Emergency Planning

Emergency Planning: Focusing on Preparation

Have you been asked by these questions before? What’s inside your fridge right now? Is your dog food or cat food edible by humans? Do you have an emergency meeting place for your family? Who’s going to get your kids in school, in case, you did not make it? Do you even have dogs at home? Well, these questions could be some what intimidating, privacy intruding, and all the more, unusual for you to answer. But, if you are familiar with emergency planning, you will instantly know that the inquirer may be talking your family’s preparation for emergency situations.

Emergency planning unfortunately is one of the least focused aspects of family safety planning. Your family may have been through all sorts of safety activities such as engaging in seminars about family emergence response, you may have all the books of safety and emergency for homes, you could be installing the most high tech security and alarm system in your house, but if you don’t have an emergency plan when that dreaded day comes, it would all be of no use.

Fortunately, you never have to add worry lines on your face. You can actually do something to prepare your folks of worst case scenarios. Remember, that when you do emergency planning, you consider all the possible threats, calamities and disasters that may come. Home related emergencies may include the most common, electrical or fire accidents, physical accidents such as falling from the stairs, to gas leak explosion, earthquake, typhoons and even burglar.

Your first step in emergency planning is to make a list of contacts to emergency units like the police, 911, fire department, hospital, clinic and technicians, in case of electrical appliance accidents. Make sure that you provide speed dial numbers like 911. It is also best to put this list beside the telephone table or in a place where telephone conversion is commonly held. The purpose of this is for every member of the family to familiarize the numbers every time they pick up the phone.

Emergency exits must also be clearly laid out in case of home invasion. And don’t forget to orient every member of the family of a designed place where you will be meeting in case all members are not present during an emergency. It is also good to recognize a relative leaving nearby as destination of refuge.

Finally, always keep and bring with you a family photo or individual photos of your family members. This is helpful in times when a member is missing. Remember, that emergency planning is not just plain planning; it’s a preparation for emergency situations.