Emergency Preparedness

What To Do At Work, Home, And School

 

Preparing for an unexpected emergency allows one to respond quickly to the threat or presence of an emergency.  Because of the mobile nature of our society, everyone should be prepared for an emergency whether they are at work, school, or at home.  These plans should include emergency preparedness issues whether the family is together or in separate locations.  Preparedness should address emergency awareness, response, and recovery.

 

Awareness is as simple as being informed of what is happening around you on a daily basis.  At home or at work one should keep a radio on tuned to a local channel, which will allow you to hear weather advisories and breaking news that may affect your normal routine.  At school you will have to depend on the school staff to keep you advised.  Awareness also involves developing a plan so that one can respond to different emergency scenarios.

 

Response involves putting your plan into action. Seeking shelter is normally your first action you will need to consider.  No matter where you are you should know how to find shelter.  At work or school the area for shelter will normally be designated for you.  At home, your shelter area will depend on the threat and the level of protection you will need.  It may vary from going to the lowest level of your home during a tornado warning, or to a sealed room in a biological or chemical attack.  If you are out in public during an emergency you can go to a public place and ask for directions to the nearest shelter.   In some major cities, like Kansas City, the old civil defense air raid shelters are being reactivated to face the new threat of terrorism.

 

Response at home will also involve making sure you follow every part of your plan.  If your family is not all together, you will need to have set up a phone contact person, and call that person to let them know who is with you and where you are.  Get out your emergency kit and have it ready to use.  Whether or not the emergency passes you by unscathed, the final phase of preparedness is always recovery.

 

Recovery is the process of returning your life to the way that it was before the emergency.  It may be as simple as putting your emergency kit back in its place and continuing on with your daily activities or it may be more involved depending upon the impact of the emergency on your family.

 

One part of the recovery plan involves getting your family back together if they were separated during the emergency.  In order to do this, your family should have a meeting place away from your neighborhood, such as a store or school.  Establishing a meeting place will keep family members from having to search numerous possible places for each other and it will let you know for sure if a family member is missing which will help local authorities.

 

Another part of the recovery phase is actually working toward replacing what was lost to the emergency.  Your insurance agent can help you in this process.  Your agent can assist you in obtaining temporary housing, clothing, and food.  Your agent can help you prepare for an emergency by showing you how to inventory your belongings and keep track of recovery costs.

 

The third part of recovery is the hardest because it includes recovering your state of well-being and security.  This part may require the help of a mental health expert as well as support from family members and friends. 

 

For more information on emergency preparedness you can contact the Liberty Fire Department at 816-439-4310, the Clay County Health Department’s Office of Homeland Security, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).