Emergency Preparedness

Yesterday was the second annual observance of "Get Ready Day," designed to raise awareness about community preparedness. The goals of the campaign are to help Americans prepare themselves, their families, and their communities for pandemic flu, emergencies like natural disasters and other health threats (read terrorism).

The campaign suggests that every family have three days worth of emergency food and water, batteries, flashlights, blankets, a radio, and extra medications, as well as an emergency plan that you will follow if there is a natural disaster and you and your loved ones are separated.

You can get some great tips for making this plan at Ready.gov, and I suggest you do talk to your kids about this. Just remember when they were little and you told them about 10,000 times "if you ever get lost, stand still. I will come back to find you" only to lose them in Toys R Us and hear them running as fast as they could up and down the aisles looking for you. Some things are worth discussing again and again!

The American Public Health Association suggests that you "Set your clocks and check you stocks" as a way to remember and be prepared. When daylight savings time ends on Sunday, November 2, 2008 you should change the batteries in your smoke detectors, check all your emergency supplies, and briefly review your emergency plan with your family.

Photo credit: jr conlin

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