Emergency Response

INTRODUCTION

Now is the Time to Plan Ahead
No matter how old you are, it is important to be ready for an emergency. An emergency is something serious and or dangerous that requires urgent action, like a natural disaster, or disease outbreak.

What can you do at home to be ready for an emergency?
It is important for your family to have an emergency action plan, which is more than a list of phone numbers. It is your family’s guide on how to stay healthy, stay informed, stay calm, and stay connected in an emergency.

You might also want to make an emergency survival kit in case of a natural disaster. It should contain shelf-stable food, water, a flashlight, a first aid kit, and other critical supplies. Be sure to include that list of phone numbers you created when you made your emergency action plan.

Make a Plan
There are simple things you can do to plan ahead for you, your siblings, your parents, and others in your family. And don’t forget your pets or those with disabilities who may need your help!

PAPERWORK: Collect and protect important paperwork.
WHO TO CALL: Make sure you know who to call depending on the emergency.
PROVIDER LIST: Put together a list of numbers including your family’s health care providers, pharmacy, counselor, and veterinarian.
EVACUATION PLAN: Make sure you have a family friend or relative who lives in another state that can serve as your family’s out-of-town contact.
SHELTER-IN-PLACE LOCATION: Identify a shelter-in-place location inside your home, a room that can be used to separate sick household members from those who are healthy.
MEETING PLACE: Identify an emergency meeting place outside your home where your family can reunite in an emergency.
EXITS: Identify at least two ways out of every room in your home.
SPECIAL NEEDS: Children or adults with special healthcare needs should also have their own plan.
PETS: Make sure you have a place where your pets can stay in an evacuation.