Tips for Disaster Preparedness for Families
The television news is full of natural disasters happening every now and then. It is thus our responsibility to create a plan so that we are always prepared, and there is no need to be scared. Below are given tips for disaster preparedness for families that will help assure protection for your family and thus guarantee you peace of mind.
Meeting with every member of your family
Decide a date and time when your entire family should meet and talk about the disaster plan. You need to continue with such meetings unless the plan is perfected. Buy a ring binder notebook and insert a cover page which should have “Family Disaster Plan” (FDP) written in bold letters so that it can be easily seen. You should keep this notebook in an area everyone knows. Discuss with your family and write down important points in the notebook like reunion points, emergency information and numbers, important family records, medical release form for minor children, CPR training and so on.
Reserve water
Water is important for survival. During a disaster, you perhaps will not have water available. So, stocking water reserves or knowing how to purify contaminated water should top your list. You should always have at least 72 hours of water reserved for each member of your family. According to emergency officials, you should have enough water stored for first 72 hours, but if possible store water for 2 to 3 weeks. Your emergency water storage location should be mentioned in your FDP.
Make your disaster backpack kits
A disaster may last for hours, days and even weeks. Though relief workers will be on the scene, it might not be possible for them to reach everyone immediately, so you need to be prepared. You can use a backpack to create your emergency survival kits, and that should contain essential, which can help you survive for 72 hours or more. The items you should include in your kit are water and food, light and communication, first aid kit, tools, shelter and warmth, hygiene and sanitation, prescription medications, eyeglasses and anything that you can fit in your backpack. Your FDP should state where the emergency kit is located.
Food storage and rotation
While preparing emergency food supplies there are certain things you need to keep in mind. You should store food items that will last for a long time, and do remember to put date on each item. Follow a method like if you store your basement or pantry with canned goods, the new items you purchase should be stored in the back, so that you can take the older ones from front. You can let your family sample the stored items as that will help you know what you should store in the future, depending on their likes and dislikes. The dates of your emergency food storage should be written in your FDP notebook.
Review your FDP every 6 months
You should review your disaster preparedness for families plan once in every six months, so that each member of your family stays refreshed and you can add or delete things in your FDP as required.