Disasters can strike quickly and often without warning. While you are
enjoying the upcoming Labor Day holiday, take time to ensure your family and
home are prepared for emergencies. September is National Preparedness Month and
we are encouraging Mid-South families to get ready now for the next emergency
or disaster.
Having a game plan in place is essential for all households
so everyone knows what they should do when an emergency occurs. National
Preparedness Month is a perfect time for Mid-South residents to create or
update their plan. Here are some ways to
get Red Cross Ready:
It is important that everyone in the household helps put the emergency plan
together and knows what s/he should do if something occurs. Household members
may not be together when a disaster happens – during the day many people are at
work and school. The plan should include ways to contact one another and two
predetermined places to meet – one near the home in case of a sudden emergency
like a fire, and one outside the neighborhood in case circumstances prevent
people from returning home. People should also identify an emergency contact
person from outside the area in case local telephone lines are overloaded or
out of service.
Any emergency plan should also include decisions about where family
members will go if ordered to evacuate and what route they will take to get
there. It’s a good idea to include alternate routes in case roads are closed.
If pets are part of the household, make sure to include plans for them such as
pet-friendly hotels and animal shelters along the evacuation route.
The Red Cross has free mobile apps that provide information on what to do
before, during and after emergencies including developing an emergency plan. People
can use the ‘Make a Plan’ feature in the apps to create their plan and then
share it with their loved ones. The preloaded content in the apps gives people
access to vital information to use during emergencies, even if they can’t
connect to the internet. The
apps can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for
Android by searching for American Red Cross.
OTHER WAYS TO GET
READY
Another step to get one’s household ready is to build an
emergency kit in a container that is easy to carry so the family can use it
at home or take it with them if asked to evacuate. It should contain a three-day supply of water (one
gallon, per person, per day), nonperishable food, a flashlight, battery-powered
or hand-crank radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit, a 7-day supply of
medications, a multi-purpose tool, sanitation and personal hygiene items and
copies of important personal documents. The Red Cross also recommends having at
least two weeks of emergency supplies at home.
Everyone also
needs to stay informed about what types of disasters are most likely to occur
where they live or where they plan to visit. It is also important to take a
First Aid and CPR/AED course—a vital component of disaster preparedness in case
emergency help is delayed.
For more
information on how to prepare for emergencies, people can visit redcross.org or contact your Red Cross of the
Mid-South at 901-726-1690.
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