Prepare and review your personal/family preparedness plan

• Meet with your family to discuss the types of disasters that could occur and how you will respond
• Familiarize yourself and your family with your home’s evacuation plan, your town’s evacuation routes and nearby evacuation shelters

Create an emergency preparedness kit

• Water, food and clean air are essential items for survival. Each individual or family kit should be customized to meet specific needs, such as medications and infant formula. It should also be customized to include important family documents.

Arrange for the care of others

• Familiarize yourself with work and children’s school emergency plans
• Make plans for child, elder care or pet in case you cannot get home

List contact numbers and locations

• Plan how your family will stay in contact if separated by disaster
• Pick two meeting places: a location a safe distance from your home in case of fire and a place outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home
• Choose an out-of-state friend as a “check-in contact” for everyone to call

Exercise and evaluate your plan every six months

• Practice and maintain your plan:
• Hold emergency drills with all household members at least two times each year
• Show each family member how and when to turn off the utilities (water, gas and electricity) at the main switches