Natural disasters and emergencies may not normally occur while you are at home where your emergency supplies and food storage are kept. Because of this, it is important to have an emergency plan for the various places your family spends time. Our homes, schools and workplaces should have site-specific preparations for an emergency.
Schools should already have an emergency plan to make sure your children are safe, but do you know enough about it to explain it to your children?
The following are ideas to help you and your children feel safe away from home during an emergency:
The following are ideas to help you and your children feel safe away from home during an emergency:
Classroom School Emergency Kit
Idea 1
Contact your school district to Replace out about their emergency plan and the policy on how children will be released from school. Some schools already have an emergency classroom kit that can be used in case of an emergency.
Idea 2
Even if your school is prepared, help your child prepare a small disaster kit for them to keep in their locker or desk. Remind them that this kit is only for an emergency.
This kit could include the following:
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Water - water pouches or juice boxes
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Food - high calorie food bars, MRE's, granola bars, fruit bars, crackers, candy bars, fruit leather, raisins, nuts, prepackaged foods, etc.
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Shelter - emergency bag or blanket
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Protection - poncho
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Warmth - warm packs
Evac Pack™
You may want to add other items to this kit to personally customize it for your child such as:
- Mini first aid kit (adhesive bandages, rolled bandages for sprains, pain reliever, any medication you need, gauze, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic first aid cream, etc.) Make sure your child knows how to use these first aid items properly.
- Small flashlight with extra batteries or a lightstick
- An identification card with their name, address, telephone number, emergency telephone numbers and birth date
- Book or similar item for relief from stress, boredom or discouragement
- A note that you love them and to stay calm
Help your child understand when they are allowed to use their disaster kit and exactly how to use it.
Have an evening of fun and help them understand what to do in a disaster. Teach them how to use the items in their kit and review where to meet if they are away from the family. You could role-play the steps to take during a disaster with your children.
Remember, following these steps will help you and your children feel safe away from home during an unexpected emergency.
Look for an upcoming post concerning preparation in the workplace.
1 comment
Natural Disaster Preparedness and Management
Good blog post, it is VERY important that our schools are prepared for disasters. The better prepared we are, the greater the chances are of walking away ok.