Ready Carver, Informed, Prepared, Connected

Now that you know more about the emergencies and disasters that we face in the county, how prepared would you be if one strikes? Following are steps you can take to Get Prepared.

The first step in getting prepared is filling out a Family Emergency Plan. In an emergency, you may not have time to find important phone numbers. And if phone lines are not working during the emergency and you can't reach your loved ones, your Family Emergency Plan lets you specify a local meeting spot where your family can gather. You can complete an online Family Emergency Plan, or a Family Emergency Plan that you can download and print (.pdf).

Your next step in getting prepared involves assembling items that you will need if an emergency strikes. Emergencies and disasters don't wait for you to be ready, so it is essential that you have these supplies together and ready for use. Depending on the situation, you may need to leave quickly, or you may need to stay in your house for an extended period of time. Start with a kit that will support you and your family for 3 full days. You can either build a 3 day kit online, or download and print a list (.pdf) for the 3 day kit. Once you have this kit ready, consider building a kit for your car and a larger kit for your house. A car kit (.pdf) can help when you are away from home and an emergency strikes. Building a larger kit can sustain you and your family over a longer period of time. During large-scale public health disasters like pandemic influenza, food supplies could run low and restriction could be placed on public travel. Having a week or even a month's worth of food at home can help you and your family through these challenging times. 1 week, 1 month and 1 year kits can be built online at codeReady. Those who prefer to download and print a list should use this Master Supply list (.pdf).

Planning shouldn't end with these kits. You should consider your family situation in your planning. Special considerations should be taken for older individuals (.pdf) and people with disabilities (.pdf).

And please don't forget the furred, finned and feathered members of your family. Care.com has a Pet Safety Checklist (.pdf) you can download and print. Much more information on pets and disasters is available through the American Veterinary Medical Association (.pdf), FEMA (.pdf) and Ready.gov (.pdf).