Tips To Develop A Family Disaster Plan For Mitigating Devastating Effects

Preparedness for an emergency is not just the sole concern of countries prone to tornados or earthquakes. People around the world have to be prepared for natural and man-made disasters. The familiarity with what action to take during an emergency makes a huge difference when disaster strikes and seconds count.

Natural disasters include earthquakes, wildfires, floods, tornados, hurricanes, and blizzards. Man-made disasters comprise events like terrorist attacks, arson, power outages, pandemics, and radiation threats. Families can consider some steps for emergency preparedness for any kind of disaster. For example, have a medical supply kit at hand, because it is valuable in every kind of disaster.

Disaster strikes suddenly make people confined in their homes or evacuate homes instantly. Basic services like gas, water, electricity, and telephone may be cut off for a long time, but a well-thought-out disaster plan can help families reduce the disaster’s devastating effects.

Communication is essential

Discuss a family disaster plan with the children and explain the dangers of earthquakes, weather catastrophes, and fire. Everyone from the family has to share responsibilities. Create a straightforward plan to be effective. Complicated plans can create confusion. The first step is to discuss the event types that can occur in the community or your location.

Tips to develop a family disaster plan

• Teach older children the basic first aid skills because prompt attention to emergencies like electrocution, bleeding, spinal injury, choking, burns, and heart attack helps to save lives and reduce injuries.
• Teach children basics of how to handle fire like feeling doorknobs before they open or get low to avert breathing smoke or how to use the fire escape ladder 2 story and reach to a safe place outside the home.
• If your location is prone to tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, or wildfires then educate your kids on how to identify the warning signs and where to go.

• Children should also learn how to call emergency 911, give their name as well as address.
• Establish a common family contact and disaster meeting place in the sudden emergency event and everyone is not together.
• Plan where to go during a sudden evacuation. If you are a dog owner then ensure to go to a place that will accept them.
• Visit every room and plan a quick and safe escape route. Ensure that every member is aware of this plan. Practice the plan often, so children and elders are aware of how to act and escape quickly during calamities.
• If your location is in a hurricane or flood zone and there are alerts then act quickly. Outdoor property like garden equipment, trash cans, lawn chairs must be bought inside otherwise they can float or fly and damage someone’s property or physically. Move tax records, family photos, insurance policies, and personal belongings, important documents to a high location or outside the house. Turn of the electricity’s main fuse and water from the main valve.

Practice and maintain the family disaster plan

Practice the disaster plan twice a year including evacuation drills using the fire escape ladder 3 stories via escape routes. To facilitate the process use a checklist that is customized to resolve common perils and even adjust the plan, if necessary. The stored food and water have to be rotated twice a year. Even ensure that smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are well-maintained!