How to Be Prepared

Preparedness Steps

Following these few steps listed below, can help you develop your personal and family preparedness program

1- Consider the disaster risks and hazards that we face in our world: (This never easy or enjoyable to think about)

• NATURAL - Severe Wind & Weather - Wildfire - Flooding - Earthquake
• TECHNOLOGICAL - Hazardous Materials - Long Term Power Grid Failure 
• MAN MADE - Civil Unrest - Active Shooter - Terrorism - War

2- Develop family emergency plans for...

• Start with a fire safety plan for your house, and how you account for everyone
• What kind of hazards do you have in the area where you live?
• What if you have to evacuate your home - where would you go?
• What if you had to shelter-in-place - what do you do?
• What kind of food, water and resources would you need in each situation above?
• How will your family communication in the event that all phone services are down?
• How will you reunify your family if everyone is usually dispersed and something happens?   

3- Develop preparedness kits for:

• Your vehicles in case you get stranded
• Rapid Emergency evacuations to go to a shelter or other location
• Kids while at school / college, in case they had to shelter-in-place 
• Work locations

4- Establish a 3 month supply of basic essentials to get your family by in a disaster (a period of unemployment, or product shortages)

• Buys few extra items of shelf stable or non-perishable food items each time you go to the store. Find a place under a bed or the bottom of a closet if needed to store them.
• Buy bottled water, or fill clean, pop bottles with water for storage.
• Pick up additional soaps and personal hygiene items.
• Have additional blankets or sleeping bags for colder weather.
• Establish back up cooking options (be mindful of fire or combustion safety concepts)
• Consider storing additional long term food storage basics
• Learn how to grow fruit and vegetables in a garden or in containers

5- Get involved in, or help establish community emergency volunteer programs, such as:

• Volunteer Fire or EMS organization
• Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
• Amateur Radios Emergency System (ARES) – HAM Radio
• Medical Reserve Corp (MRS)
• Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS)
• Neighborhood watch
• Red Cross, Team Rubicon, or other organizations.