A plan inside your head does not translate well into reality....it needs to be taken out and discussed and agreed upon. After all, we are not mind readers! Your family and friends may have some ideas that you have not considered. Telling your neighbors is also in your best self-interests: if you and your family are not around to take care of your property--who else can you depend on? Local government agencies will have their own, more immediate concerns. Further, your family plan may encourage your neighbors to also prepare--thereby reducing dependency on others who ARE prepared and improving the return to 'normalcy'.
What do I do? Steps to Preparedness
1. Collect and review available emergency materials. See what works for you; discard what is
not applicable. There is no reason to 'reinvent the wheel'. And it is easier to start with an
outline of 'tried and true', rather than wait for a disaster to 'experiment'.
2. Contact your local emergency organizations and children's schools to find out what their
plans are. Learn what will be available at the time of disaster to assist you and how to
access that help, if necessary.
3. Find out what your work place has to offer in case of emergencies....what can you expect
them to provide? How much will you have to rely on yourself? Review their emergency
plan and see where you 'fit' in their emergency response/recovery organization.
4. Discuss and decide with your family what your options are....develop and write down your
plan(s). Keep your plan(s) in a handy place and periodically review to make sure that the
plan(s) are still appropriate and workable.
5. Put together your own personalized disaster kits--for each family member AND for specific
places you may happen to be: a kit for your workplace; a kit for your car(s); a kit for each
child and your partner/spouse; a home kit. Include not only the 'basic necessities', but
those items required for comfort and well-being. Periodically rotate your supplies to
ensure freshness.
6. Share your plan(s) and preparedness efforts with others: the more people are prepared,
the less 'disastrous' will be the situation.
7. Take care of yourself and your needs--a 'disaster' is only when we have no choices!
