September is National Preparedness Month

It wasn't until earlier this morning when I was on Facebook that I remembered that September is also National Preparedness Month. I thought on how I could do my part to raise awareness of preparedness and I thought the best avenue would be to address preparedness and the disabled. That being said, "Lets do this".

The first step in preparing for an emergency is to consider how it will affect you as an individual (emphasis added). The first step in doing this is to realize that you might have to fend for yourself for up to three (3) days without access to disaster assistance, a medical facility, or even a drug store. With that in mind, you (and your family) need to consider what resources you utilize on a daily basis and what you would do if there is a limited supply or none at all

I. Prepare an emergency kit

Example of a room modified for
sheltering-in-place

Think first about the basics -- food, water, and clean air and any other life-saving supplies needed to maintain health, safety, and independence. Disaster preparedness experts - such as the American Red Cross - recommend having two versions of these basics: 1) A kit that contains the basics you would need to "shelter in place" (preferably in a interior room of your house or apartment with few or no windows) for up to 72 hours; 2) A light weight, smaller version of the kit (referred to as a "go kit") that you can take with you if it becomes necessary to evacuate your home.

II. Make a plan

The reality of a disaster is that it will likely prevent your from having access to the everyday conveniences to which we have become accustomed. If you have a "support network" that helps you on a daily basis, make a list of their names and how you can contact them during an emergency. It's also important to consider the mode of transportation that you use on a daily basis; what alternative modes will be available if there is a weather-related emergency (such as an snow storm) or a disaster. When planning for a disaster, it is imperative to take into consideration specialized equipment (such as mobility aids) that you are dependent on day-to-day. What would you do if these were not available? In the nutshell, for every aspect of your day-to-day life, you should have an alternate way to accomplish this.


For additional information: Preparing makes sense (PDF)