Individual & Family Emergency Preparation

The next time disaster strikes, you may not have much time to act. Prepare NOW for a sudden emergency. Learn how to protect yourself, your family and your home and cope with disasters by planning ahead. The following information will assist you in getting started. Discuss these ideas with your family, then create a family emergency plan. Post the plan where everyone will see it!

Click here for Washington Emergency Management Division's (EMD) useful information on  being prepared for an emergency.  EMD and the Washington Department of Health have published an Emergency Resource Guide in English and Spanish.  If you have special needs in an emergency, this Handbook has useful information on preparedness for people with mobility or visual disabilities, hearing impairment and other special medical needs.  If you would like a personal copy of the Handbook, please contact our office by phone or e-mail.

Another way you can become better prepared to respond to disaster situation is training.  Benton and Franklin counties offer a course in community emergency response.  Local emergency response professionals provide training that can help you, your family, your neighborhood and our community be better prepared to respond when disaster strikes.  Click here for more information on Community Emergency Response Teams. You can also check on current CERT events by viewing their latest newsletter.

And remember you may be traveling when you experience some type of emergency.  Be prepared while away from home.

And don't forget your pets. You need to take the steps necessary to protect them during an emergency.

Here are some steps you can take to prepare yourself and your family for a disaster in our area.

First, you need to know what disasters are most likely to occur in your area.  Certainly here in the Columbia Basin, we don't have to worry about hurricanes or tsunamis.  We can, however, experience very high winds, flooding, earthquakes, volcanic ash fall, severe winter storms and wildfires.

Next, your family needs to develop an emergency plan, including a family communication plan.  Once you have it developed, you need to review it frequently with your family and practice it, especially on how to safely exit your home in case of a fire.

	Discuss with children the dangers of fire, severe weather, earthquakes, and other emergencies.
	Discuss how to respond to each disaster that could occur.
	Discuss what to do about power outages and personal injuries.
	Draw a floor plan of your home. Mark two escape routes from each room.
	Learn how to turn off the water, gas, and electricity.
	Post emergency telephone numbers near telephones.
	Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1.
	Keep family records in water- and fire-proof containers.
	Instruct household members to tune your radio to Benton County's primary Emergency Alert System (EAS) stations  -- KONA FM 105.3 or AM 610 -- for emergency information.
	Pick an out-of-state and one local friend or relative for family members to call if separated during a disaster. (It is often easier to call out-of-state than within the affected area.)
	Pick two meeting places:        One near your home, in case of a fire.        A second outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home after a disaster.

Once you have your emergency plan developed, then you need to make sure you have emergency supplies on hand.  Time and time again, experience shows that it will take at least 72 hours for emergency workers to get into neighborhoods.  An essential part of your emergency preparation should be to assemble the supplies you and your family might need to shelter in place or quickly evacuate. 

Store your emergency kits in an easy-to-carry container, such as a backpack or duffle bag.  If you are asked to evacuate, you can put your emergency kits in your car. Here are some things you should consider including in your 72-hour kit:

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