Make a plan today. Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which types of disasters could affect your area. Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find.

Step 1

Put a plan together by discussing the questions below with your family, friends or household to start your emergency plan. Be sure to consider the following:

1. How will I receive emergency alerts and warnings?
2. What is my shelter plan? Determine safe rooms to go to if you are told not to evacuate.
3. What is my evacuation route?
4. What is my family/household communication plan?
5. Post emergency numbers by telephones and/or program them into mobile phones. During an emergency, only use the telephone when someone needs immediate emergency assistance. Teach children their address and phone number.
6. Find out day care/school emergency procedures.
7. Do I need to update my emergency preparedness supplies?
8. Learn basic first aid and CPR. Contact your local American Red Cross for help.

Step 2

Consider the specific needs of your household.

As you prepare your plan, tailor your plans and supplies to your specific daily living needs and responsibilities. Discuss your needs and responsibilities and how people in the network can assist each other with communication, care of children, business, pets or specific needs like operating medical equipment. Create your own personal network for specific areas where you need assistance. Keep in mind some these factors when developing your plan:

• Different ages of members within your household
• Responsibilities for assisting others
• Locations frequented
• Dietary needs
• Medical needs including prescriptions and equipment
• Disabilities or access and functional needs including devices and equipment
• Languages spoken
• Cultural and religious considerations
• Plan NOT to leave pets behind. Locate a pet-friendly shelter or location – most emergency shelters do not accept pets. Consider care for livestock/farm animals
• Households with school-aged children

Step 3

Create a Family Emergency Plan. There's a simple online form available at Ready.gov that makes it easy!

Step 4

Practice your plan with your family/household.

Early Actions

In an emergency, the first thing you need to do is evacuate if you are directed to do so by the authorities. The best way to be alerted to emergencies in our community is through Ready Wake, which offers voice or text communications about potential safety hazards and concerns as well as what action (if any) you should take. To stay updated with local weather conditions listen to your local radio or television stations, such as WRAL, or use National Weather Service official or partner sites. Be sure to follow evacuation instructions early to avoid possible danger.

Carefully follow directions and instructions to an area shelter opened for the disaster. FEMA offers a free app to help locate emergency shelters and disaster recovery centers as well. You can also bring items for your comfort and convenience.

Things to Remember

• Check to make sure no one has been injured
• Listen to local media stations for directions. The radio stations in our area part of the emergency broadcast system are WQDR 94.7FM and WDCG 105.1FM
• Avoid using the telephone unless someone needs immediate emergency assistance
• Drive only when necessary. Avoid driving in affected areas
• Determine if you need to turn off water, electrical, and gas lines. Do so if necessary
• If water pipes are damaged, turn off the main water valve to the home
• Be aware of structural damage to your home
• Water is essential. Store bottled water (1 gallon/person/day). If purification is necessary, listen to local media for instructions from public health officials

Emergency Supplies

If you are confined to your home or must evacuate as a result of severe weather or disaster, an emergency supplies kit can be useful. Keep it readily accessible for safety, comfort, and convenience. All household members should know where it is stored. Replace food, water, medical supplies, and batteries as needed. Place the items you need during an emergency in an easy-to-carry container.

Assembling the Kit

We recommend the following items when assembling your supplies kit:

For safety/survival

• 3-day supply of water (1 gallon/person/day) in clean, marked plastic containers
• 3-day supply of non-perishable, nutritious food not requiring cooking. Some examples are peanut butter, canned or dried meats, canned or dried fruits and vegetables, powdered drink mix, powdered or canned milk. Don’t forget some eating utensils and a manual can opener
• Needed prescription medicines
• Extra eyeglasses or other needed eye wear
• Extra car keys
• Baby supplies (formula, diapers)
• Pet food
• Standard first aid kit
• ABC fire extinguisher
• Battery-operated radio, flashlights, and plenty of extra batteries
• Tools, rope, wrench (including gas shut-off wrench), pliers, hammer, nails

For comfort

• Change of clothing
• Sturdy footwear for each person
• Bedding for each person
• Sanitary supplies (toilet paper, feminine supplies)

For convenience

• Cash or credit card
• Important family documents
• Medical insurance identification
• Contact list of friends/family, etc.
• Paper and pencil
• Reading material

For the car – assemble a smaller kit and store in vehicle

• Blanket/sleeping bag
• Flares and reflective triangles
• Jumper cables
• Map
• Rock salt or sand (during winter conditions)
• Shovel
• Tire repair/replacement supplies

Fire Escape

Nobody expects a fire, but it's very important to have a plan just in case. Fire can happen anywhere, in your home, apartment, or place of business. In case of a fire, what you don't know can hurt you. Keep in mind, fires don't always happen to someone else. Escape plans will differ for each type of building. It's up to you to plan the proper escape from your particular building.

Exit Tips

• Make a pre-planned fire escape plan. Have a family meeting to discuss what to do if there is a fire. Practice your plan
• Decide on a meeting place outside of the building. By deciding on a meeting place outside and away from the building, you will know if everyone has gotten out safely
• Use approved window gates. Do not use a padlock, which will prevent your escape from a fire
• When a fire occurs and you begin to evacuate the building, warn other occupants along the way, and pull the fire alarm (if available)
• Walk quickly, don't panic
• Feel the door on your way out with the back of your hand. If the door is hot, do not open. Close the door behind you to slow the spread of fire
• Use the stairs - don't use the elevator. It may stop and trap you
• Try to place one hand in contact with the wall to prevent you from getting lost
• Stay low and go. If there's smoke, escape by staying very low to the ground where air is cooler
• Open a window if trapped. Open the window at the top to let out heat and smoke, and at the bottom to breathe. If you cannot get out, wave a sheet out the window
• Meet at your pre-planned meeting place outside of the building. Take roll call, and report missing persons to first responders along with their likely location
• Send the alarm. Dial 9-1-1 to report a fire. Use the local fire alarm box (if available)
• NEVER go back into a burning building for anything. Your life is your most valuable possession
• If your clothes catch on fire, stop, drop, and roll. If someone else’s clothes catch on fire, have them drop and smother the flames with a coat or blanket

Links

• National Fire Protection Association
• U.S. Fire Administration

Prepare Your Home

A home is typically the most expensive single purchase one makes in their lifetime. While an incident or natural disaster may not spare our home, taking these actions can help mitigate the effects and make life after an emergency event easier.

• Use our handy home inspection checklist to reduce your fire risk, or request to have your home inspected by members of our Fire Department staff
• Install smoke detectors on each level and in sleeping areas, not in kitchens and bathrooms. Function test according to manufacturers’ recommendations and replace batteries every six months. Vacuum or blow out (with compressed air) your smoke alarm when changing your batteries. A dusty smoke alarm is the #1 cause of false activations
• Install a carbon monoxide (CO) detector on each level. Maintain according to manufacturers’ directions.
• A CO detector will not indicate raw gas in the home. We recommend installing a natural gas and/or propane detector on each level (if your home uses these fuel sources) to protect your loved ones. Maintain according to manufacturers’ directions
• Purchase ABC fire extinguishers and keep them accessible on each level
• Make your house numbers clearly visible from the street
• Repair defective wiring and large cracks in plaster
• Obtain disaster insurance for home and personal property
• Obtain information on the National Flood Insurance Program from a local insurance company, especially if you live in a flood-prone area
• Secure important papers, lists, and photographs of personal property in a bank safety deposit box
• Buy flashlights/emergency lighting. Avoid using candles (fire hazard)
• Securely bolt/strap your water heater
• Locate your home’s main water, electrical, and gas shut-offs, and learn how to shut them off