Emergency Disaster Kits &
Your Family Plan
| Disasters are all too common these days. From hurricanes to earthquakes and massive floods to house fires, disasters are usually the first thing we hear about on the evening news and the last thing we expect to happen to us. It is essential that every household creates emergency kits for their home and vehicles and make a plan about what steps to take incase a there is a disaster. Disaster kits are easy to make and can be a fun family activity. Make sure all the members of the household know what is in the emergency kit and where it is located. Emergency disaster kits for the home should include non-perishable food and a clean water supply that will last three to seven days per person. Everyone will need at least one gallon of water per day. Here are some other items to keep in your kit:
It is also essential to create a roadside emergency kit to keep in every vehicle. This kit can come in handy during a disaster or anytime you are out on the road. This kit should include:
Emergency kits for the home and car can be found in many stores today, especially in the big warehouse stores. In your family emergency plan, discuss a communication plan that includes important home and cell phone numbers of friends and family. Also write down the phone number for emergency services, your insurance companies, a disaster restoration company, place of employment, meeting locations, and other community or business contacts. Keep these phone numbers with the emergency disaster kit. Also designate an out-of-area contact that every member can contact should your family get separated. In your home, locate the safest area in case there should be a storm surge, flooding, or high winds. Sometimes the safest place to be may not be in your home, but in another building in your community. Plan out what these other safe places are, their routes, and distances. Also designate meeting places incase your family gets separated during the event. Also plan what will happen with family pets during this time. Discuss with your children the family emergency plan, disaster recovery plan, and what the procedure will be if they are in school during an emergency situation. After a disaster, as soon as you are able, call in disaster recovery services that can help you and your family return to normalcy. Such services can help restore documents, books and pictures that were affected, dry out your home or building, and aid with business continuity. Include a disaster continuity plan while planning for a disaster. This will not only help you have peace of mind, but also help you look forward after the worst is over. -Flora Richards-Gustafson SOURCES: |
