Are You Prepared?
Submitted by Audra Stewart-Gordon, Community Health and Communications Coordinator
September is National Preparedness Month. Do you know what types of hazards are common where we live, work, and travel?
Whatever hazards we face, Ready.gov has you covered with tips for safety before, during, and after.
When emergencies strike, do you have a way to stay connected with your family and get information from your local officials? Visit FEMA’s website Ready.gov to make and download a free fillable family emergency plan. I’ll send it around to everyone. Can you share yours?
I found a great way to get warnings and alerts for five different locations in the U.S. by downloading the free FEMA App. I checked my phone to make sure it can receive Wireless Emergency Alerts and Emergency Alert System messages.
Do you know where you, your family members, and pets will go if told to evacuate if an emergency or disaster happens? Whether it’s a friend or relative’s house, a community shelter in your neighborhood, or a hotel in another town, we should talk about where to go to stay safe. I visited Ready.gov’s evacuation page and learned how to stay safe.
Have we considered supplies we may need to take care of our kids, the older adults in our family, and family members with a disability or who use medical devices after a disaster? We also need to think about what our pets will need. I visited Ready.gov's Build A Kit page and learned about the basic items we’ll need to stay safe.
Do we have a plan to keep medical devices running and how to keep medications at the appropriate temperature after a disaster? Do we need to get backup power supplies or find out places we can keep medicine stored? Visit Ready.gov to learn what we should plan to do before something happens.
How are we going to keep important documents, family mementos, heirlooms and treasured possessions safe in case of a disaster or emergency? Do we have water-resistant plastic bags or containers to put them in? I made digital copies of my documents and photos, and I am keeping them password-protected online. I found more information on Ready.gov's Make a plan page to find out how to keep these important items safe.