Emergency Tip: June's Do1Thing.com Prep Task - Unique Family Needs

GOAL FOR JUNE: Be aware of and prepare for your family’s unique needs.

Do1Thing.Com's Goal for June: Make sure your family's unique medical, physical and pet needs are covered during a possible emergency.

Below is a list of things the Do1Thing team recommends you can do to achieve your goal this month.
Choose at least one, and complete it!

• Talk with family members to identify your household’s unique needs.
• Make a plan to make sure pets are taken care of in a disaster.
• If you or someone in your household has a disability, create an evacuation plan that works for them.

Visit this month’s Do 1 Thing topic page for fact sheets, videos and additional resources on ensuring your family gets the correct emergency information.


Background

Do 1 Thing is a web-based, twelve-month preparedness program that focuses on a different area of emergency preparedness each month. Remember: emergency preparedness doesn’t have to be hard or expensive.

It’s as easy as:

1. Click on this month’s topic
2. Select one of the easy “Tasks”
3. Do that one thing!

So visit http://do1thing.com/ today and get started preparing yourself, your family, and your community right now!

Please see my January 2015 post about the entire Do 1 Thing program for additional information.

Image credit: Do1Thing.Com

Emergency Tip: September's Do1Thing.com Prep Task - Be Informed

Do1Thing.Com's Goal for September: Make sure your family is able to access important information in a timely manner before and during an emergency.

Below is a list of things the Do1Thing team recommends you can do to achieve your goal this month.
Choose at least one, and complete it!

• Make sure everyone in your family knows what to do when they hear emergency warnings.
• Get a NOAA Emergency Alert Radio.
• Make sure everyone in your household can communicate in a disaster.

Visit this month’s Do 1 Thing topic page for fact sheets, videos and additional resources on ensuring your family gets the correct emergency information.

Background

Do 1 Thing is a web-based, twelve-month preparedness program that focuses on a different area of emergency preparedness each month. Remember: emergency preparedness doesn’t have to be hard or expensive.

It’s as easy as:

1. Click on this month’s topic
2. Select one of the easy “Tasks”
3. Do that one thing!

So visit http://do1thing.com/ today and get started preparing yourself, your family, and your community right now!

Please see my January 2015 post about the entire Do 1 Thing program for additional information.

Image credit: Do1Thing.Com

Emergency Tip: July's Do1Thing.com Prep Task - Family Communication Plan

GOAL FOR JULY: Have the ability to communicate with
family members during a disaster.

It's time to think about Your Family's Communication Plan

Read my post from 9/11/14 about Family Communication Plans - Do 1 Thing amplifies my advice with some excellent tips below.

July's Do 1 Thing task is Family Communication Plans -  know how to keep in touch with family and friends during an emergency.

Today we have more ways to speak with one another than ever before. We are used to staying in touch with cell phones, internet, and email, but disasters can change things. These devices may not be available. Cell phone towers quickly become overloaded with people trying to reach friends and family. If the power is out at your home, cordless phones, internet, and email will not work either.

Below is a list of things that you can do to achieve your goal this month.
Choose at least one, and complete it!

• Have a phone with a cord and a car charger for your cell phone standing by in case of a power failure.
• Develop a plan for how your family will stay in touch during a disaster.
• Program In Case of Emergency (ICE) numbers into all family cell phones.

Learn more: The “Family Communication Plan” fact sheet has more information about being aware of and preparing for your family’s unique needs. (This fact sheet is available in additional languages and formats here.)





Visit this month’s Do 1 Thing topic page for fact sheets, videos and additional resources on family preparation.

Background

Do 1 Thing is a web-based, twelve-month preparedness program that focuses on a different area of emergency preparedness each month. Remember: emergency preparedness doesn’t have to be hard or expensive.

It’s as easy as:

1. Click on this month’s topic
2. Select one of the easy “Tasks”
3. Do that one thing!

So visit http://do1thing.com/ today and get started preparing yourself, your family, and your community right now!

Please see my January 2015 post about the entire Do 1 Thing program for additional information.

Image credit: http://do1thing.com/

Emergency Tip: June's Do1Thing.com Prep Task - Unique Family Needs

GOAL FOR JUNE: Be aware of and prepare for your

 family’s unique needs.

It's time to think about Your Family's Unique Needs

June's Do 1 Thing task is Unique Family Needs -  know how to ensure you plan for your family's unique needs during an emergency.

Every household is different. Is there an infant or young child in your home? Does someone in your family have a medical condition that requires medication? Do you have a pet? Before disaster strikes, talk to your family about your household’s unique needs. Make a list of special items you may need in a disaster.

Below is a list of things that you can do to achieve your goal this month.
Choose at least one, and complete it!

• Talk with family members to identify your household’s unique needs.
• Make a plan to make sure pets are taken care of in a disaster.
• If you or someone in your household has a disability, create an evacuation plan that works for them.

Learn more: The “Unique Family Needs” fact sheet has more information about being aware of and preparing for your family’s unique needs. (This fact sheet is available in additional languages and formats here.)

Visit this month’s Do 1 Thing topic page for fact sheets, videos and additional resources on family preparation.

Background

Do 1 Thing is a web-based, twelve-month preparedness program that focuses on a different area of emergency preparedness each month. Remember: emergency preparedness doesn’t have to be hard or expensive.

It’s as easy as:

1. Click on this month’s topic
2. Select one of the easy “Tasks”
3. Do that one thing!

So visit http://do1thing.com/ today and get started preparing yourself, your family, and your community right now!

Please see my January 2015 post about the entire Do 1 Thing program for additional information.

Image credit: http://do1thing.com/

Friday's Emergency Tip: Kid Plans

Talk with your family this weekend and figure out plans
for various situations. 

Not every event is a major catastrophe, but you should still plan

Back on 9/11, I wrote about Family Communications Plans. These plans were focused on major events and reaching distant family and friends - not the immediate, local family.

But recently I was reminded by a neighbor with younger children that events happen every day that are not real emergencies, but would be much less stressful if a plan was thought out first.

Events such as:

• Child arriving home to an empty, locked house
   - Do they have a key?
   - Can they stay in the backyard?
   - If it's winter, which neighbor should they go to? 
• Child lost in a mall
   - Who should they ask for help?
   - Do they know your cell #?
• Child left at school
   - During normal hours, there are always administrators with family contact info, but what about after hours: sports, drama club, band?
   - How can your child call you? Do they have their own phone or can they borrow a friend's?
   - Should they go home with a neighbor? 
• Child hurt outside
   - If there are no adults present, what will they do?
   - How will your child get help or help the other injured person?
• Fire at home
   - This is a real emergency that must be planned for.
   - When was the last time you held an actual fire drill at home?
   - Does every room have 2 ways to get out?
   - What if an adult is not home? Do your children know what to do? Where to go?

These are just a few events to think about and plan for. Each family and home is different, so every family's planning process will be different. The important thing is to regularly talk about possible events and how you and your family would deal with each one.

There are many excellent family emergency plans out on the web. I've linked to a few below:

• Ready.gov's Family Emergency Plan Site - has links to an excellent Family Communication Plan for Parents and Kids (PDF) with forms for phone numbers, meeting spots and fire drills.
• Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's Make a Plan Site - contains checklists and links to a great Family Emergency Plan (PDF) with info lists and contact cards for the whole family.