Contact Your Local Emergency Management Agency or the American Red Cross

• Learn your community’s evacuation routes.
• Ask about special assistance for elderly or disabled persons.
• Ask your workplace about emergency plans.
• Learn about emergency plans for your children’s school or day care center.
• Ask about animal care after a disaster. Pets may not be allowed inside emergency shelters due to health regulations.

Create an Emergency Plan

•  Meet with household members to discuss the dangers of fire, severe weather, earthquakes and other emergencies. Explain how to respond to each.
• Find the safe spots in your home for each type of disaster.
• Discuss what to do about power outages and personal injuries.
• Draw a floor plan of your home. Mark two escape routes from each room.
• Show family members how to turn off the water, gas and electricity main switches when necessary.
• Post emergency telephone numbers near telephones.
• Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1, police and fire.
• Instruct household members to turn on the radio for emergency information.
• Pick one out-of-state and one local friend or relative for family members to call if separated during a disaster (it is often easier to call out-of-state than within the affected area).
• Teach children your out-of-state contact’s phone numbers.
• Pick two emergency meeting places:
  1) A place near your home in case of a fire.
  2) A place outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home after a disaster.
• Take a basic first aid and CPR class.
• Keep family records in a water and fire-proof container.

Prepare a Disaster Supplies Kit

Assemble supplies you might need in an evacuation. Store them in an easy-to-carry container such as a backpack or duffel bag.

Include:

• A supply of water (one gallon per person per day). Store water in sealed, unbreakable containers. Identify the storage date and replace every six months.
• A supply of non-perishable packaged or canned food and a non-electric can opener.
• A change of clothing, rain gear and sturdy shoes.
• Blankets or sleeping bags.
• A first aid kit and prescription medications.
• An extra pair of glasses.
• A battery-powered radio, flashlight and plenty of extra batteries.
• Credit cards and cash.
• An extra set of car keys.
• A list of family physicians.
• A list of important family information; the style and serial number of medical devices such as pacemakers.
• Special items for infants, elderly or disabled family members.