Emergency Preparedness Month

9/16/2017 (Permalink)

Is your family prepared?

Being prepared for an emergency can save your life and the lives of those you love. To encourage people to be ready for a disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sponsors Emergency Preparedness Month every September. This year's theme is "Disasters Don't Plan Ahead. You Can."

Why September?

FEMA selected September because it corresponds to the 9/11 attacks and it sits in the middle of the Atlantic hurricane season. The ultimate goal of Emergency Preparedness Month is to increase the number of individuals, families, and communities who actively prepare to handle disasters at home, at work, in school and in places of worship.

As demonstrated by history and present news, disasters can be man-made and natural. The fortunate thing is preparation for both is the same. It starts with getting a plan together, then gathering supplies, and finally practicing what happens if a disaster occurs.

Getting a Plan Together

Preparation begins with a plan. How will you and your family survive if a disaster occurs? Your plan needs to outline what you would do in different scenarios: fire, flood, gas leak, terrorist attack, etc. You also need to make a list of what items you would need to survive for a few days like food, water, medical supplies, pet supplies, etc.

Other things to consider would be:

How would you communicate with each other if you were separated?

Where would you meet?

Who would help disabled family members?

Gathering Supplies and Getting Prepared

Once you have a plan in place, the next step is gathering supplies. Every family should have enough supplies to get through at least 3 days. That includes food, water, pet supplies, and medicine. The food should require minimal preparation and be easy to eat.

Keep some cash available for emergencies. ATMs and credit card machines may be down due to the disaster.

Gather and store items for easy access during a disaster. These items can include personal, household and medical information.

Practicing

This is a step often overlooked but critical. Your family should practice what would happen if a disaster occurs.  What would you do if the house is on fire? Where will you meet if you cannot get into the neighborhood after school or work? How should you pack the car if you need to evacuate?

Preparation makes all the difference in responding to a disaster. Make sure you put the phone number of SERVPRO of Waycross / Hinesville / Douglas on your list of emergency contacts. We can help restore your home after a fire, flood, or other damage.