prepare

Big Rivers Chapter, 1650 W. 2nd Street,

Owensboro, Kentucky 42301

270-683-2438

HELP CAN'T WAIT "TOGETHER WE CAN SAVE A LIFE" ALWAYS THERE TOUCHING LIVES AROUND THE WORLD, AROUND THE CLOCK

Disaster Preparedness

Your family disaster plan: 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. Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility.

FAMILY DISASTER PREPAREDNESS KIT

This is Tornado and Windstorm Season. Be Prepared!

Make a visual or written record of all of your household possessions. Record model and serial numbers. Keep in a safety deposit box or other safe place.

MAKE A PLAN

1. Talk - Discuss with your family the disasters that can happen where you live. Establish responsibilities for each member of your household and plan to work together as a team. Designate alternates in case someone is absent.

2. Plan - Choose two places to meet after a disaster:

(a). Right outside your home, in case of a sudden emergency such as a fire.
(b) Outside your neighborhood, in case you cannot return or are asked to evacuate your neighborhood.

3. Learn - Each adult in your household should learn how and when to turn off utilities such as electricity, water and gas. Ask someone at the fire department to show you how to use the fire extinguisher you store in your home.
4. Check supplies - Review your disaster supplies and replace water and food every 6 months. (See kit information below).
5. Tell - Let everyone in the household know where emergency contact info is kept. Make copies for everyone to carry with them. Be sure to include an out-of-town contact. Keep the information updated.
6. Practice - Practice evacuating your home 2 times a year. Drive your planned evacuation route and plot alternate routes on a map in case main roads are impassable or grid-locked. Practice earthquake, tornado and fire drills at home, school and work.

BUILD A KIT

These are supplies you will need when you leave your home; put them all together in a duffle bag or other large container in advance:

Flashlight with plenty of extra batteries
Battery powered radio with extra batteries
First Aid Kit
Prescription medications in original bottle, plus copies of the prescriptions
Eyeglasses (with a copy of prescription)
Water (at least 1 gallon per person)

Foods that do not require refrigeration or cooking (take a can opener).
Items that infants and elderly household members may require.
Medical equipment and devices, such as dentures, prostheses, canes, etc.
Change of clothes for each person
Sleeping bag or bedroll and pillow for each household member
Map of the area

IMPORTANT PAPERS TO TAKE WITH YOU:

Driver’s License or personal I.D.
Social Security Card & Insurance Cards
Proof of residence (deed or lease)
Insurance Policies

Birth and marriage certificates
Stocks, bonds, & other negotiable certificates
Wills, deeds and copies of recent tax returns

REMEMBER YOUR PETS

· Pets are not permitted in Red Cross shelters. Service animals are accepted. Plan to take them to a friend’s or relative’s home or a vets during times of emergency.

· Remember to carry them in a sturdy carrier.

· Have identification, collar, leash, and proof of vaccinations for all pets.

· Have food and water for your pets.

· Have a current photo of your pets in case they get lost.

Taken in part From: 5 Actions For Emergency Preparedness #A1800, April 2003; Your Evacuation Plan, ARC5003, April 1998.