Emergency Plans: Tips to Prepare Your Family for Disasters

Emergency plans and kits are needed especially for households to survive when a disaster happens. Governor Charlie Baker has declared September to be Emergency Preparedness Month. Charles Doody, Canton Fire Chief, and Emergency Management Director, offers tips about how to prepare your family for an emergency. 

Chief Doody said that now is the perfect chance for families to be familiar with disaster plans in an event that a calamity strikes. He noted that people of all ages should know what to do so it would be better that families are more proactive.

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) offers tips for families in making emergency plans. 

Meeting locations and emergency contacts

You may lose one another as you run for your safety. However, it would be one less thing to think about if you know where to find your family members during a disaster. 

• Choose two places where you could meet up after a crisis. Select one near home and one farther away in case you could not come back to the area. 
• Have one friend or relative from other states as your emergency contact. 
• Each member should have the contact name, address, and phone number of the relative or friend. 
• Make sure that the contact person knows your family's special needs or medical issues. 
• Make good use of the varied communication tools to let other people know of your status during a crisis. 

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Planning how to evacuate

Knowing all the plans but not being able to leave home safely will not be that helpful. Make sure you know by heart how to evacuate. 

• Know and practice how to exit your home. 
• Look for varied routes of exit around the house. 
• Know and make known to members modes of transportation. 
• Include your pets in your plans, as you do not know how long you will be gone. 
• Safely evacuate by following tips on the website. 

(Photo : unsplash/DDP)

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How to set a shelter in place

It is just as important to know how to set shelter in place so that you are ready during a crisis. It lets you move easily during emergencies. 

• You need a safe room with few windows and doors that has a TV, radio, and cell service access. 
• The needed supplies should be in your kit that you could all access. 

Practice

Twice or thrice a year, practice your plan with everyone. Go to your meeting places and practice your evacuation routes. MEMA also noted that your emergency kits should last up to three days. 

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Items you must include in your kit

• One gallon of water per person per day
• Water purification tablets
• Three day supply of non-perishable ready-to-eat foods
• Tools like can openers, radio, flashlight, batteries, cell phone with charger, and basic tools
• Personal items like medications, hygiene items, contact lenses, clothes, shoes
• Essential papers like insurance policies, bank account records, IDs, and medical information
• Money 
• First-aid kits, whistle, sleeping bags, comfort items, watch, duct tape, plastic sheeting or tarp