At I. Dachs & Sons, we believe that preparation is the key to safety and resilience. Explore our comprehensive resources for Disaster Preparedness, tailored to help you protect your family, home, and business.
Building a foundation for disaster preparedness starts with understanding emergency basics and being prepared for any emergency starts with a solid foundation. This guide covers essential steps for disaster readiness in any situation.
Key Steps to Prepare:
- Create a Family Emergency Plan: Outline how your family will communicate and where you will meet if separated.
- Build a Disaster Supply Kit: Include non-perishable food, water (1 gallon/person/day for 3 days), medications, flashlights, batteries, first aid supplies, cash, and important documents.
- Develop a Communications Plan: Designate an out-of-town contact, ensure everyone knows key phone numbers, and keep mobile devices charged.
- Plan Evacuation Routes: Identify safe exits from your home and neighborhood. Know your local emergency shelters.
- Stay Informed: Sign up for local alerts and warnings. Have a NOAA Weather Radio or app for real-time updates.
Protect What Matters Most
- Ready.gov: Emergency Basics — Comprehensive federal emergency planning guides and checklists.
- American Red Cross: Emergency Preparedness Checklist — Downloadable checklists for home and family emergency kits.
- FEMA: Family Emergency Plan — Printable templates for family plans and contact cards.
- Ready.gov: FEMA Emergency Supply List – Downloadable checklist for an emergency supply kit.
- Ready.gov: Community & State Information – Sign up for systems that will send instant text alerts or e-mails.
Preparation is Key
The two things you need in the case of any type of natural disaster are an Emergency Kit and a Family Communication Plan. Your emergency kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.
Your kit should be ready long before any emergency. If you have to evacuate at a moment’s notice there won’t be time to search for the supplies you need or go shopping for them.
Basic Emergency Supply Kit
- Water, one gallon of water per person per day for three days (both drinking and sanitation)
- Food, three-day supply, non-perishable
- Battery or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries
- Flashlights and extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Whistle
- Dust mask, plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags, plastic ties (personal sanitation)
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
- Manual can opener for food
- Local paper maps
- Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger
Family Communication Plan
- Your family may not be together, plan how you will contact one another.
- Create a contact card for all family members and keep them in a wallet, purse, backpack, briefcase, etc.
- Check emergency plans with your children’s day care or school.
- Identify a non-local friend or relative household members can notify when they are safe, they may be in a better position to communicate between
separated families. - If you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) in your phone. If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will
often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. - Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.
