emergency preparedness...

prepare

if there was a natural disaster {tornado, earthquake, fire, etc}, does your own family have a plan?

i was thinking about this the other day...my fam has the "fire" plan, but what if we are seperated when something happens? we don't have a "meet at place x". {home fires are the most common disaster that the red cross responds to.}

{scary}

that led me on a search at the american red cross for how to prepare an emergency plan for my own fam...and here's what i found out.

the american red cross recommends talking about and determining these items in your escape plan. your kiddos will look to you in an emergency, so if you know what you are doing and are prepared and calm, the kiddos will be way better off:

• Identify two ways to escape from every room in the home.
• Practice your escape plan at least twice a year.
• Select a safe location away from the home where your family can meet after escaping.
• Consider purchasing and storing escape ladders for rooms above ground level and make sure to learn how to use them.
• If you see smoke or fire in your first escape route, use your second way out.
• If you must exit through smoke, crawl low under the smoke.
• Before escaping through a closed door, feel the door before opening it. If it is warm, use your second escape route.
• If smoke, heat or flames block both of your exit routes, stay in the room with the door closed. Place a rolled towel underneath the door. Signal for help by waving a brightly colored cloth or shining a flashlight at the window. If there is a telephone in the room, call the fire department and let them know your exact location inside the home.
• Once you've escaped, stay out.

want more information on how to plan or talk to kids about disasters? go see the red cross here.