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Develop an Emergency Plan during National Preparedness Month
LAGRANGE - Imagine awakening in the middle of the night to see smoke seeping into your bedroom. Realizing your home is on fire, you only have seconds to get your family out safely. What do you do?
Disasters can strike at any time, and the Georgia Three Rivers Chapter of the American Red Cross encourages everyone to create a plan that can help keep people safe in an emergency.
Having an emergency plan is an important step so everyone in the household knows what they should do if something happens,” said Jessica McFadden, disaster program manager. “This National Preparedness Month, the Red Cross urges families to protect their loved ones, including pets, by creating or updating and practicing their plan.”
MAKE A PLAN
Everyone in the household should help put the emergency plan together so they know what they should do if something occurs. Because everyone may not be together at home when a disaster happens, the plan should include ways to contact one another and two places to meet – one near the home in case of a sudden emergency like a fire, and one outside the neighborhood in case circumstances prevent people from returning home. The plan should also identify an emergency contact person from outside the area in case local telephone lines are overloaded or out of service.
Any emergency plan should also include decisions about where to go if ordered to evacuate and what route to take to get there. It’s a good idea to include alternate routes in case roads are closed. Don’t forget family pets. Make sure to include plans for them such as pet-friendly hotels and animal shelters along the evacuation route.
HOME FIRES
The most common threat people face across the country is a fire in their home. National Preparedness Month is a good time to develop a fire escape plan and practice it with everyone in the household.
When developing the plan, walk through the home and look at all exits and possible escape routes, including windows.
List two ways to get out of every room in case fire blocks one of the paths.
Pick a place to meet outside, a safe distance away and – no matter the circumstances – stay out of the home until fire officials say it is okay to go back inside.
Practice the plan at least twice a year.
Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
Test the alarms monthly, replace the batteries at least once a year and replace them every ten years.
RED CROSS APPS
The Red Cross has developed mobile apps that provide information on what to do before, during and after emergencies, including a “Make a Plan” feature on how to develop an emergency plan. The free apps can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross.
Contact Jessica McFadden at 706-884-5818 or go to www.GA3RiversRedCross.org to learn more about prepare for all types of emergencies or volunteer opportunities in Carroll, Coweta, Haralson, Heard, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Troup and Upson Counties.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit GA3RiversRedcross.org and follow the Georgia Three Rivers Chapter @3RiversRedCross on Twitter and Facebook.