Tips: Prepare For A Major Disaster
How will your life change if you experience a disaster tomorrow at 3:00 pm? It is estimated that seven out of 10 families are not prepared to handle a major disaster. In recent years, there has been a focus on preparing for potential terrorist attacks, but emergency preparedness also applies to natural disasters and workplace violence.
Families, businesses and communities must develop a response plan to deal with possible emergencies to protect family members, employees and citizens.
A communications and response plan helps everyone know what is required of them in the event of an emergency. A comprehensive plan will help to manage the situation and reduce the potential for loss of lives and injury.
To prepare a communications plan, Universal Protection Service suggests the following actions and resources.
- Determine what types of disasters will most likely happen in your community or to your company and prepare accordingly.
- Keep a portable disaster supply kit in your home and car and update it every six months.
- Determine places to meet, as appropriate, if separated.
- Have another work site identified for business continuity Ask an out-of-state friend to be your family contact.
- Plan and test a home evacuation route.
- Decide how family members will contact each other.
- Keep a list of emergency phone numbers by each phone and programmed into your cell phone.
- Make copies of important documents, such as, insurance forms, birth certificates and licenses and keep the original documents in a fire safe, lock box in another location.
- Know how to shut off utilities.
- Make preparations for family pets in advance.
- Listen to and follow the instructions provided by community officials before, during and after the disaster.