Preparedness at Home

This week, we present our annual home preparedness edition of the NewsBriefs. Make sure that you don't neglect your home family when you're thinking about continuity. There are many things you can do to help ensure that a disaster doesn't become a personal disaster. The articles below can be very helpful in making your home preparedness plan.

Evaluate your personal needs and make a plan to meet those needs. (Item #1)   In the event you have to evacuate, here is some help on how to go about it – or how to shelter in place at home if need be. (Item #2)   Read this father's story about how a disaster got his family to understand why he was so concerned about preparedness. (Item #3)  

House fires always increase this time of year; there is much you can do to ensure you can avoid fire. (Item #4)   If earthquake preparedness at home is your concern, this is the article for you! (Item #5)   This website gives you some idea of the kind of supplies you can get for home preparedness; there are many more such sites out there. (Item #6)  

As always, we look forward to hearing your comments & insights regarding business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like us to cover, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. Preparing Makes Sense for Everyone

The likelihood that you and your family will recover from an emergency tomorrow often depends on the planning and preparation done today. While each person's abilities and needs are unique, every individual can take steps to prepare for all kinds of emergencies from fires and floods to potential terrorist attacks. By evaluating your own personal needs and making an emergency plan that fits those needs, you and your loved ones can be better prepared. This guide outlines commonsense measures older Americans - and anyone else -- can take to start preparing for emergencies before they happen.
http://www.ready.gov/document/preparing-makes-sense-older-americans

2. Evacuation Guidelines

Prepare now in the event of an evacuation. Depending on your circumstances and the nature of the hazard, the first important decision is whether you stay put, also known as sheltering in place, or evacuate. You should understand and plan for both possibilities. There may be conditions under which you will decide to get away or there may be situations when you are ordered to leave. Follow these guidelines for evacuation.
http://www.ready.gov/evacuation-guidelines

3. When Preparedness Hits Home

Getting people to think about an emergency before it happens is not always easy; it usually takes a disaster for people to realize the importance of being prepared. I work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the National Center for Environmental Health where I focus on emergency preparedness. I know all too well the value of making an emergency kit and having a plan, much to the chagrin of my two sons who swear nothing ever happens where we live. But this spring, something did happen and my family was able to see firsthand why I was always trying to get them to think about preparedness.
http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/06/when-preparedness-hits-home/

4. How to Prevent a House Fire

House fires kill and injure thousands yearly, and cost many more their valued possessions and memories. Here are some steps you can take to lessen the chance of your home becoming a part of this statistic.
http://www.wikihow.com/Prevent-a-House-Fire

5. Home Preparedness - Getting Ready

This site offers good information on how to make your home better able to withstand an earthquake, including a video on the impact of a 6.7 earthquake on a home that's not prepared. Most of what they suggest you can do yourself, and they provide instructions and videos.
http://www.emd.wa.gov/preparedness/prep_home.shtml

6. Home Emergency Supplies

There are a large number of companies that offer supplies to have on hand at home in the event of any kind of emergency. This site offers just one example of the types of supplies you might need and how to get them.
http://www.homeemergencyusa.com/index.html