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FRONT ROYAL/WARREN COUNTY AMERICAN RED
CROSS
Help us Help Others |
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GET PREPARED |
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Disaster can strike
quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your
neighborhood or confine you to your home. What would you do if basic
services--water, gas, electricity or telephones--were cut off? Local
officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster,
but they cannot reach everyone right away.
Families can--and do--cope with disaster by preparing in advance and
working together as a team. Use the suggestions below to create your
family's disaster plan. Knowing what to do is your best protection and
your responsibility.
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Four steps to safety |
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Find Out What Could
Happen To You |
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- Contact your local Red Cross at 635-2333
- Ask what types of disasters are most likely to happen. Request
information on how to prepare for each.
- Find out about the disaster plans at your workplace, your children's
school or day care center, and other places where your family spends
time.
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CREATE A DISASTER PLAN |
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- Meet with your family and discuss why you need to prepare for
disaster. Explain the dangers of fire, severe weather, and
earthquakes to children. Plan to share responsibilities and work
together as a team.
- Discuss the types of disasters that are most likely to happen.
Explain what to do in each case.
- Pick two places to meet
1. Right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency, like a
fire.
2. Outside your neighborhood in case you can't return home. Everyone
must know the address and phone number.
- Ask an out-of-state friend to be your "family contact." After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance.
Other family members should call this person and tell them where they are. Everyone must know your contact's phone number.
- Discuss what to do in an evacuation. Plan how to take care of your pets.
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COMPLETE THIS
CHECKLIST |
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- Post emergency telephone numbers by phones (fire, police,
ambulance, etc.).
- Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1 or your local Emergency
Medical Services number for emergency help.
Show each family member how and when to turn off the water, gas, and
electricity at the main switches.
- Check if you have adequate insurance coverage.
- Get training from the fire department for each family member on how
to use the fire extinguisher (ABC type), and show them where it's
kept.
- Install smoke detectors on each level of your home, especially near
bedrooms.
- Conduct a home hazard hunt.
- Stock emergency supplies
- Take a Red Cross first aid and CPR class.
- Determine the best escape routes from your home. Find two ways out
of each room.
- Find the safe places in your home for each type of disaster.
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PRACTICE AND MAINTAIN
YOUR PLAN |
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- Quiz your kids every six months so.
- Conduct fire and emergency evacuation.
- Replace stored water every six months and stored food every six
months.
- Test and recharge your fire extinguisher(s) according to
manufacturer's instructions.
- Test your smoke detectors monthly and charge the batteries at least
once a year.
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EMERGENCY SUPPLIES |
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Keep enough supplies in your home to meet your needs for at
least three days. Assemble a Family Disaster Supplies Kit with items
you may need in an evacuation. Store these supplies in sturdy,
easy-to-carry containers such as back-packs, duffle bags, or covered
trash containers.
Include:
- A three-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day) and food
that won't spoil.
- One change of clothing and footwear per person, and one blanket or
sleeping bag per person.
- A first aid kit that includes your family's prescription
medications.
Emergency tools including a battery-powered radio, flashlight, and
plenty of extra batteries.
- An extra set of car keys and a credit card, cash or traveler's checks.
- Sanitation supplies.
- Special items for infant, elderly, or disabled family members.
- An extra pair of glasses.
- Keep important family documents in a waterproof container. Keep a
smaller kit in the trunk of your car.
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UTILITIES |
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- Locate the main electric fuse box, water service main, and
natural gas main. Learn how and when to turn these utilities off.
Teach all responsible family members. Keep necessary tools near gas
and water shut-off valves.
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