Making a Family Disaster Plan

Hi, I am Dan Paulette-Chapman with the American Red Cross of the National Capital Area. Today, we are talking about family emergency preparedness and in this segment; I am going to talk about making a plan. Having a plan is probably the most important thing that you and your family can have in case of an emergency. Make sure you are involving your entire family in creating a plan, make sure that everyone is aware of the plan and that it is well discussed. Having a plan is important because when you are in an emergency situation, you will not have the time that you would otherwise need to think through the tasks that you need to do to protect yourself and your family. Have your plan beforehand, so that when the time comes, you are ready. Another important aspect of having a plan is having the right information. In order to have the right information, we suggest talking with your county or state or city emergency management and Government officials as well as the American Red Cross in your area. It is also important to listen to the radio. In an emergency, you will get lots of information from the radio, from your Government and Emergency Management Partners. They will be telling you what to do, how long to do it and where? It is important to know exactly the nature of the emergency so that you can activate the appropriate plan. Your plan should involve sheltering in place as well as evacuation from your own home to a nearby location, as well as evacuation from your home to a far off location. Make sure that you have a family or a friend contact out of area that you can rendezvous with or otherwise meet, should you need to evacuate out of the city or immediate area. Make sure that you are also taking into account any pets as well as any elderly or infants or individuals with special needs in your family. Everyone must be a part of the plan and everybody must be accounted in the plan. Again, make sure that you have a plan, that you are listening to the radio so that you know what plan to activate and that your plan encompasses all of the family members including those with special needs. Next, we are going to talk about your home disaster kits as well as sheltering in place and evacuation.