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Fall 2005

PLANNING FOR EMERGENCIES
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This fall has seen two natural disasters that have affected many lives in the southern part of the United States. Both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita caused untold damage to property and lives, forcing many thousands of people to leave their homes - some for an extended period of time.

Even in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area, we have experienced several events that often caught us unaware and frequently unprepared. The terrorist attacks of 2001, Hurricane Isabel in 2003 and even the snipers in 2002 all forced many to either leave their homes or to make alternate plans for their families for short or even extended periods of time.

The communities of the National Capital Region have joined to develop a website http://www.makeaplan.org that will help your family prepare for any unexpected event. There is a wealth of information, including community resources, on this site that will help you make preparations now so that, in the event of an unexpected incident, you and your family will have already set a plan in motion.

Be Ready Make A Planincludes the following suggestions to help each family develop an emergency plan. Having an emergency plan that details what you and your family will do in the event of an emergency is a major step towards becoming prepared. This plan should include:
  • A meeting place. Select a meeting place, other than your home, where you and your family can meet if it is unsafe for you to return home or if you are unable to return to your home.


  • Evacuation routes. You and your family should plan several evacuation routes so that you know how to leave the area via more than one way quickly and safely. You should be prepared in case part or all of your route home is blocked. If your route includes using public transportation, go to http://www.metroopensdoors.com and get a copy of their Alternate Route Planning Guide.


  • Emergency contact. You and your family should choose a friend or relative who lives outside the area to be the contact for your family in an emergency. Everyone in your family should know who this contact is and how to reach them. If they have more than one number (home phone, business phone, cell phone), all three numbers should be memorized. It may be easier to call long distance, as local phone lines may become overloaded.


  • School and work plans. Your work place and your children's schools should already have emergency plans in place. Make sure you know what they are.


  • Write the plan down. Make a copy of your family's emergency plan and make sure each of you, as well as your emergency contact, has one. Consider all the members of your household - small children, elderly parents, pets. How will they be taken care of? Make sure everyone's plan is included in your family's emergency plan.


  • Have a three day supply of water on hand. Plan on one gallon of water per person per day. Store the water in a cool dark place and replace it every six months. Keep a two week supply of food on hand. Periodically replace the food. Don't forget to include a can opener!


  • Have a battery powered flashlight and radio, extra batteries, and a first aid kit.
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