Citizens Prepare !!

In Your Head -- Prepare an Emergency Plan

The best way to be prepared for any emergency is to create a Household Emergency Plan. Talk with members of your household about emergencies: what to do, how to find each other, and how to stay in contact during an emergency. Plan to share responsibilities and work together as a team. Be ready to Shelter in Place for at least three days.  If officials give the order, be ready to Evacuate.

Emergency preparedness is simple if you plan ahead. It is easy and inexpensive for anyone. Here are a few simple steps you should follow:

Pick Meeting Places

·         Decide where your household will meet after an emergency. You need two places to meet: one right outside your home, and another outside your neighborhood, such as a library, community center, or place of worship.

·         Practice getting out of your home using different doors. Practice getting to your two emergency meeting places. Make sure your children know how to get there.

·         Get in the habit of noticing the exit signs around you – whether you are in an office building, at the mall, or on a bus.

·         Plan for everyone in your household – especially those with special needs, such as seniors, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers. Even include your pets in emergency preparedness. 

Create a Family Communications Plan

·         Ask an out-of-state friend or relative to be someone that household members can call during an emergency. (If Philadelphia phone circuits are busy, long distance calls may be easier to make.)

·         Be sure every member of your family knows the emergency phone number and keeps coins or a prepaid phone card on hand.

·         Be patient. You may have trouble getting through, or the telephone system may be down altogether. 

Give everyone in your house a copy of your emergency plan and emergency contact information to keep in their wallets and backpacks.

Use the Emergency Plan Template to write down your emergency information. Make copies for all your household members to keep in their wallets or backpacks. 

Emergency Information

• The midcoast area may experience flooding, severe winter storms, hurricanes, heat waves, fires, a hazardous materials incident or a possible terrorist attack.
• Know how you will be notified in an emergency
• Methods of alerting you vary from community to community. One common method is to broadcast via emergency radio and TV news. Others include special sirens, telephone calls, or emergency workers going door to door.
• Learn about Lincoln County’s Emergency Evacuation Plans.

In Your Home -- Be Able to Shelter in Place for Up to Three Days.

Sheltering in Place is an effective way to protect yourself and your family in many emergencies involving contaminated air. For some emergencies, officials may instruct you to stay where you are.  This could be as simple as remaining at home while emergency personnel clear hazards from the area.

If you must Shelter in Place:

·         Stay calm and go indoors immediately. Act quickly and follow instructions.

·         Close and lock all windows and doors, and close fireplace dampers. 

·         Keep your pets with you.

·         If instructed, turn off all heating and cooling systems, such as air conditioners and window exhaust fans.

·         Identify a room with few doors or windows as your Shelter in Place space. Ideally, the room should be above street level, allow room for everyone in your family, have access to water and bathroom facilities, and have a phone jack.

·         Only seal doors and windows when told to do so by emergency officials. If instructed, cover cracks along doors and windows with tape, wet rags or towels.

·         Use the supplies in your Shelter in Place Kit.

·         If you have a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.

·         Keep the phone line available for emergency calls. 

Make a Shelter in Place Kit  Keep enough supplies in your home for at least three days, in case you cannot leave. Keep your kit in a special place in your home, where you can get to it easily.   Tell everyone in your house that these supplies are for emergencies only.   Check the expiration dates of food and batteries in your Shelter in Place Kit when you change the time on your clocks twice a year.

Items for Your Shelter in Place Kit
Many of these items can be purchased inexpensively at a dollar store.

·         One gallon of drinking water per person per day

·         Food that will not easily perish; ready-to-eat foods

·         Manual can opener and eating utensils (forks, spoons, knives, plates, cups)

·         First-aid kit

·         Flashlight and extra batteries

·         Battery-operated AM/FM radio and extra batteries (You can also buy wind-up radios that do not require batteries.)

·         Phone that does not rely on electricity (just plugs into a phone jack)

·         A whistle to signal for help

·         Iodine tablets or one quart of unscented bleach and an eyedropper (Disinfect water ONLY if directed to do so by health officials. To disinfect water with bleach, add 8 drops of bleach per gallon of water.)

·         Personal hygiene items, such as hand sanitizer, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper and wipes

·         Child care supplies or other special care items

·         Plastic sheeting, scissors, duct tape

·         Trash bags and other tools

Also consider other supplies and equipment based on your special needs. These items may include:

·         Back-up medical equipment, such as oxygen, scooter battery, mobility aids, hearing aids and batteries, and glasses

·         Supplies for pets and service animals.

In Your Hand -- Evacuate means that you must leave.

If the Police and Fire Departments think it is too dangerous for you to stay in your home, they will tell you to evacuate. Here is what you’ll need to do so: Stay calm. Do exactly what officials tell you to do? If there is time, secure your home. Close and lock windows and doors. Unplug appliances before you leave. Officials will tell you if you need to turn off utilities. Let friends and relatives know where you are going. Wear sturdy shoes and comfortable, protective clothing such as long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Grab your Go Bag. If you have a medical emergency, call 9-1-1. Do NOT use an elevator during a fire or other emergency. Only use an elevator if emergency personnel instruct you to do so. (If the power goes out or is shut off, you could be trapped.) Evacuation routes change based on the emergency.  Stay tuned to KYW 1060 AM for the latest information. Get to the nearest shelter or safe place as soon as you can. Officials may ask you to drive your car, go with a neighbor, or go to a place to get on a bus. Grab Your Go-Bag Put together a family Go Bag – things you’ll need if officials tell you to evacuate. Your Go Bag should be easy to carry – a backpack or small suitcase on wheels. Keep your Go Bag in a place where you can get to it easily, in case you have to leave in a hurry.  Put together your own Go Bag, or purchase one from the American Red Cross (215-299-4000) or www.redcrossstore.org

Items for your Go Bag:

Many of these items can be purchased inexpensively at a dollar store.

·         Copies of your important documents, such as insurance cards, photo IDs, birth certificates, deeds, proof of address and your Household Emergency Plan.
Keep these in a waterproof and portable container.

·         Extra set of car and house keys

·         Credit and ATM cards

·         Cash, especially in small bills (ones, fives and tens)

·         Bottled water and ready-to-eat foods, such as energy or granola bars

·         Flashlight and extra batteries

·         Battery-operated AM/FM radio and extra batteries (You can also buy wind-up radios that do not require batteries.)

·         Medication. Be sure to refill medications before they expire. Keep a list of the medications each member of your household takes, why they take them, and their dosages. Also keep copies of all prescriptions, and your doctors’ and pharmacist’s contact information.

·         First-aid kit

·         Sturdy, comfortable shoes, lightweight raingear, and a mylar blanket

·         Contact and meeting place information for your household

·         A small regional map

·         Personal care items: hand sanitizer, feminine products, toothbrush and toothpaste, toilet paper and wipes

·         Special care items, including child care supplies, items for special needs and pet supplies. 

For Pets

Include your pets in your Household Emergency Plan. If you must evacuate, you should evacuate your pets, too – it’s not safe to leave them behind.

Service animals as well as pets are allowed in certain shelters. Plan for your pets’ safety now, before an emergency.

Pet Emergency Planning Tips: Ask friends or relatives outside your area if you and your pets can stay with them in an emergency. Also, ask a neighbor, friend or family member if they will look after your pet if you cannot return home due to an emergency. See if your veterinarian, groomer or local animal shelter can provide emergency shelter for your pets. Know your pets’ hiding places so that you can easily find them in times of stress. Make sure each pet has a license and ID tag, and current vaccinations.

Put Together a Pet Emergency Kit:

·         A three-day supply of water, food and containers, non-spill bowls, and a can opener

·         Sturdy leashes, harnesses and carriers/cages to transport pets safely and ensure that they cannot escape

·         Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, veterinarian’s phone number, proof of vaccination, pet license numbers, and microchip numbers

·         Medication for your pet (if needed)

·         Plastic bags, paper towels, and wipes for clean-up

·         Photos of your pet

 For Those With Special Needs

Prepare an Emergency Plan for each place you spend time – home, work, school, and in the community. Review your plan frequently to make sure it is up to date. Share this plan with caregivers or emergency contacts.

Set up a Personal Support Network to help you during an emergency. Members of your network could include family, friends, neighbors, or co-workers. Plan for more than one person who can help you.   Ask your personal support network members to: ·         Know how to contact you during an emergency. ·         Check on you immediately after an emergency.

 
To prepare for an emergency you should:

·         Keep a spare set of important keys.

·         Make sure you can easily get to your Shelter in Place Kit and Go Bag. 

·         Keep copies of your important documents. These should include medication and dosage, equipment, and other needs. 

·         Decide where you will meet with family, friends, or caregivers after an emergency. Pick two places to meet. One should be right outside your home. Another meeting place should be outside your neighborhood. Consider a library, community center, or place of worship. 

·         Make sure everyone in your support network knows meeting place addresses and phone numbers. 

·         Know and practice all possible exit routes from your home and neighborhood. 

·         Ask a friend or relative who lives out of state to be your emergency contact. If Philadelphia phone circuits are busy, it may be easier to make long-distance calls. Your out-of-state contact can help you keep in touch with others.

Also consider other supplies and equipment based on your special needs. These items may include:

·         Back-up medical equipment, such as oxygen, scooter battery, mobility aids, hearing aids and batteries, and glasses

·         Supplies for pets and service animals.

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Last modified:  24-September-2011