What You Need to Know About Emergency Preparedness

Emergency preparedness is a staple in every family’s home and one of the best ways to ensure your safety in the event of an emergency. Whether that means a hurricane, earthquake, or something else common to your region, you should know as much as you can about how to prepare for it. Much better if you acquire a legit  CPR Certification from a reputable training center. You can take classes from Ready Response – CPR & First Aid Training so that you’re always prepared in case of an emergency. The elements of an Emergency Plan will include:

Food

One of the best ways to ensure that your family can keep going in the event of an emergency is by having a stockpile of food. Your supplies should be kept in a cool, dry place that can be easily reached and accessed quickly whenever necessary. Even if you already have a supply, you should think about getting more as soon as possible. The food that you buy for your emergency stock should also be prepared as much as possible without any extra packaging or preservatives.

 While fresh foods still in their original packaging should be kept at a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, canned and dry goods should be stored at a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit or less.

Sanitation

A fundamental part of emergency preparedness is sanitation. Make sure that you have enough supplies to deal with any sanitary challenges that your location may face, such as any diseases that can spread due to contamination from sewage or other contaminants. It is also important to think about the potential for power outages in your area. 

This can result in a lack of clean water and a lack of electricity that could cause problems with any sanitary facilities. Some locations have a septic tank system that uses treated water, while others may rely solely on municipal sewage treatment systems. Don’t forget to make sure you have adequate supplies of toilet paper.

Health

In an emergency, you may be without access to proper health care. Therefore, it is important that you plan as far in advance as possible for how you will provide medical care to your family and pets. If possible, have these supplies in advance so that you can check them regularly for expiration dates and keep anything out of use until the time comes. 

As per Judah Karkowsky, one of the best things you can do for yourself in an emergency is to keep medical records at home that include a copy of your personal doctor’s patient chart. This will let you access medical records in a medical emergency and make life much simpler. It may also include a list of medications you need to have on hand in an emergency.

Plan for More Than the Emergency

As long as you have taken proper safety precautions while preparing for your emergency, you should be ready for any type of situation that may arise. There are always things that go wrong, but with the right knowledge and tools at hand, you should be able to overcome them without much difficulty. 

It is also important that you plan for more than just the emergency itself. For example, you should also think about how you will handle being without services like water and gas when these things go out during an emergency. How much water will your family need for any number of days, and where can it be sourced from? 

Think about how you plan to cook food or boil water if possible and what other needs your family might have if the water isn’t drinkable. These things can vary by location, so you’ll need to research the possibilities in your region.

Prepare for the Worst

Emergency preparedness is heavily dependent on knowledge, which is why it is so important to educate yourself about anything that might happen in your area. Many emergency preparedness courses are offered for free or at a low cost, and it is recommended that you take advantage of them. 

The more you know what could happen when disaster strikes, the better off you will be during and after an emergency. There are also many online courses on emergency preparedness from websites such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, FEMA, etc.

Things To Consider While Planning For Emergency

  • Firstly, you need to plan for emergencies that are likely to happen in your town/city/country. 
  • Make sure you are familiar with the risk of natural disasters in your community. 
  • Be prepared mentally and physically to respond to any foreseen emergency, like flood, earthquake, etc.
  • Don’t forget to plan for unique emergencies in your region as well, like tornadoes, tsunamis, and volcanoes. 
  • Do necessary preps for emergencies that may require evacuation, like a hurricane, and disasters that ask for a cozy shelter, such as winter storms.

What To Plan In Case of Separation During An Emergency?

The best strategy is to choose a place where you can reunite with your family, in case any of you get separated during unusual situations. 

Select at least two locations to meet:

  1. Prioritize gathering right outside your house. For example, in case of fire, everyone should run to the exit door and wait for other members outside the place.
  2. The second location can be outside the neighborhood (in case you are requested to evacuate).

Besides location, choose a person to contact in emergency situations and inform that person about the planning. Ideally, every family member should carry the emergency contact details in written form or save them in the phone list. Make sure to leave the information at the school, daycare, and other places as well where your kids spend most of their time.

Don’t forget to involve other family members in your planning who might be living somewhere else during the year. For example, students that are away because of studies, members of the military, frequent travellers, etc. You should discuss how you will execute the plan if they are at home and what to do if they are away.

Test The Plan

Once you have created the plan, the next step is to test if it will work or not. It will not just help you identify the loopholes in the plan, but it will make you able to smoothly follow all the steps during an emergency. 

Conclusion

You should focus your attention on what you can do now to prepare for any emergency and keep your family safe. Emergency preparedness is about knowing what to do before a crisis occurs but having the skills needed to help you survive after it does occur.

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