Make a Family Emergency Plan

After you have identified the hazards which can threaten your community, you will need to create a family plan to deal with these hazards. There are a few things to take into consideration when making this plan.

Ø Learn how to protect yourself from the hazards that you have identified. For instance, most of us know how to protect ourselves from tornadoes. Make sure you have a safe place inside your home, which is on the lowest floor away from windows. Check this place. Is it free of clutter? Can you get inside quickly? Other protective actions to consider are sheltering in place and evacuating. Take a few moments to consider whether you truly know how to protect yourself. If you put it off until an emergency, it will be too late.

Ø Have an out-of-town contact you can contact if an emergency occurs. If a major emergency happens in your community, your family and friends will want to know that you are ok. However, phone lines and cell service could be jammed in your area. It will be much easier to contact someone in an area not affected by the emergency. They can be your point of contact to let others know if you are alright, or if you need help. They can also serve to let you know the status of others which you care about.

Ø Know from where you will get your emergency information during a crisis. Local radio and television stations are often great sources of information during and after an emergency. Also, be sure you have an emergency alert radio which will warn you in case of an emergency. Etowah County’s same code is 001055.

Ø Finally, write down and practice your plan. You will have more success with your family plan by do so. Go over it with your family. Practice it at least twice a year. Make sure your family is well aware of what you will do, and who to contact in emergencies. Otherwise, your plan may not be effective.

Having a plan can prove to be vital, as proven by Hurricane Katrina. Those who were prepared fared much better than those who had taken no prior preparedness measures. Hurricane Katrina and the Blizzard of 1993 also show that in a major emergency, response units may not be able to arrive immediately, due to the amount of emergencies around their community. Preparing yourself and your family by making a plan, writing it down, and practicing it will help you be much safer when the next emergency occurs. Visit ready.gov for more information on how to create a family plan.