Emergency Preparedness Master Checklist

The next ime disaster strikes, you may not have much time to act.
Prepare now for a sudden emergency. Learn how to protect yourself and cope with disaster by planning ahead. This checklist will help you get started. Discuss these ideas with your family, then prepare an emergency plan. Post the plan where everyone will see it - on the refrigerator or on the bullitin board.
For aditional information about how to prepare for hazards in your community, contact your local management or civil defense office and American Red Cross.

Call local Emergency Management Offices and Red Cross.

· What kind of disasters can occur in your area?
· How do you prepare for each disaster?
· How would you be warned of an emergency?
· What are your community's evacuation routes?
· Are special assistance for elderly or disabled persons available?
· What are your workplace emergency plans?
· What are the emergency plans for your children's school or daycare center?

Create a household emergency escape plan.

· Plan for fire, severe weather, earthquake and other emergencies. Make sure each member knows how to respond to each emergency, and how to escape with the family, and alone.
· Find safe spots in your home for each type of disaster.
· What do you do about power outages and personal injuries.
· Draw a floor plan of your home. Mark two escape routes from each room.
· Show family members how to turn off the water, gas and electricity at main switches when necessary.
· Post emergency telephone numbers near telephones.
· Teach children how and when to call 911, fire and police.
· Instruct family members to turn on the radio for emergency information.
· Pick one out -of-state and one local friend or relative for family members to call if separated during a diaster. (It is often easier to call out-of-state than within the affected areas.)
· Teach children your out-of-state contact's phone numbers.
· Pick two emergency meeting places. 1) A place near your home in case of a fire. and 2) A place outsice your neighborhood in case you cannot return home after the disaster.
· Take basic first aid and CPR classes.
· Keep copies of all family, and individual records in a safe, waterproof and fireproof container.
· Make arrangements for care of pets. You may get into a shelter, but they may not.

Prepare a Disaster Supplies Kit.

Assemble supplies you might need in an evacuation. Store them in an easy to carry back-pack or similar type bag for each individual. Pack a larger bag, one for each adult, carrying things that everyone needs. Don't carry multiples if you don't need them. Use, rotate and replace all of your food supplies according to dates on the packages. Fresh Batteries. Test them and rotate them frequently.

Include:
· A supply of fresh bottled water; one gallon per person per day. Keep in sealed, recyclable containers. Rotate your water. Use and replace every six months.
· A supply of non-perishable, packaged foods & a non-electric can opener. High energy non-perishable foods such as granola bars, peanut butter, & raisins.
· At least one change of clothes for each person. Maintain sized clothing. Rain Coats/Rubber Ponchos for each person. A pair of sturdy shoes per person.
· Blankets, sturdy plastic ground cloths and sleeping bags.
· *Perscription medicines. 1 month supply. Rotate every month.*
· Extra Glasses.
· Small radio w/plenty of good batteries*. A crank-powered radio is better.
· Flashlights for each person w/plenty of good batteries. AA-size Mag-Light-type work well.
· Credit cards and cash.
· Extra Keys.
· A list of Doctors for each person.
· A list of important family information. Style and serial numbers of medical devices, incl. pace-makers and hearing aids.
· Special items for infants, elderly and disabled members.
· Toilet paper.
· Towels and paper towels.
· Tooth brushes, paste, soap, razors, & shaving cream.
· First Aid Kit containing manual, *topical OTC medications*, Band-Aids of various sizes, rolls of dressing gauze, Elastic Ace Bandsges of various sizes. *Aspirin & Motrin or OTC pain meds of your choice*. *Check with your Doctor*.
· Think of it like going camping. You're going to rough it. Pack accordingly.

Home Hazard Hunt

· Put 1 installed, active fire alarm w/battery back-up on each floor, one in a common space and one just outside the bedrooms.
· Put a 5lb A-B-C Fire Extinguisher in kitchen, garage and workshop/shed. Check it monthly.
· In a disaster, ordinary items can become missles causing damage or serious injury. Anything that can move, fall, break, or cause a fire is a potential hazard.
· On at least a monthly basis inspect all electrical plugs, sockets, gas piping and connections.
· Fasten shelves securely and check them to make sure they don't loosen.
· Place larger, heavier objects on the floor or lower shelves.
· Hang pictures and mirrors away from beds and chairs.
· Strap water heater according to mfgrs. recommendations or plumbing codes.
· Repair cracks in walls, ceilings and foundations.
· Store chemicals away from heat sources and locked away from children.
· Lock gun cabinets.
· Lock swimming pool gates.
· Place oily waste, incl. rags, in metal, covered cans.
· Clean and repair chimneys, flues, fireplaces, vent connectors, and gas vents.

If you need to evacuate

· Listen to Crank/Battery powered radio for emergency routes and shelters.
· If the officials begin "suggesting" to evacuate, get out. Remember Katrina and Wilma. 200 miles of highway congestion.
· Wear protective clothing and sturdy shoes.
· Take your Disaster Supplies Kits.
· Use specified travel routes. If you start early enough, usually any route out is a good route. Check reports.
· If you have time: Lock the House and any vehicles left.
· Shut off the water and gas.
· Tell neighbors or the police who you are and where you are going.

Prepare an emergency Car Kit

· This stays in the car at all times.
· Battery/Crank radio. Batteries*. Flashlights.
· Blankets.
· Booster Cables.
· 5lb A-B-C Fire Extinguisher.
· First Aid Kit & Manual (See Above)
· Bottled water & high energy non-perishable foods such as granola bars, peanut butter, & raisins.
· Maps, shovel (folding camp type) Flares.
· Tire repair kit & pump.

Fire Safety

· Plan two escape routes from each room, and two routes from the house.
· Practice fire drills at least twice a year.
· Teach family members to stay low to the ground when escaping from a fire.
· Teach family members to never open a door that is hot. In a fire, feel the door with the back of your hand. If it is hot, do no open it. Find another way out.
· Put 1 installed, active fire alarm w/battery back-up on each floor, one in a common space and one just outside the bedrooms.
· Put a whistle in each room to awaken the household in case of fire.
· Do not overload electrical outlets.
· Purchase and learn how to use a 5lb A-B-C Fire Extinguisher.
· Have a collapsable ladder on each floor of the house.
· If possible, install home sprinklers.

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