everyone feel safer and better prepared.
Meeting Spots: One of the critical parts of your plan is choosing a meeting spot, and it never hurts to choose two or more places. In case of a fire, you could plan to meet in front of the house. If it's an emergency requiring you to evacuate your home, a plan to meet at a specified location outside of your neighborhood is a good idea. This could be a relative's house, church, elementary school, or even the community center. It's important that every member agrees on the location, and how everyone will be transported to the meeting location.
Escape Routes: Study the places where everyone is located in the house and determine the best escape routes from each location. A residential fire is one of the most dangerous emergencies that can happen, so try to locate at least two escape routes out of the house, and if at all possible, find at least two escape routes for each room, as well.
In the case of a large-scale natural disaster, determine two evacuation routes for you and your family to get out of your neighborhood, town, or city. Setting up in advance a family contact, friend or family member who lives out of town or state that everyone in your family can call in case of an emergency could also save you major inconveniences.
Dealing With Utilities: It may be necessary to turn off your utilities during an emergency, so make certain every member of your family knows how to shut down the gas, electricity, and water utilities. Everyone should know how to spot warning or danger signs, when a utility should be shut off, and exactly how to do it. If you're sure how to do this, it might be a good idea to contact your local utility providers for information.
What to Do With Pets: As we all learned from the tragedies, such as Hurricane Katrina, when a natural disaster strikes, family pets are often left behind. During a sudden emergency, it may be difficult to account for all your pets. Most pet owners will do everything they can to evacuate with their pets. If you keep your pet supplies in one location for easy access, this could be a real time saver in case of an emergency. If you can, bring your pet's leash or carrier, water bottle, food, and any medications.
Unfortunately, during an emergency evacuation, pets are not always allowed to come along and many animal shelters won't allow pets, either. If you can, try to locate a shelter, neighbor, or nearby relative who can guard your pet in case you're forced to evacuate your house for an extended period of time.
The worst-case may be an extended separation from your pets, which is why having their tags and vaccination records regularly updated will help. If your pet can be clearly identified, there's a much greater chance they will also survive the emergency or disaster and you will all be reunited.
Disaster Supplies: Keeping a stock of fresh water as well as non-perishable foods on hand could be a life saver. Batteries, flashlights, and even a shortwave radio kept in one location within easy access is an excellent emergency first-aid kit to have ready.
Finally, you might review and update your stock of disaster supplies regularly. Different supplies will be needed depending on the season. Filling out emergency contact cards everyone in the family carries with them at all times could save medics time in an emergency and make the difference between life and death.
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Glenn Cutforth is a writer, eBook publisher and graphic designer.
Visit his websites at: Self-Help and Wellness.com and
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Published by Glenn Cutforth on March 21, 2006 01:07 PM
