What can I do to get myself and my family ready for emergencies?
During an emergency, it is important to make sure that you and your family are safe and can meet your needs for at least several days. There are three basic steps* we can all take to get ready:
- Make a Plan
- Make a Kit
- Be Informed
*To help you plan, check out our "Three Steps" Emergency Preparedness Flyer. We also have a kid-friendly flyer called "Make an Emergency Kit!". Please read on for more tips on how you can get ready for emergencies.
1) Make an Emergency Plan
Make an emergency plan for your family. The following suggestions may help:
- Make sure everyone in your family knows where you keep your emergency kit and your first aid kit.
- Know important phone numbers by heart and list them by each phone in your house:
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Local Police: _________________________________________________
Local Fire: ___________________________________________________
Local Health Department: (518) 828-3358 – Columbia County Dept. of Health
Poison Control Center: (800) 222-1222 – Upstate NY Poison Center
Out-of-Area Family Contact: (___)__________________________________
Other: _______________________________________________________
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- Know the best escape route from each room in your home.
- Know where family members will meet in case they can't get home. One location should be near your home; the other, outside the neighborhood.
- Choose an out-of-town contact that your family can call to check in with, especially if family members get separated. Make sure this person agrees to be your "check-in person." All family members should know that person’s name & phone number.
- Know your community's public alert system.
- Know your child's school/day care emergency plan.
- Make an emergency plan for your pets. Many shelters cannot accept pets, but some do.
- Practice your plan.
2) Make an Emergency Kit
Basic items to pack:
Bottled water: 1 gal per person per day, for at least 3 days…more if possible!
Non-perishable food, for at least 3 days
Can opener for food
Flashlights & extra batteries
Radio: hand-crank or battery-powered
Warm blanket
First aid kit with basic medicines
Hand sanitizer, paper towels, & garbage bags for personal sanitation
Whistle to call for help
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
Local maps
Matches (in a Ziploc bag)
Cell phone charger for home & car
Extra prescription medications
If you have small children, include food, diapers & wipes, toys & books
If you have pets, include food, water, bowls, record of shots, leash, toys
Documents & information to include:
Family medical records
Prescription medication #s
Emergency phone numbers
Credit card information
Birth certificates
Insurance documents
Ways to store your kit:
Plastic bin, suitcase, duffel bag, trash can
What about duct tape and plastic?
Some agencies say you have these available in case you need to "shelter in place," which means to stay inside in a safe location rather than evacuating the area. Duct tape and plastic could possibly be used to help keep contaminants out. However, it could be dangerous to seal yourself off from a supply of fresh air! If you have duct tape and plastic, do not use it to seal a room unless officials advise you to. For more information, check the Department of Homeland Security website at http://www.ready.gov or the CDC website http://www.cdc.gov.
3) Be Informed
When an emergency occurs, listen to news sources for information and instructions. You may need to know where to go to receive medicine or a vaccine, or how to recognize symptoms of disease. Make sure you have a battery-operated radio or TV with extra batteries in case the power goes out. Know which stations can provide you with up-to-date local information.
Here are some sources for information:
- Television (local news stations)
- Radio
- AM: WCKL 560; WROW 590; WGY 810; WIZR 930; WOFX 980; 1230
- FM: WFLY 92.3; Cruisin’ 93.5; WYJB 95.5; WTRY 98.3; 98.5 The Cat; WRVE 99.5; WZMR 104.9; WPYX 106.5; WGNA 107.7, and more
- Columbia County Emergency Management Office (EMO)…(518) 828-1212
- NY Alert texts for emergency messages (http://www.nyalert.gov/)
- American Red Cross of Northeastern NY, Albany…(518) 458-8111 or http://www.redcrossneny.org
- Call 211 or (518) 694-8900 (United Way)
- NOAA Weather Station…Call Signs WXL34, WXL37, or http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/streamaudio.htm
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