September is National Preparedness Month

If suddenly there was an oncoming natural disaster would you be prepared? Would your food supply last beyond a week to three weeks if needed? Do you have a storage of water if suddenly the only running water you had ran out or became contaminated? If the answer to one or more of these questions were NO, do you even have a plan? ​

The heading, “Don’t Wait, Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today” is the running theme of September National Preparedness Month. This is the month when organizations like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) begin emphasizing to the public the importance of having a plan in place   in the event of an emergency.
There are several important questions to consider when creating a plan:

•    How will my family/household get emergency alerts and warnings?
•    How will my family/household get to safe locations for relevant emergencies?
•    How will my family/household get in touch if my cell phone, the internet, or landline doesn’t work?
•    How will I let my loved ones know I am safe?
•    How will family/household get to a meeting place after the emergency?

The fema.gov and redcross.org website are both great places to go for information on how and what to include in your emergency plan. These tips not only apply to single families; they also are very important tips for caregivers or nurses in a residential nursing home. Due to the home based setting, there are different protocols one must take to creating and disseminating an effective emergency plan for the residents. Some things to consider when creating a plan:

• Involve all members of the household.
• Subscribe to alert services. Many communities now have systems that will send instant text alerts or e-mails to let you know about bad weather, road closures, and local emergencies.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency app can be downloaded for disaster resources, weather alerts, and safety.
• Draw a floor plan of your home. Mark two escape routes from each room, and practice using the routes.
• Post emergency telephone numbers near telephones.
• Pick one out-of-state and one local friend or relative for family members to call if separated by disaster. It may be easier to call out-of-state than within the affected area.
• Pick two meeting places: in the case of fire, a place near the home; and if returning home is not an option, a place outside of the neighborhood.
• Learn how to turn off the water, gas and electricity at main switches.
• Instruct household members to turn on the radio for emergency information.
• Make a disaster supply kit. Identify the essential items you and your family will need to survive for a minimum of three to five days.

​
Making a plan and arranging for a disaster is half the battle. It helps to eliminate some of the panic and pressure if or when something was to occur. Take some time this month to create a disaster plan. You will allow yourself to have a greater peace of mind.