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How to Create an Emergency Preparedness Plan for Your Family
Elsa, the fifth named storm and first hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season has come and passed. The season is just getting started.
My friend Thomas Walker over at Homesafetyhub.org has put together a quick reading information-packed article for creating an emergency preparedness plan. I thought I would share it with you.
How to Create an Emergency Preparedness Plan for Your Family
If your family was faced with an emergency, how prepared would you really be? If you’ve ever worried that your family would be unable to cope with an emergency, it’s time to put together a disaster response strategy for your household. And if you’re not sure where to begin, the resources from Emergency Action Planning can help you with every aspect of preparedness. Here are a few steps you can take to come up with a plan that will keep your family safe during tough times, or revise a disaster plan that you drew up but haven’t tested yet.
Take Care of Home Repairs
Before you begin designing your emergency preparedness plan, it’s important to take care of any home repairs or landscaping problems that might already be affecting your quality of life. And if you don’t address maintenance issues in a timely manner, they can turn into major emergencies later on!
For instance, you might live in an area that is prone to hurricanes, thunderstorms, or tornadoes. After a storm, you may need trees removed from your property — and if you’re not trained, trying to do this on your own can be dangerous. Instead, hire a professional with the necessary tools and equipment. Your budget for this project could range from $50 to $1,500, but you might need to spend more depending on the size of the tree and its proximity to your property. Before hiring contractors for tree work near me, look up their reviews and testimonials.
Stock Up on Supplies
Once you’ve tackled necessary home repairs, it’s time to stock your pantry and create a first-aid kit. When it comes to food storage, you’ll need to focus on affordable, non-perishable items that your family enjoys eating and will be easy to cook in an emergency. Real Simple recommends storing nut butter, granola bars, dried fruits, canned soups, dry pasta and sauces, and, of course, bottled water. To build your first aid kit, Healthgrades suggests including a sanitizing agent, gauze and bandages, antibiotic ointment, and any prescription or over-the-counter medications your family needs.
Plan for Specific Emergencies
Consider which emergencies and natural disasters you’re most likely to deal with in your area. You might have to get ready for a hurricane, prepare for heavy blizzards and freezing temperatures, or figure out how you would leave town in case of wildfires. Get clear on the specific steps you would take in the scenarios you’ve outlined, such as mapping out evacuation routes, figuring out what your family would do if you stayed home, and who you would contact for assistance.
Test Your Plan
If your family was faced with an emergency, how prepared would you really be? If you’ve ever worried that your family would be unable to cope with an emergency, it’s time to put together a disaster response strategy for your household. And if you’re not sure where to begin, the resources from Emergency Action Planning can help you with every aspect of preparedness. Here are a few steps you can take to come up with a plan that will keep your family safe during tough times, or revise a disaster plan that you drew up but haven’t tested yet.
Take Care of Home Repairs
Before you begin designing your emergency preparedness plan, it’s important to take care of any home repairs or landscaping problems that might already be affecting your quality of life. And if you don’t address maintenance issues in a timely manner, they can turn into major emergencies later on!
For instance, you might live in an area that is prone to hurricanes, thunderstorms, or tornadoes. After a storm, you may need trees removed from your property — and if you’re not trained, trying to do this on your own can be dangerous. Instead, hire a professional with the necessary tools and equipment. Your budget for this project could range from $50 to $1,500, but you might need to spend more depending on the size of the tree and its proximity to your property. Before hiring contractors for tree work near me, look up their reviews and testimonials.
Stock Up on Supplies
Once you’ve tackled necessary home repairs, it’s time to stock your pantry and create a first-aid kit. When it comes to food storage, you’ll need to focus on affordable, non-perishable items that your family enjoys eating and will be easy to cook in an emergency. Real Simple recommends storing nut butter, granola bars, dried fruits, canned soups, dry pasta and sauces, and, of course, bottled water. To build your first aid kit, Healthgrades suggests including a sanitizing agent, gauze and bandages, antibiotic ointment, and any prescription or over-the-counter medications your family needs.
Plan for Specific Emergencies
Consider which emergencies and natural disasters you’re most likely to deal with in your area. You might have to get ready for a hurricane, prepare for heavy blizzards and freezing temperatures, or figure out how you would leave town in case of wildfires. Get clear on the specific steps you would take in the scenarios you’ve outlined, such as mapping out evacuation routes, figuring out what your family would do if you stayed home, and who you would contact for assistance.
Test Your Plan
To find out if your plans would be sufficient, it never hurts to do a test run! Drive through your potential evacuation route, test out recipes with the non-perishable ingredients and cooking tools that you would be able to use if the power went out, and teach your children how to call 911 if you’re unable to.
Address Anything You Overlooked
Were there any holes in your disaster plan? If you realized that you overlooked anything important, it’s time to revise your plan. Fill in the gaps by listening in on this discussion. And once you’ve altered your plan, give it another test run to ensure that you’ve thought of everything!
Planning for potential emergencies doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Mapping out a course of action and keeping basic supplies on hand does not take much money or effort, and it will grant you peace of mind in the midst of chaos. If you’re ready to safeguard your household in case of disaster, implementing these suggestions is a great start.
Ready to design a disaster plan for your family? Emergency Action Planning is packed with comprehensive resources, workshops, and more to help you prepare for any scenario. Email us with your questions today at daniel@emergencyactionplanning.com.
Photo via Pexels
Till next time
“Be Safe”
