Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn. -- Following the storms, fires, and other natural disasters that have recently occurred in the United States, I thought it was a good idea to revisit an article from last year that discusses emergency preparedness.
Imagine it’s one o’clock in the morning and a sheriff’s deputy is knocking on your door. You answer and he tells you that you have 15 minutes to evacuate. What do you take, and where do you go?
What if a tornado is headed for your house – what do you do? What if your house is on fire – how do you and the family get out, and where do you meet?
Do you and your family members know how to react to an emergency at home? We all have contact numbers in our phones, but what if the phones are not available?
The following are a few of my personal observations and some suggestions from the National Safety Council (NSC).
Plan for all kinds of events. This includes power outages, severe storms, fire, ice storms, floods, earthquakes and more.
Equip your household with safety monitors. These include a carbon monoxide detector, smoke alarm, fire extinguisher and first aid kit. Everyone in your home should know where they are and how to use them.
Know your emergency exits. Draw up a floor plan of your home that shows all possible exits from each room and practice using them with your family.
Include your children by making it into a game to play so they will know what to do, just in case.
Set some designated meeting places. Identify safe places where everyone should meet if you need to evacuate or if you cannot go home. One should be near your home, and then name one outside of your immediate neighborhood.
Assign an out-of-town contact for each family member to call, e-mail or text in case of an emergency. Be sure all of you have their name as well as their home, work and cell phone numbers, an e-mail address, and a home address.
Make copies of important documents such as birth and marriage certificates, passports, licenses, wills, land deeds, and insurance. Have current photos of family members in case one is needed. Keep one set in the home and one with a friend or family member.
If you were to receive evacuation orders, authorities will not ask you to leave your home unless they have reason to believe that you may be in danger. Take your emergency kit, wallet, personal identification for each family member, and copies of important family documents. Bring a cellular phone, spare battery, and charger with you as well.
When you can, contact your out-of-town contact. Tell them where you are going and when you expect to arrive. Once you are safe, let them know. If you go to an evacuation center, register at the registration desk. Do not return home until authorities advise that it is safe.
Be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours with a basic emergency kit. You will need a package that is easy to find and easy to carry. Everyone in the household should know where it is. You may even want to separate some of these supplies into individual backpacks so each person can personalize his or her own grab-and-go emergency kit. The following items should be included in the kit.
• Water – at least two liters (Approx. ½ gallon) of water per person per day.
• Food that won't spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods.
• Manual can-opener
• Crank or battery-powered flashlight (and extra batteries). Replace batteries once a year.
• Crank, battery-powered radio (and extra batteries), or Weather radio
• First aid kit
• Extra keys to your car and house
• Some cash in smaller bills, such as $10 bills.
• Basic tools
• A copy of your emergency plan and contact information
• If applicable, other items such as prescription medication, infant formula, equipment for people with disabilities, or food, water, and medication for your pets or service animal
• Other items that you may need (personalize according to your needs)
Other things to consider are:
Limit phone time to urgent messages only. Keep calls short to free up the lines for others.
If you think your water is contaminated, check with your municipality or local authorities for details. When in doubt, do not drink water you suspect may be contaminated.
Keep some cash on hand, and make sure to have small bills on hand as automated bank machines and their networks may not work during an emergency. You may have difficulty using debit or credit cards.
Keep a corded phone in your home because most cordless phones will not work during a power outage.
Listen to the radio or television for information from authorities. Local officials may advise you to stay where you are. Follow their instructions.
Update your emergency plans every year. Review your contact information, practice your emergency evacuation plans, and restock your kits.
We never know when an emergency may happen. Having a plan and supplies allows us to have the tools we need to get through it.
Take care of each other.