Make A Plan

After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for several days. Being prepared means having your own food, water, and other supplies to last for several days. A disaster supplies kit is should have basic items your household may need in an emergency.

Make sure your emergency kit is stocked with the items on the checklist below. Download a printable version to take with you to the store. Once you take a look at the basic items consider what unique needs your family might have, such as supplies for pets or seniors.

Emergency Supply List

Emergency Supply Kit Checklist Translations

When emergencies strike, public safety officials use timely and reliable systems to alert you. This page describes different warning alerts you can get and how to get them.

• If you need to shelter in place for any reason such as a chemical spill, storm, or earthquake, follow recommendations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Visit ready.gov for more information and guidance on preparing for an emergency.

Additional Wireless Alerts:

National Weather Service,
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.
Emergency Alert System (EAS)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR)
Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)
The FEMA App

Disasters are costly, but preparing for them doesn’t have to be. Taking time to prepare now can help save you thousands of dollars and give you peace of mind when the next disaster or emergency happens.

Take these simple, low or no cost steps today to be better prepared for any disaster or emergency.

Start Today

• Know what kind of disasters and emergencies are most common for where you live.
• Create your emergency communications plan. Use this free template to gather all your important contact and medical information about your family, which you then can share with others. Keep both digital and paper copies.
• Make sure you store important phone numbers somewhere besides just your cell phone.
• Sign up for emergency alerts in your area to receive life-saving information from your state and local municipality.
• Download the FEMA App (available in English and Spanish) to receive weather alerts, safety tips and reminders and be ready for the unexpected.
• Build your emergency supply kit over time. Start with items you might already have in your home, like a flashlight, extra batteries, copies of important documents, water and non-perishable food. When you go to the grocery store, you can pick up an extra item that you use regularly, especially if it’s on sale! Community food banks are another possible resource for food-insecure families to stock their emergency supply kits.
• Talk with family or members of your household about where you will go if told to evacuate. Having a plan before disaster strikes can help you save precious time and money.
• Store important documents and items like passports, birth certificates, maps and electronics in a flood-safe place like a high shelf or upper floor in resealable water-tight plastic bags to help waterproof them. Store important documents like insurance policies digitally.
• Consider adding older clothing that still fits well to your disaster kit instead of donating it. You could also work within your social circle to swap clothes, which can be extra helpful if you have children.
• Look for deals at garage sales and thrift stores. You may find useful items like camping gear, tools, cookware, and backpacks or luggage for much cheaper. Also, keep an eye out for seasonal sales on emergency supplies.
• Contact your local fire department. They may have programs that provide fire or carbon monoxide detectors.
• Check online for free or discounted CPR courses offered near you.
• Visit Floodsmart.gov to know your area’s level of flood risk.
• Download free preparedness resources.

Financial preparedness can help you recover more quickly after a disaster or emergency. Having access to important financial, insurance, medical, and personal records is an important part of the recovery process.

1. Gather important information: Collect financial, personal, household, and medical records and keep them in a safe, accessible location.
2. Build emergency savings: Consider saving money for emergencies and keep a small amount of cash at home in a secure place. Keep small bills on hand since ATMs and credit card services may not work during a disaster.
3. Review your insurance: Have homeowners or renters, health, and life insurance as appropriate. Review your policies to make sure you have enough coverage for potential hazards. Keep in mind that homeowners insurance typically does not cover flooding, so separate flood insurance may be needed.
4. Use the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK): This resource can help you organize important information and prepare financially for disasters.

Be Safe

Protect your personal financial information, including bank account, Social Security, and credit card numbers. Do not click links in unexpected texts or emails, and be cautious of scammers contacting you by phone or social media. Remember that the government will not contact you through social media or unexpectedly call or text you about owing money or receiving payments. Report suspected government-related scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Important Documents to Keep

Store important documents in a safe deposit box, external drive, or secure cloud storage. Consider keeping copies of:

• Identification: Photo IDs, birth certificates, Social Security cards, military records, and pet ID tags.
• Financial and legal records: Housing payments, insurance policies, income information, and tax documents.
• Medical information: Doctor and health insurance information, immunization records, and medication lists.
• Contact information: Banks, insurance agents, healthcare providers, and other important service providers.

Protect Your Access to Money

Disasters can disrupt mail service for days or weeks. Consider using direct deposit or electronic benefits to ensure you can access Social Security and other payments. Online and mobile banking can also help you manage your finances when in-person services are unavailable. If needed, look into government benefits for unemployment, healthcare, and food and nutrition assistance.

Practice Your Home Fire Escape Plan

Creating and practicing a home fire escape plan is simple. Follow the steps below to make sure everyone in your home is prepared and knows what to do in case of a home fire.

• Make a written home fire escape plan and practice getting out in under 2 minutes.
• Make sure you have smoke alarms on every level of your home and in each bedroom. Test them twice a year.
• Learn the best practices for home fire safety and fire safety with children.

Make an Escape Plan

• Learn two ways out of every room in your home, in case one exit is blocked or dangerous to use. A second way out can include an escape ladder for rooms on an upper level.
• Practice getting low and moving to your exits in case there is smoke.
• Choose a safe meeting place a safe distance from your home.
• Have a home fire drill at least twice a year.

Children and Fire Safety

It is important to have a plan when there are children in your home. Children may become very scared and need clear direction and help getting out of the house. They may not know how to escape or what to do unless an adult shows them.

• Have a plan for young children under six who cannot get outside by themselves. In your plan, talk about who will help each child get out safely.
• Children should know what to do when they hear a smoke alarm and there is no adult around. Help them practice going to the outside meeting place.
• Teach children to NEVER go back inside a burning building. Once they are out, stay out!
• Teach your child to get low and crawl on the ground, where the air is less smoky.
• Show a child how to use the back of their hand to check doors for heat before opening and to use a different way out if the door is hot.

• If your child needs to use an escape ladder, show them where you keep it and practice how to use it.

Conduct a Home Fire Drill

Fires can start anywhere in the home and at any time, so run through the plan at different times of the day or night and practice different ways out.

Technology has made it easier than ever to prepare for emergencies, but it can be unreliable in an emergency if you haven’t kept your gadgets protected and powered up. Here are some tips to make sure you are tech ready:

Be Informed

• Download the FEMA app. Get weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five different locations anywhere in the United States.
• Sign up for FEMA text messages to get updates from FEMA (standard message and data rates apply).

Here are basic commands to get started:

• To sign up to get preparedness tips: text PREPARE to 43362.
• To search for open shelters (for disaster survivors): text SHELTER and a ZIP code to 43362.
• To get a list of all keywords you can subscribe to: text LIST to 43362.
• To unsubscribe (at any time): text STOP to 43362.
• Before a disaster, follow local government on social media to stay up-to-date with official information before, during and after a disaster. Sign up for Twitter alerts from trusted government agencies to get notified when critical information goes out.

Make A Plan

• Use text messages, social media and email to connect with friends and family during emergencies.
  • Mobile networks can become overwhelmed during emergencies, making it hard to make and get phone calls. Text messages require less bandwidth, which means they are able to be transmitted more reliably during situations when many people are trying to use their mobile phones at the same time.
  • Social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter can also be an effective way to update family and friends during emergencies. Facebook’s Safety Check feature allows users to easily post a status update indicating that they are safe during a time of disaster.
• Have an emergency charging option for your phone and other mobile devices. Smartphones have become a vital tool to get emergency alerts and warnings so it’s important to make sure you can keep them powered up in an emergency.
  • At home: Before severe weather make sure that all of your electronic devices are fully charged. If the power goes out use your device less to save battery power. Keep a back-up power source on hand.
  • In your car: Keep a portable phone charger in your car at all times and consider buying a back-up power supply to keep in your car as well.
  • Change the settings on your phone to low power mode or put it on airplane mode to save energy.
• Store important documents on a secure, password-protected jump drive or in the cloud.
  • There are many apps that let you use your phone’s camera as a scanning device. This lets you get an electronic version of important documents such as insurance policies, identification documents and medical records. Don’t forget to include your pet’s information.
  • Back-up your computer to protect photos and other important electronic documents.
  • Scan old photos to so you don’t lose them.
  • Keep your contacts updated and synced across all of your channels, including phone, email and social media. This will make it easy to reach out to the right people quickly to get information and give updates. Consider creating a group listserv of your top contacts.
  • Create a group chat via a texting app or a thread for family/friends/coworkers to communicate quickly during a disaster.
• Sign up for direct deposit and electronic banking through your financial institution so you can access your paycheck and make electronic payments wherever you are. Federal benefit recipients can sign up by calling 800-333-1795 or at GoDirect.org.

As an older adult, you may have specific needs after a disaster. Use the information on this page to assess your needs and take simple,  low-cost steps that help you get better prepared.

Take Control in 1, 2, 3

The Disaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adults is intended to support older adults and their caregivers in preparing in three easy steps: assess your needs, create a plan and engage your network. The guide provides easy-to-read, user-friendly worksheets that walk individuals and caregivers through a self-assessment to identify specific needs and checklists that create a personalized plan.

First, know your risk. Then, understand your needs during emergencies. This section guides you through a self-assessment process to identify your specific needs so that you can create a personalized emergency plan.

Develop a comprehensive emergency plan and emergency preparedness kit tailored to your unique needs. This section ensures you are well prepared to respond to various emergency scenarios.

Build a strong support network and include them in your emergency planning. This section provides recommendations for how you can engage your family, friends, caregivers, neighbors, fellow congregants from your place of worship, and others who can assist you during an emergency.

Get Prepared

• Know what disasters could affect your area, which could call for an evacuation, and when to shelter in place, and plan what you need to do in both cases.
• Keep a NOAA Weather Radio tuned to your local emergency station and monitor TV and radio for warnings about severe weather in your area.
• Download the FEMA app and get weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five different locations anywhere in the United States.

Plan Ahead

• Plan how you will communicate if you have a communications need.
• Plan for food, water, and essentials for you and pets or service animals. Research pet-friendly evacuation centers.
• Plan for your transportation if you need help evacuating.
• Include items that meet your individual needs, such as medicines, medical supplies, batteries and chargers, in your emergency supply kit.
• Plan how you will have your assistive devices with you during an evacuation.
• Make copies of Medicaid, Medicare, and other insurance cards.

Make a Plan

Determine any special assistance you may need and include plans for that assistance in your emergency plan. For more detailed information, visit our page on planning for people with disabilities.

• Create a support network of family, friends and others who can assist you during an emergency. Make an emergency plan and practice it with them.
• Make sure at least one person in your support network has an extra key to your home, knows where you keep your emergency supplies, and knows how to use lifesaving equipment or administer medicine.

• If you undergo routine treatments administered by a clinic or hospital, find out their emergency plans and work with them to identify back-up service providers.
• Don’t forget your pets or service animals. Not all shelters accept pets, so plan for alternatives. Consider asking loved ones or friends outside of your immediate area if they can help with your animals.

Get Your Benefits Electronically

A disaster can disrupt mail service for days or weeks. If you depend on Social Security or other regular benefits, switching to electronic payments is a simple, important way to protect yourself financially before disaster strikes. It also eliminates the risk of stolen checks. The U.S. Department of the Treasury recommends two safer ways to get federal benefits:

• Direct deposit to a checking or savings account. If you get federal benefits you can sign up by calling 800-333-1795 or sign up online.
• The Direct Express® prepaid debit card is designed as a safe and easy alternative to paper.

Disability intersects every demographic group. People with disabilities are of all ages, races, sex, and national origins. Disabilities can impact people in many ways, both visible and invisible. For people with disabilities and their families, it is important to consider individual circumstances and needs when preparing for emergencies and disasters.

Get Informed

• Know what disasters could affect your area, which may require an evacuation, and when to shelter in place.
• Keep a NOAA Weather Radio tuned to your local emergency station and monitor TV and radio. Follow mobile alerts and severe weather warnings.
• Download the FEMA App and get National Weather Service alerts for up to five locations anywhere in the U.S.

Make a Plan

In the event of a disaster could you make it on your own for several days? After a disaster you may not have access to a medical facility or even a drugstore. It’s crucial to plan for your daily needs and know what you would do if they become limited or unavailable. Additional planning steps include:

• Create a support network of people who can help you in a disaster. Keep a contact list in a watertight container in your emergency kit or on your electronic devices.
• Tell your support network where you keep your emergency supplies. You may want to consider giving a trusted member a key to your house or apartment.
• Plan ahead for accessible transportation that you may need for evacuation or getting around during or after disaster. Check with local transit providers as well as with your emergency management agency to identify appropriate accessible options.
• Many city and county emergency management agencies maintain voluntary registries for people with disabilities to self-identify in order to receive targeted assistance during emergencies and disasters. Contact your local emergency management office to find out more.
• If you are on dialysis or other life-sustaining medical treatment know the location and availability of more than one facility that can help you.
• If you use medical equipment in your home that requires electricity, talk to your doctor or health care provider about what you may be able to do to keep it running during a power outage. You can also ask your power provider to put you on a list for priority power restoration.
• About half of all Americans take a prescription medicine every day. An emergency can make it difficult for them to refill their prescription or to find an open pharmacy. Organize and protect your prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and vitamins to prepare for an emergency.

• Wear medical alert tags or bracelets. Also add pertinent medical information to your electronic devices.
• If you have a communication disability consider carrying printed cards or storing information on your devices to inform first responders and others how to communicate with you.
• If you use assistive technologies, plan how you will evacuate with the devices or how you will replace equipment if lost or destroyed.
• Locate and access your electronic health records from a variety of sources by using the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Plan for children and adults who may have difficulty in unfamiliar or chaotic environments. Consider your service or support animal or pets and plan for food, water and supplies. If you need to evacuate, you’ll need to know whether your shelter allows pets or not, since some shelters only allow service or support animals.
• Keep a list of the nearest medical facilities, local hospitals and nearest accessible transportation.

Get Your Benefits Electronically

A disaster can disrupt mail service for days or weeks. If you depend on Social Security or other regular benefits, switching to electronic payments is an easy way to protect yourself financially before disaster strikes. It also eliminates the risk of stolen checks. The U.S. Department of the Treasury recommends two safer ways to get federal benefits:

Medina County Disability Registry Form

The Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities along with emergency response personnel have created this form to help improve response to calls involving people living in Medina County who may have a disability. This form is for anyone who has a disability, not just those with developmental disabilities.

Build a Kit

People Experiencing Extreme Heat

People with disabilities, access and functional needs, and older adults may be at increased risk during extreme heat. For example:

• People with spinal cord injuries may be at higher risk because they may not be able to cool their bodies through sweating.
• People with severe mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, may be at risk because medications can interfere with the body’s ability to cool itself.
• People with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, may have difficulty understanding or explaining how heat affects them, which can prevent protective actions. The ability to perceive and communicate discomfort may vary depending on the stage of dementia or disease.

Plan ahead, take precautions, have support, and be aware of the symptoms of heat exposure.

• Ask caregivers, family, and friends to monitor your heat-related needs and check in regularly.
• Review medication side effects and talk with your doctor about how heat exposure may interact with them.
• Take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath if experiencing heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
• Ask your local energy utility about priority access during power outages when power is medically necessary.
• Monitor local weather and emergency alerts.
• Have a plan for shade, hydration, sun protection, and limiting outdoor exposure.
• Identify air-conditioned locations and arrange needed accommodations ahead of time, including with people in your support network.
• Coordinate accessible transportation to and from cooling locations.
• If medical needs cannot be accommodated at conventional cooling locations, contact local hospitals or nursing homes to create contingency plans if you cannot stay home.

In recognition of caregivers’ dedication and commitment to those in their care, FEMA and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers (RCI) have created the Disaster Preparedness Guide for Caregivers to help them navigate unique challenges that may arise during disasters. While caregiving can be overwhelming at times, taking three essential steps—assessing needs, engaging a support network, and creating a plan—can help caregivers feel more prepared and in control when disaster strikes.

The Disaster Preparedness Guide for Caregivers includes tailored information and resources for three main caregiver audiences: those who can involve their care recipient in their planning, those who can engage a support network to aid planning, and solo caregivers. It provides key considerations caregivers can use to identify their care recipient’s needs and how they may change during a disaster.

Take Control Step 1: Identify Barriers and Risks

As a family caregiver, you are used to handling the unexpected. You know that circumstances can change quickly and that plans need to adjust based on the needs of your care recipient—sometimes day-to-day and sometimes hour-by-hour. You know how to navigate complex systems to help your care recipient lead a fulfilling and meaningful life. All your experience as a caregiver will help you prepare your care recipient for disasters and emergencies. Caregivers and their support networks have a window into the world of their care recipients. Yet often, it is easy to miss some specific barriers they may face. Understanding your care recipient’s unique risks is vital in personalizing a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan.

Take Control Step 2: Learn and Connect

Now that you have taken some time to assess the barriers, risks, and needs that your care recipient may face, Step 2 will help you assess preparedness roles, learn about resources to meet these needs, and provide guidance on fostering a collaborative approach to preparedness. If you are a solo caregiver, now is the time to start building connections to create a support network that will allow you and your care recipient to be resilient in the face of barriers and risks you encounter.

Take Control Step 3: Make a Plan

Now that you have done a thorough risk assessment and identified the resources available to you and your care recipient, you are ready to make a disaster emergency plan. This includes building a disaster preparedness kit and preparing for evacuation or disaster sheltering scenarios. While planning, you will want to include your care recipient, when possible, as well as family and friends and any support networks you have developed. Be honest and open about the process and the role you are willing to play.

Be in the Know

We have all heard that knowledge is power. In an emergency, it can be lifesaving. This is why we are encouraging everyone to “Be in the Know” to evacuate safely.

Before an Evacuation

Learn the types of disasters that are likely in your community and the local emergency, evacuation and shelter plans for each specific disaster.

During an Evacuation

• Download the FEMA app for a list of open shelters during an active disaster in your local area.
• Listen to a battery-powered radio and follow local evacuation instructions.
• Take your emergency supply kit.
• Leave early enough to avoid being trapped by severe weather.
• Take your pets with you but understand that only service animals may be allowed in public shelters. Plan how you will care for your pets in an emergency now.
• If time allows: Call or email the out-of-state contact in your family communications plan. Tell them where you are going.
• Secure your home by closing and locking doors and windows.
• Unplug electrical equipment such as radios, televisions and small appliances. Leave freezers and refrigerators plugged in unless there is a risk of flooding. If there is damage to your home and you are instructed to do so, shut off water, gas and electricity before leaving.
• Leave a note telling others when you left and where you are going.
• Wear sturdy shoes and clothing that provides some protection such as long pants, long-sleeved shirts and a hat.
• Check with neighbors who may need a ride.
• Follow recommended evacuation routes. Do not take shortcuts, they may be blocked.
• Be alert for road hazards such as washed-out roads or bridges and downed power lines. Do not drive into flooded areas.

After an Evacuation

Sheltering is appropriate when conditions require that you seek protection in your home, where you work or other location when emergencies arise. The length of time you are required to take shelter may be short, such as during a tornado warning. In all cases, it is important that you stay informed and follow the instructions of local authorities.

During extended periods of sheltering you will need to manage water and food supplies to make sure you and your family have what you need to get by. Read more about managing water and managing food.

Choosing to take shelter is necessary in many emergencies. This can mean: Stay-At- Home, Going to a Mass Care Shelter, or Sheltering in Place. Here’s the distinction:

Mass Care Shelter

Mass care shelters provide life sustaining services to disaster survivors.  Even though mass care shelters often provide water, food, medicine and basic sanitary facilities, you should plan to take your emergency supply kit with you so you will have the supplies you need. Mass care sheltering can involve living with many people in a confined space, which can be difficult and unpleasant.

• Be prepared to take cleaning items with you like, soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes or general household cleaning supplies to disinfect surfaces.
• All shelters accept service animals, but many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets inside. Know a safe place where you can take your pets before disasters and emergencies happen.

Search for open shelters by texting SHELTER and your ZIP code to 43362. Example: Shelter 01234 (standard rates apply).

Learn more by visiting: disasterassistance.gov

Sheltering in Place

Whether you are at home, work or anywhere else you frequent regularly, there may be situations when it’s best to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty outside.

Here are some indicators and steps to take if the situation arises:

• Use common sense and available information to assess the situation and determine if there is immediate danger.
• If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is badly contaminated you may want to take this kind of action.

Here are some tips for sheltering in place:

• Local authorities may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do.
• Pay attention to local media outlets for official news and instructions as they become available.
• Bring your family and pets inside.
• Lock doors, close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers.
• Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced air heating systems.
• Take your emergency supply kit unless you have reason to believe it has been contaminated.
• Go into an interior room with few windows if possible.
• Seal all windows, doors and air vents with thick plastic sheeting and duct tape. Consider measuring and cutting the sheeting in advance to save time.
• Cut the plastic sheeting several inches wider than the openings and label each sheet.
• Duct tape plastic at corners first and then tape down all edges.
• Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to seal gaps so that you create a barrier between yourself and any contamination.

“Sealing a room” is considered a temporary protective measure to create a barrier between you and potentially contaminated air outside. This type of sheltering in place requires pre-planning, by purchasing plastic sheeting and duct tape that you would keep in your emergency supply kit.

Stay-at-Home

• Remain indoors as much as possible and try to only leave your home when necessary. You can still use outdoor spaces such as patios, porches and yards.
• Outdoor activities such as walking, jogging and exercise are fine.
• Essential services such as grocery shopping, the gas station, pharmacies and going to the Post Office are still fine to do.
• Limit visitors if possible. Try to use video chatting. Call the people you would normally text.

Learn First Aid and CPR

Take a first aid and CPR class. You can get more information about training from your local American Red Cross chapter. Getting certified protects you under Good Samaritan laws if you have to give first aid.

Get more information about the supplies in a first aid kit.

Learn to Use a Fire Extinguisher

Have at least one up-to-date fire extinguisher and let everyone in your household know where it’s kept and how to use it. You should have an ABC type at minimum.

The U.S. Fire Administration says you should only use a fire extinguisher if you’ve been trained in its proper use and maintenance. Contact your local fire department for information on training in your area. Get more information about preparedness for a fire emergency.

Know How to Shut Off Utilities

Natural Gas

Natural gas leaks and explosions cause a significant number of fires after disasters. It’s important that all household members know how to shut off natural gas.

There are different gas shut-off procedures for different gas meter configurations, so it’s important to call your gas company. They can help you prepare for gas appliances and gas service to your home in the event of an emergency.

Make sure everyone in your household knows the proper shut-off procedure for your meter. Do not actually turn off the gas when practicing shutting it off.

• If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and get everyone out quickly. Turn off the gas using the outside main valve if you can and call the gas company from a neighbor’s home.
• Caution: If you turn off the gas for any reason, only a qualified professional can turn it back on. NEVER attempt to turn the gas back on yourself.

Water

Water quickly becomes a precious resource following many disasters. It is important that everyone in your household learn how to shut off the main water valve to the house.

• Find the shut-off valve for the main water line that enters your house and tag it for easy identification. Make sure everyone in your household knows where it is.
• Make you can shut the valve off completely. Your valve may be rusted open or it may not close all the way. If so replace it.
• Cracked lines may pollute the water supply to your house. It’s a good idea to shut off your water until authorities say it’s safe to drink.

The effects of gravity may drain the water in your hot water heater and toilet tanks unless you trap it in your house by shutting off the main house valve. (This is not the street valve in the cement box at the curb – the street valve is extremely difficult to turn and requires a special tool.)

Electricity

Electrical sparks can ignite natural gas if it is leaking. Teach all responsible household members how to shut off the electricity.

• Locate your electrical circuit box. For your safety, always shut off all the individual circuits before shutting off the main circuit.

Associated Content

• Life Savings Skills Toolkit
• Six Things to Know Before a Disaster (Video)

Be Informed

Many emergencies and disasters occur without any warning. Since you can’t predict where you will be for disasters, it is important to have plans and supplies for the places you and your household go to regularly. Planning ahead ensures that you and your family will know what to do and have the supplies you need to be safe wherever you are.

Find out what plans are available for the locations you go to regularly. Customize your personal and household plans based on what household members would do if an emergency occurred while they were at that location.

Make a Plan by Location

Examples of locations to consider and plan for include:

• Home
• Workplace
• Vehicles (download the Commuter Emergency Plan)
• Regular methods of transportation such as trains, urban commuter transit
• School and daycare
• Places of worship
• Sports arenas and playing fields
• Entertainment locations such as theatres
• Shopping areas such as malls and retail centers
• Tourist and travel locations such as hotels

Additional Considerations

To develop a plan for different locations, you need to get important information about the organization or building managers’ plans. In some cases, if plans are not available, you may have to work with the building manager or other members of the organization to develop or build out plans. Consider the following:

• Local alerts or warnings available at the location
• Building alarm or alert systems
• Building evacuation plans including alternate exits
• Building or organization shelter in place plans
• Supplies you would need for temporary sheltering

Consider how the type of building or the environment around the building may impact alerts and warnings, shelter and evacuation and the need for supplies. Examples include:

• Single story vs multi-story or high-rise buildings have different types of alarm systems, shelter and evacuation considerations.
• Urban and rural locations may have different local assumptions and plans for evacuation if large areas are affected.
• Buildings like schools, sports arenas and malls have different safety plans depending on how they are built and what kind of emergency is happening.
• Outdoor locations like sports fields or golf courses need specific plans for rapid short-term shelter (e.g. for thunderstorms and lightning or tornadoes).
• Geography may be critical for some hazards (e.g. if the area is low and vulnerable to flash flooding).
• Mobile homes, modular structures and other buildings not attached to permanent foundations require planning for evacuation and alternate shelter locations.

Neighborhoods, Condominiums and Apartments

• Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together during an emergency.
• Find out if anyone has specialized equipment like a power generator or expertise such as medical knowledge that might help in a crisis.
• Decide who will check on elderly or disabled neighbors.
• Make back-up plans for children in case you can’t get home in an emergency.
• Sharing plans and communicating in advance is a good strategy.

In a High-Rise Building

• Know where the closest emergency exit is.
• Know another way out in case your first choice is blocked.
• Take cover against a desk or table if things are falling.
• Move away from file cabinets, bookshelves or other things that might fall.
• Face away from windows and glass.
• Move away from exterior walls.
• Determine if you should stay put, shelter-in-place or get away.
• Listen for and follow instructions.
• Take your emergency supply kit, unless there is reason to believe it has been contaminated.
• Do not use elevators.
• Stay to the right while going down stairwells to allow emergency workers to come up.

In a Moving Vehicle

• If there is an explosion or other factor that makes it difficult to control the vehicle, pull over, stop the car and set the parking brake.
• If the emergency could impact the physical stability of the roadway, avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, signs and other hazards.
• If a power line falls on your car you are at risk of electrical shock, stay inside until a trained person removes the wire.
• Listen to the radio for information and instructions as they become available.
• Have a plan for traveling between work and home and other commonly visited locations in case of an emergency. Download the Commuter Emergency Plan (PDF).
• Unrepaired recalls can lead to crashes, injuries or worse. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urges drivers to check for open vehicle safety recalls at least twice a year. These tools are fast, free and could save lives:
  • Use recall lookup tools using your license plate or Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
  • Download the free SaferCar app for quick checks.

Businesses and their employees face a variety of hazards: