Emergenices can strike at anytime, anywhere. Prepare yourself now.

Being prepared for emergencies is crucial at home, school, work and in your community. Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood, workplace or school or can 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. The best way to make you and your family safer is to be prepared before disaster strikes. We encourage you to:

Click on either one of the following links to learn how:
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OVERVIEW

Consider the following when assembling or restocking your kit to ensure your family is prepared for any disaster:

• Store at least three days of food, water and supplies in your family's easy-to-carry preparedness kit. Keep extra supplies on hand at home in case you cannot leave the affected area.
• Keep your kit where it is easily accessible.
• Remember to check your kit every six months and replace expired or outdated items.

STEP 1: GET A KIT

Whether purchasing an official Red Cross preparedness kit or assembling your own, your family's kit should contain items that enable you to provide comfort for everyday scrapes or treat life-threatening emergencies.

A standard preparedness kit should include the following items.

• Water - You and your family may be without water for days in the aftermath of a disaster. The Red Cross recommends that each person store one gallon of water per day for at least three days. This supply will provide water for drinking as well as limited cleaning and cooking.
• Food - When preparing for a disaster, store at least three days of non-perishable, nutritious food that requires little or no water or cooking to prepare. Don't forget to store a manual can opener with non-perishable food items. When assembling items, remember that you and your family may be without water, gas, or electricity for an unknown period of time.
• Medications - When assembling a preparedness kit for you and your family, remember that pharmacies may be closed in the wake of a disaster. Be sure to include a week's supply of prescription and over-the-counter medications. Also keep a list of all medications and dosages, allergies, doctors' names, and nearby hospitals.
• Radio - Your home, or even neighborhood, may lose power in the aftermath of a disaster. Keep a battery-powered or hand-crank radio in your kit. Don't forget to include extra batteries in your kit to ensure you and your family stay informed throughout the course or aftermath of a disaster.
• First Aid Kit - Injuries are a common occurrence in a disaster. Be prepared to treat yourself, your loved ones, and others who need help.
• Personal Documents - You and your family may be displaced after a disaster. Be prepared, ensuring you have all necessary records with you - ID, passport, birth certificate, and insurance policies. Also keep an extra set of eye glasses, contact lenses, a cane, hearing aid batteries, or any other personal items you may need.
• Contact Info - Keep a list of family phone numbers and addresses as well as a copy of your out-of-area emergency contact card in your preparedness kit. Note that it is often easier to make a long-distance call rather than a local call after a disaster strikes.
• Map - Include a detailed map of the surrounding areas with highlighted evacuation routes. Following a disaster, roads may be closed and travel out of the affected area may not be possible. Become familiar with alternate routes to and from your home.
• Money - Following a disaster, banks and ATMs may be closed. Keep small bills and change on hand to buy necessary supplies like water.
• Clothing - You and your family may be forced to evacuate your home in a hurry without time to pack accordingly. Keep an extra set of warm clothes and sturdy shoes in your preparedness kit to ensure you're equipped to evacuate if needed.
• Sanitary Supplies - Include extra toilet paper, feminine supplies, personal hygiene products, bleach, and any other personal products you may need in your preparedness kit.
• Pet Supplies - Remember to include your pets in the plan. Make sure to assemble things your pets will need during a disaster, like food, leashes, medicine, etc.
• Tools - Keep an adjustable wrench in your preparedness kit to turn off your gas if necessary. Other tools may include a manual can opener, plastic sheeting, garbage bags with ties, and duct tape.
  
  

STEP 2: MAKE A PLAN

When preparing for a disaster, always:

• Talk with your family.
• Plan.
• Learn how and when to turn off utilities and how to use life-saving tools such as fire extinguishers.
• Tell everyone where emergency information and supplies are stored. Provide copies of the family's preparedness plan to each member of the family. Always ensure that information is up-to-date and practice evacuations, following the routes outlined in your plan. Don't forget to identify alternative routes.
• Include pets in your evacuation plans.
  

EMERGENCY CONTACTS
As an element of your preparedness plan, choose an out-of-area contact for all family members to call in case of an emergency. Include the contact on your Emergency Contact Card. Your contact should live far enough away that he or she will not be affected by the disaster. You should also:

• Predetermine meeting places to save time and minimize confusion.
• Select two meeting places:
  
  1. Right outside your home; e.g., in cases such as a home fire.
  2. Outside your neighborhood or town, when you cannot return home or you must evacuate.
  
  
  

STEP 3: BE INFORMED

There are three key parts to becoming informed:

1. Get Info – Learn the ways you would get information during a disaster or an emergency.
2. Know Your Region – Learn about the disasters that may occur in your area.
3. Action Steps – Learn First Aid from your local Red Cross chapter.

GET INFO
During a disaster, it's important to understand the different ways through which you can obtain information. Make sure you and each member of your family is familiar with the following ways to receive information:

• Television
• Radio
• Internet
• NOAA Weather Station
• Printed Notices
• Telephone/Text Messaging
• Local Emergency Warning Systems
• Person to Person
  

KNOW YOUR REGION
Learn what disasters or emergencies may occur in your area, and what to expect from them. If unsure, call your local American Red Cross chapter for more information.

ACTION STEPS

• CHECK
  
  If a disaster strikes, you may have to provide care. First assess the scene by evaluating:
  
  * Is the scene safe?
  * What happened?
  * How many injured people are there?
  * Are there bystanders who can help?
  
  When providing care, begin by checking the person for life-threatening conditions.
• CALL
  
  If you encounter one of the following types of emergencies, call 9-1-1:
  
  * Unconsciousness
  * No signs of life
  * Trouble breathing
  * Persistent chest pain or pressure
  
  When in doubt, always call 9-1-1.
  
  Stay calm and DO NOT hang up until the EMS dispatcher instructs you to do so.
  
  When calling 9-1-1, provide the following information to the dispatcher:
  
  * Your name and the number you are calling from
  * A description of what happened
  * Your exact location
  * The number of injured people
  * The condition of the person(s)
  * What help is being given
• CARE
  
  When providing care:
  
  * Reassure the person
  * Monitor the person's airway, breathing, and circulation
  * Help the person rest in the most comfortable position Prevent the person from getting either chilled or overheated
  
  Two common examples of emergency situations where you can provide life-saving care include:
  
  1. Conscious choking - Adult
  2. CPR - Adult
  

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