The theme for National Preparedness Month is Preparedness Starts at Home. Is your home prepared? FEMA’s Ready Campaign (https://www.ready.gov/september) recommends four key steps to preparedness:
1. Know your risk.
2. Make a family emergency plan.
3. Build an emergency supply kit.
4. Get involved in your community by taking action to prepare for emergencies.
Knowing your risk means identifying your home’s potential hazards. Know what natural disasters can and do occur where you live such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes or droughts. You can research this by talking to long-term residents of your area or checking the historical records and news articles. That will help you get a feel for regular risks as opposed to storm-of-the-century type events. Also check your home for hazards that may be a risk for a single home instead of an entire community, such as electrical issues or gas leaks leading to a risk of fire, or plumbing issues that may lead to water damage. There are several articles in this blog section of our website that address checking your home for these types of risk to your home. Once you have identified your risks, you can start building a plan to mitigate those risks.
The next step is to build an emergency plan, so everyone knows what to do when disaster strikes. The biggest part of this plan should involve communication. First, have a family discussion about potential hazards in your area. Make sure everyone understands what can happen and what is the likelihood of each of those risks actually happening. Be sure that they understand how to reconnect if you are not all together when a disaster event happens. Have an emergency contact list which includes phone numbers for all people that need to be informed when you experience a disaster, natural or otherwise. This should include all family members living in the home, at least one family member who lives elsewhere and who can be a main point of contact since he or she will not be affected directly, work and school contacts, your insurance carrier and emergency services. When possible, be sure to include alternative contact methods in case phone lines are overloaded or down. While all these contacts should be programmed into cell phones, you should have each family member carry a paper copy of this list in a wallet, backpack or emergency kit so the list is still available if the cell phone is unavailable. Have two designated meeting places. One should be near your home where everyone can go quickly after a smaller evacuation event like a house fire. The other should be outside your neighborhood for larger events that require a portion of the community to evacuate. Make sure everyone knows how to get to each of these locations and when it is appropriate to go to each one. Since there is a chance of separation in the chaos of a disaster, this is a very important tool for EACH family member to know. Everyone should also know what to do if you must shelter in place. Know where the safest room in your home is for each type of disaster that may be a risk for your home. For example, for a tornado, you want to be in the interior of the home away from windows, but for flooding, you want to be on the highest level that is safe to shelter until help arrives. Show everyone how and when to turn off the water, gas and electricity. Practice fire drills for every room and try to have at least two ways out in case one becomes blocked. Be sure your evacuation plans include any special needs for family members that are disabled or elderly, and don’t forget to plan for your pets. Include any medications, a list of doctors and caregivers, a list of special medical needs that emergency personnel may need to know about a family member who is unable to speak to them for any reason. For pets, include id tags, carriers, bowls for food and drink and any medications they need. Plans are only effective if they are maintained. Practice drills regularly to keep what to do fresh in everyone’s mind. Check your emergency kit twice per year to replace expired or used items, especially food, water and medications. As everyone changes through life, make sure your plan is still relevant. This includes updating phone numbers and family member roles in executing the plan
Step three is building an emergency supply kit. This kit should have enough basic necessities to last a few days. Plan for one gallon of water per person per day. Pack extra water if you have pets, but the amount will vary depending on the size and quantity of pets. Pack enough food to feed all the people with you for several days using only non-perishable food that does not require any cooking. Also pack several days of pet food. This should be a dry kibble because it can be packed in bulk with less waste, less odor and less dishwashing needed in the event supplies are limited. Have a first aid kit that includes bandages, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers and any medications that family members must have. Pack a flashlight with extra batteries, a radio (also with extra batteries unless it is a hand-crank model), a manual can opener if food items require it, and a basic tool kit. Have copies of key documents (insurance policies, birth certificates, etc.) packed in a waterproof container that can be carried with you. Keep a small amount of cash on you in case of emergency where credit cards may not be an option.
Step four includes getting prepared to support your community and network so you can depend on them to help you. Take the time to learn how to help and invite your neighbors to do the same. Take or host a first aid and CPR class. Contact the American Red Cross to find where your local emergency shelters are located. They are always looking to train volunteers to help. Know what local and state emergency agencies are involved in assisting natural disasters that may occur in your area and how to contact them in an emergency. Know how your community communicates emergency alerts. Learn designated evacuation routes in the event you must abandon your neighborhood. Share this information with your neighbors. It also helps you to know who your neighbors are and how to contact them. A good way to do this is to create a neighborhood group on your preferred social media. Facebook groups for example are very easy to set up and manage. You can make them private or public and manage membership based on the group’s needs and preferences. You may have to depend on these people sometime, so it is a good idea to get to know them now.
When you can safely return to your home, call ServiceMaster of Gwinnett or ServiceMaster 5 Points for your disaster restoration. ServiceMaster of Gwinnett and ServiceMaster 5 Points provide a variety of disaster restoration services including water damage, fire & smoke damage and mold damage to your home, business and possessions. We work with all major insurance companies as well as working directly with the home or business owner. ServiceMaster of Gwinnett & ServiceMaster 5 Points are IICRC Certified, which is your assurance that our technicians are properly trained to handle the most serious disaster restoration projects. Our services are based on insurance guidelines and industry standards, so you know you are in good hands when you call us to help with your disaster.
