Emergency Preparedness BSA:
Emergency Preparedness Plan
- Planning ahead is the first step to a calmer and more assured disaster
response. Determine what kinds of natural and man-made disasters and
emergencies could occur in your community. Make a list of them, then
discuss each one and what you should do as a group in each situation.
For each type of emergency, establish responsibilities for each member
of your household and plan to work together as a team. Because some
family members might not be at home at the time of an emergency,
designate alternates in case someone is absent.
- Be sure everyone in the family can recognize the different sounds made
by smoke, heat, and motion detectors, burglar alarms, fire alarms, and
community sirens and warning signals, and know what to do when they
hear them.
- Discuss what to do if evacuation from your house is necessary. Be sure
everyone in the family knows that in that case, they must not hesitate,
but must get out as soon as possible and after they are outside someone
should call for help. Agree on an outdoor meeting place for the family,
such as a particular neighbor's front porch.
- Be sure everyone in the family knows how to call 911 (if your community
has that service) and other local emergency numbers; and how to call
on different kinds of phones, such as cell phones. Gather and post
other emergency numbers, such poison control, the family doctor, a
neighbor and an out-of-town person who are your family's emergency
contacts, a parent's work number and cell number, etc. Post all
emergency numbers near every telephone in the house and make copies for
everyone to carry with them.
- Because emergency responders will need an address or directions on where
to send help, be sure all family members know how to describe where
they can be found. Post your address near each telephone in the house.
When dealing with the stress of an emergency, even adult family members
could fail to recall details correctly.
- Plan an out-of-town evacuation route and an out-of-town meeting point,
in the event all family members aren't together at the same time to
evacuate. The meeting point might be the home of a family member in
another city or a hotel or landmark known to all family members.
- Practice evacuating your home twice a year. Drive your planned evacuation
route and plot alternate routes on a map in case the chosen roads are
impassable or grid-locked.
- Practice earthquake, tornado, and fire drills at home, work, and
school periodically.
- Be sure all family adults and older children know that in case of
emergency, it is their responsibility to keep the family together,
to remain calm, and explain to younger family members what has happened
and what is likely to happen next.
Emergency Preparedness BSA
Emergency Preparedness Plan |
Emergency Preparedness Kit
The Award |
Resources
