National emergency preparedness month comes every year to help encourage families and communities to come together and actively prepare for emergency scenarios. This year has given us a pandemic, food shortages, civil unrest, wildfires and so much more which proves disasters do not wait for you to be ready for them to happen, they just happen. It may seem like there is no way to prepare for every single scenario, but there are a few basics you can have on hand that will work for multiple disasters.
As September, national emergency preparedness month, comes to an end, it's the perfect time to take a look at all the things you have prepared for, and what you can work on in the future. You might find that some of your plans need updating or you have found a perfect addition to add on. A few things you may want to look at include:
Your communication plan
Do your family and friends know your emergency plans? You will want to make sure that you communicate with key individuals what exactly you plan on doing before, during and after an emergency. That way if something happens to you, someone knows this was not part of the plan. Civil Dispatch can help you communicate effectively to your whole family in an emergency situation with an alert sent instantaneously to any smart device.
Let people know where your evacuation location is going to be, and if you have an emergency meeting spot, make sure it is still accessible. It is best to always have a backup location as well.
Your emergency kit
Most prepared people have an emergency kit on hand that has a few staples that will last them no matter the scenario. Things like a first aid kit, nonperishable food, water, flashlights and other items that you can either take with you on the road or can help sustain you as you stay in place.
National emergency preparedness month is the perfect time to check your emergency items and make sure nothing has expired or gone bad. You might think nonperishables never go bad, but even water can expire if not stored properly.
Which disasters to plan for
While theoretically, you want to be prepared for whatever life throws your way, statistically, you are more likely to experience some disaster over others. Take stock of where you live and what scenarios are most likely to happen, and prepare extra thoroughly for those. Learn how to not only prepare yourself, but your home, family and your car for worst case scenarios.
Consider the pandemic
Going through one disaster is bad enough, but throw a pandemic on top and it can get 10 times worse. When evaluating the plans you had or the plans you have made for national emergency preparedness month make sure that you have a backup plan or at least considered how COVID-19 affects those plans.
The skills required
Once all of your plans are in place, make sure you have all the necessary skills to execute those plans. Do you know how to use the items in your emergency kit? What about how to use a fire extinguisher? It is not good enough to plan for those things you have to know how to do them. Learn what new skills you need to and practice the ones you already have so that you do not get rusty.
Civil Dispatch
Civil Dispatch makes being prepared easier than ever for emergency scenarios. When evaluating all your plans, consider adding Civil Dispatch to the mix to be even more safe and prepared.