Family Survival List

Putting together an emergency plan seems like a daunting task but if you are ever in an emergency situation you will be glad you took the time to plan and include your family. I am sure you are thinking it now; if an emergency situation arose and you did not have a plan in place your first thought is going to be “what am I going to do to protect my family?” Putting a plan in place will put you in a position to keep your family safe.

First things first, water and food are your most basic essentials. Ready.gov suggests a three day supply for each person in your group. Just how long a person can live without food differs because of factor such as health, weight, age, etc., but water is a must have. Since water is heavy to carry and transport we recommend not only having a water supply but also having water filtration supplies such as filters or purifying tablets/drops.

Protection is also important. Having protection (yes, weapons) in your home is one thing, but knowing how to use them is another. You want to be able to handle any situation, but it is also important that everyone else in your household be able to do so. You may have young children, so you will need to find your own comfort level with teaching your kids how to protect themselves. What I like to tell people is to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Ask yourself: How will (fill in the blank) be able to protect themselves if I am not here?

At this point you are already putting a lot of thought into what you need to do to keep your family safe, but you’re not quite done yet. Watch this video on how FEMA is trying to get kids to educate their parents. Their thought is that the average American won’t listen to FEMA but maybe the kids will and then educate their parents. Obviously, having the luxury of staying in your home in the event of an emergency is preferable to anyone. After all, you have all of your belongings, tools, food, etc. as well as the comfort of your home and a locked door. But you may not be so lucky, so an exit plan is a must.

What is the quickest way out of town? What are alternate routes? Where will you go? Does your city have emergency shelters, and where are they? What shelters accept pets? Keep all of this listed in a convenient place and update it regularly. Subscribe to your city’s reverse emergency notification system. In addition create a special plan for you and your family members in the even that you have to meet to evacuate. You might not all be sitting at home together when an emergency arises. You may be at work, your kids may be at school, and your spouse may be running errands. Have a plan specifically for getting your family together first, and then proceed to a shelter/out of town/etc. You may need more than one plan and that’s OK, just make sure that your entire family knows the plan and practices it. It is always better to be safe than to be sorry.