In the event of a disaster, being prepared can make all the difference in the world. Having a disaster readiness plan prepared before an emergency eliminates a lot of stress and worry.
Use the American Red Cross’ Family Disaster Plan template to create your own disaster readiness plan, and follow these tips to ensure your family is prepared in all situations.
1. Prepare for all possible disasters
The first step is determining which types of disasters are most likely where you live. In New Jersey, you should prepare for fires, flooding and hurricanes at the very least. You may also want to prepare for biohazards, incidents at school or terrorism.
If you or one of your family members has a serious food allergy or is at particular risk of any type of medical emergency, having a plan for that situation as well can help ensure that everyone knows exactly what they should do if something happens.
2. Designate multiple meeting places
Every disaster readiness plan needs more than one place where your family will meet up in the event of an emergency. Each meeting place should be prioritized so everyone tries to get to the right one before moving to another if the first is inaccessible for any reason.
It may be necessary to designate different meeting places for different disasters. For example, any place away from your home may be suitable in the event of a fire, but a meeting place in the event of a flood ought to be on the highest point around. For medical emergencies, the meeting place might be a particular area at the hospital or even your home.
3. Designate emergency contacts
Everyone in your family should know who to contact in an emergency in case something happens to you. At least one emergency contact should be far enough away not to be affected by the same disaster in case your family members are unable to contact each other directly.
4. Assign responsibilities to each family member
Disasters are stressful, no matter the type. Make sure each family member knows exactly what they should do to avoid panic and mistakes. For example, older children might be responsible for looking after pets while you look after younger children. Teach everyone how to use a fire extinguisher or how to turn off utilities if necessary.
5. Practice regularly
Just like learning an instrument or how to ride a bike, practice makes perfect. Rehearsing your disaster readiness plan makes it second nature.
Practice your fire escape plans at least twice a year, and quiz your children on what they should do regularly. Check fire extinguishers and emergency supplies at the same time to ensure they’re always ready and waiting.
For hurricanes and flooding, practice at the beginning of each season and any time a potentially dangerous storm is forecast.
It’s always a good plan to have adequate insurance in place to make sure you are financially prepared for any disaster. To assess and optimize your coverage contact the experts at John B. Wright Insurance.
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