Emergency Preparedness: Knowing What to Do to Stay Safe
Do you know what to do when disaster strikes? Researching possible natural disasters, preparing kits, attending trainings, and having a plan can help you respond best when an emergency happens.
Emergency situations can happen at any moment. Whether it is a natural disaster, building fire, or an injured person it is important to be as prepared as possible for each situation. June is National Safety Month and we wanted to share some information and resources with you for any future emergencies to ensure that No 1 Gets Hurt.
Being prepared for possible emergencies means that you should know about the different situations that may occur. Here are some tips on how to get started:
- Research natural disasters that are common to your area.
- Create emergency kits
- Create a home emergency plan
- Actively participate in emergency drills at school and work
- Store important phone numbers and documents in a fire-proof safe or safety deposit box
- Learn first aid and CPR
One key to successful emergency preparedness is creating emergency kit for both your house and car. Emergency kits should be easily accessible and everyone that frequents your house or place of business should know where to find it. Some items to include in your home emergency kit are:
- Food and water for each family member for three days. Don’t forget a manual can opener!
- Hand-crank or battery powered flashlights and radios.
- Full first-aid kit.
- Plastic sheeting and duct tape in case of a broken window or leak.
- Whistle to use to signal for help.
- A car emergency kit might include an inflated spare, a wrench, a jack, jumper cables, phone car chargers, flashlights, rain ponchos, reflective triangles and vests, and a first aid kit.
Are you, your home, or business ready? It is never too late to be prepared. Below are some resources that can help you jump start your emergency preparedness efforts.
CPR How to Infographic: https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/tools-resources/infographics/cpr-steps
Emergency Medical Response Reference Guide App: https://www.nsc.org/safety-training/first-aid/app
Florida Businesses – Register, Prepare, Respond, and Recover: https://www.floridadisaster.biz/
Free Community Active Shooter Training: https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/get-involved/community-training
OSHA Emergency Preparedness and Response: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/emergencypreparedness/index.html
Ready.gov – plan ahead for any disaster: https://www.ready.gov/
Tornado Preparedness at Work: http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/16665-is-your-workplace-prepared-for-a-tornado