Being Prepared
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2005-10-24 11:33:00-04:00
The devastation of last year's tsunami in southeast Asia, this summer's Gulf Coast hurricanes, and recent earthquakes in Pakistan left the entire world in shock.
Pictures of refugees should remind us how quickly a disaster can turn lives upside down. If we are to learn anything from these natural disasters, it should be to have a plan of action that enables us to quickly respond when any sort of emergency strikes our lives. Many different disasters can occur, including blackouts, hurricanes, mudslides, terrorism, tornadoes, tsunami, and fire. It may be difficult to prepare for all of these, but two things are necessary to prepare for most disasters: an Emergency Action Plan and an Emergency Supply Kit.
Certainly there should be federal, state, and community emergency plans, but we can't rely completely on the government or others. We should all have individual and family emergency plans in place. Developing your plan should include extensive pre-planning and simulations that include participation from all members of your household. Pretend that the power has gone off at night, the house is on fire, or you are forced to leave your home quickly. Step through what everyone in the household would do and exactly where and how everyone would reunite if separated.
Emergency drills will help the participants keep a clear head and do the right thing if, and when, a real emergency happens. They may also help you to think through your plan. Do the kids know how to call 911? Does the dog have a name tag with an alternative out-of-state telephone number? Does everyone know the telephone number of an out-of-state friend or relative that could help coordinate a reunion if you are separated?
Your emergency supply kit may vary slightly depending on the type of emergency for which it is being prepared. It could include things like hand warmers, towelettes, a rain poncho, duct tape, glow sticks, flashlight, radio, cell phone, emergency batteries, aspirin, food and water. The Red Cross website has an excellent tutorial on how to build a disaster supplies kit.
One thing that Hurricane Katrina taught us was to make sure that if we need to evacuate, we should take with us necessary items, records, and personal information. These should include:
You can keep your documents in a waterproof, portable container. Even better, put your computer to work. Use it to scan the necessary documents into your computer. Take pictures of your household items and create an inventory that can be used for insurance purposes. Create a list of account numbers. Make another list of important telephone numbers. Develop a medical information sheet for each member of the family. When you are done, save everything on a CD and keep it in a hard waterproof case. Send a copy to a friend or relative in another state for safekeeping.
The Red Cross website has plenty of useful information on preparing for an emergency. Although having your records computerized is a good idea, you should always have some emergency information with you in paper form. The Red Cross website has a printable Emergency Contact Card that can be filled out with contact information for each member of your household.
No one wants to see a disaster strike, but if it does, a little preparedness can go a long way.
AARP does not recommend or endorse any of these products or web sites. Please be advised that there are other similar products and web sites available which were not reviewed and are not listed here.
preview