EMERGENCY ESCAPE PLAN

Do you know how to actually protect yourself during an earthquake or hurricane? What about a tornado or fire? You’ve probably heard lots of conflicting information over the years. We hope you won’t ever need it, but let’s go over them to help you remember what you should really do during an emergency and afterwards to recover as quickly as possible.

For any disaster, make a disaster plan. You also need a disaster kit which is very essential, especially for the first 72 hours. This can help you prepare for any type of disaster and has special tips if you have children, are disabled, are a senior citizen, and have pets.

Keep your family’s most important documents, like birth certificates, passports and social security cards in a safe place in case you need to grab them and leave the house.

Make sure you have a well-stocked go-bag that will keep you safe, warm, fed and any medical needs you have taken care of for at least a few days. Include things like emergency food and water, an emergency radio, batteries, and even a charged cell phone just for 911 purposes.

Make sure you and your family have a planned and practised an escape route from your home and a place you all agree to meet up if something terrible happens. Whether it is a burglar or a fire, everyone in your home should know the fastest way out of the house safely. Practice your escape route with your family so everyone’s clear on it.

Make sure you’re familiar with the emergency or disaster plan at your office or school, too. If you don’t know what they are, ask. If no one knows what they are, come up with them on your own.

Many people die in accidents and natural disasters simply because they don’t know what to do and find themselves waiting for someone to tell them. Plan accordingly.