Is your family prepared?
The potential for severe weather, loss of power, flooding, pandemic influenza, and terrorism are just a few of the disasters we all should be prepared for, but most of us are not.
During the month of September, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and local response agencies, like the Mid-Michigan District Health Department (MMDHD), will be urging all Americans to take some simple steps to make sure their families are more prepared for emergencies.
“September is National Preparedness Month, as well as the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks,” said Kimberly Singh, Health Officer for MMDHD. “It’s an opportune and symbolic time to remind everyone of the continued importance of adequately preparing for emergencies.”
Mid-Michigan District Health Department and the Department of Homeland Security urge individuals to take the following steps to be prepared:
Create a home kit- One of the most important things you can do to protect your family is to create a Home Emergency Preparedness Kit, which will allow you and your family to survive at least three days in an emergency. The basic kit should contain:
– Water- one gallon per person, per day
– Non-perishable food items that require no cooking or refrigeration and little water
– Can opener
– Battery-powered or hand-crank radio and NOAA weather radio with extra batteries
– Flashlights and extra batteries
– First aid kit
– Blankets, sleeping bags and clothes
– Prescription medication and glasses
– Feminine Supplies
– Copies of identification, birth certificates, insurance policies, bank account records, passports, etc.
– Phone numbers of relatives or emergency contacts
When assembling your kit, don’t forget the needs of infants, seniors, the disabled, those with special needs or pets. Visit www.ready.gov for a complete list of recommended supplies and remember to prepare a smaller version of the kit for your car.
Make a plan- Plan in advance what you and your family will do in an emergency. Find two ways to escape from each room in your home and designate two meeting spots, one outside your home and another outside your neighborhood, in case your family is not together when a disaster strikes. You should also conduct periodic emergency fire and tornado drills so your family knows what to do in an emergency.
Be informed- Learn more about different threats that could affect your community and appropriate responses to them.
Get involved- After preparing yourself and your family, take the next step: receive training in first aid and emergency response or become involved in your neighborhood’s community-watch program. Visit www.citizencoprs.gov for more information. You may also become a registered volunteer through the Michigan Volunteer Registry at www.mivolunteerregistery.org.
For additional information, please visit www.mmdhd.org, www.do1thing.org or www.ready.gov.