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Four Steps to Disaster Planning
Find out what disasters could happen to you:
• Ask your local emergency management office what types of disasters are most likely to happen
in your area.
• Learn about your community's warning systems.
• Ask about animal care after a disaster.
• Find out how to help elderly or disabled persons in your area.
• Find out about the disaster plan at work, your children's schools, and child care center.
Create a disaster plan:
• Meet with your family to discuss why you need to prepare for disasters.
• Discuss what disasters are likely to happen.
• Discuss what to do during an evacuation. Plan care for your pets.
• Ask a friend or relative to be your "out of area phone contact."
• Pick two meeting places. One right outside your home and one outside your neighborhood in
case you can't return home.
Put your plan into action:
• Educate family members about the difference between Shelter-In-Place and Evacuation.
• Display emergency phone numbers.
• Educate family members how to turn off utilities.
• Install fire extinguishers.
• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Conduct a hazard hunt to identify hazards in your home.
• Take a first aid class.
• Determine escape routes from your home. Find two ways out of each room.
• Find safe spots for each known disaster.
Practice and maintain your plan:
• Review your plan every six months.
• Conduct shelter-in-place and evacuation drills.
• Check your fire extinguishers and smoke detectors every six months.
• Replace expired food and water in your home, office and vehicle emergency supply kits.