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Emergency
Plan Ideas
What items should I have in case of an
Emergency? **
This
section explains how you can be best prepared if a problem or
sudden emergency arises and what items you should have in your
home to help you get through this period. These emergencies could
range from severe snow storms or flooding that causes you to
remain in your home for several days to power outages or even
evacuation of your home. Pre-planning for these situations
can help ease some stress and assure that family members know what
to do and where to go.
Pick one out-of-state and one local
friend or relative for family members to call if separated by
disaster (it is often easier to call out-of-state than it is to
call within the affected area). Use your telephone as little as
possible. During an emergency, network lines quickly become
overloaded with calls, hampering emergency communications.
When preparing a 'Grab & Go' emergency
kit you should include:
 | A supply of nonperishable, high
energy packaged or canned food, that does not have to be
cooked to be eaten, and a non-electric can opener. |
| A change of clothing, rain gear,
sturdy shoes, extra blankets or sleeping bags. |
| A first aid kit and prescription
medications. |
| An extra pair of glasses, car keys
and house keys. |
| Battery powered radio, flashlight,
and extra batteries for each. |
| Credit cards, cash & photo
identification. |
| A list of important family
information, including a list of family physicians and the
style and serial number of medical devices such as pacemakers. |
| Special items for infants, elderly
and family members with special needs. |
| Extra supplies and special items for
pets. |
| Copies of important documents such as
insurance coverage information and phone numbers. |
| An ample supply of water. One gallon
of water per day per person is recommended, however it can be
hard to `grab & go' with a supply of water for a family of
5, so you may want to stock water in several different sizes
of containers for use during different kinds of emergencies. |
| Store these supplies in an easy to
access location such as a pantry near an exterior door of your
home. Keep them in easy to carry `containers' such as
backpacks and small duffel bags.
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| Make arrangements to have designated meeting areas, both
locally and with relatives or friends who live 10 to 50 miles
away in case you have to evacuate your home or if you cannot
make it back to your home or community.
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** Special thanks to the Ridgewood
Emergency Services, Office of Emergency Management for
assistance in preparing this section.
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