5 Emergency Preparations For Your Family

5 Emergency Preparations For Your Family

You might not have heard about it, but each September is National Preparedness Month. This is the month to prepare yourself, your family, and your home, for emergencies. You never know when a crisis will affect you or one of your loved ones, so it’s important to take the time now to make sure that you’re all prepared and know what to do in the case of an emergency.

1. Learn about natural disasters and how to protect yourself from them.

The first step to protecting yourself from a natural disaster is to learn about the different kinds. Once you understand which disasters could possibly occur in your area, how you’ll know they’re happening, and what you can expect during them, you will be able to prepare properly. Teach your family what they should do to stay safe during each of these situations. Now that you all understand what should be done in each circumstance, you can create your plans. You should have safe places designated for each possibility, whether it’s in your home or at a safe place. Consider your family’s specific needs while establishing your plans and make sure to write down your arrangement so each family member can review your strategy often and memorize it.

2. Prepare older children to stay home alone.

If you have children in your family that are old enough to stay home alone, you’ve likely already shared safety information with them. However, it’s always important to refresh their memory of these tips. Teach them how to safely use kitchen appliances, who to open the door for, when to call you, and more. Teach them how to lock up your home properly and how to use your home security system if you have one. Showing them tips online, such as SimpliSafe’s YouTube videos, will help them learn how to protect the home and themselves while you’re away.

3. Choose a family safe word.A family safe word can be helpful for many different situations. A solid safe word is one that wouldn’t be used in normal conversation in your family. It’s also important to have a word that won’t allow others to know that something is wrong. For example, if you only have fish as pets, a good way to let a family member know that something is wrong would be to say “Have you fed the cat?”. Children can also use a safe word to let their parents know that they need to speak about something that’s bothering them. Teach your children what they should do if you use a safe word, how they can stay safe and how to let others know that something is wrong.

4. Gather emergency resources.It’s essential to have resources available in your home to help your family if an emergency arises. First, sign up each of your family members with a cell phone for emergency alerts. This way, each person knows if there is an emergency in your area. Next, find phone numbers and websites to communicate an emergency to others, like poison control and your local police station. Keep a list of these resources somewhere where anyone can easily access them. Finally, create emergency kits to keep in your home and your car. Items that should be in your kit include food, first aid supplies, extra batteries, personal hygiene items, and more.

5. Teach fire safety tips to your family.The first step to teaching fire safety is to teach prevention. Make sure each member of your family understands how to properly use appliances that could potentially start a fire. Make sure your smoke detector is functioning and has batteries. If the unfortunate situation of a house fire does occur, it’s important that your children know what to do. Teach them to stay low to avoid breathing in smoke and to stop, drop, and roll if their clothes catch on fire. A fun way to practice these tips with kids is to play Firefighter Says. You can also call your local firehouse to see if they have a time available when firefighters can teach your little ones all about fire safety and what they do.

Hopefully these tips will get you started on preparing your families this month.

How do you plan on preparing your family for emergencies this month?