Disaster Planning: Create Foolproof Plans

A Disaster is Coming, What Will You Do?

It can stop you in your tracks to hear of a natural disaster coming your way, especially if you are not at all prepared. Having a well-rehearsed set of reliable disaster plans will help you to not suffer the deer caught in the head lights syndrome, and as a result, you will be able to evaluate the affects of the disaster more efficiently which will make disaster recovery much easier and faster. So what steps do you need to take and what disaster preparedness information do you need to know to create a set of dependable emergency plans?

Take The First Step in Emergency Preparedness Now

The absolute number one action you need to take to make foolproof survival plans would be to start making your set of disaster plans well ahead of any man made or natural disasters coming your way. Of course that may seem like common sense but unfortunately a lot of people will actually wait right up until a natural disaster is about to occur before they start preparing, causing a frantic gathering of survival supplies, which then causes shortages of food, water , and other necessities for survival. More over, most man made and natural disasters don't often give you a warning that they are about to strike, and if you don’t have the emergency supplies before the disaster, you may not get a chance to get emergency supplies at all even if emergency supplies are in abundance. Developing your set of emergency plans well ahead of time will help reduce the overall stress, fear, and anxiety experienced during a man made or natural disaster, will make survival and keeping your loved ones safe much easier, and will make the disaster recovery process easier.

How Do I Start Disaster Planning?

Your next action to making foolproof disaster plans is to evaluate your house and community for any hazard or risk in order to identify all of your risk exposure in your house and community. It is important that you evaluate your community just as well as your house, as your everyday lifestyle involves your community and neither a man-made or natural disaster will wait until you get home to strike. Take into consideration all the tools of devastation used by mother nature and mankind such as; floods, riots , tornadoes, technological disasters, drought, worker strikes, fire, blizzards, chemicals, etc. when you are identifying your risk exposures to maximize the stability of your emergency plans. By contacting your local emergency management office, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), American Red Cross, Cert (community emergency response teams), Local Fire and Law Enforcement Officials, Township and Utilities Representatives, and your Insurance Company Representative you can learn more about your risk exposures and how to prepare. Some good questions to ask that will provide you with some very useful risk assessment information from these agencies and the places you spend time at are below; so be sure to take notes when you call or talk to them.

FEMA, Cert, American Red Cross, Etc., Ought to Know, So Ask Them This:

1. What types of disasters are most likely to happen in your community? You may be surprised to find out about human caused, natural, or technological disasters that can affect your area that you were not aware of. Remember that this could include major chemical emergencies that can occur anywhere chemical substances are stored, manufactured, or transported.

2. How can you prepare for each of the disasters most likely to happen in your community? You can use this and the disaster preparedness information you get from all of these questions as a rough draft to help develop a solid set of emergency plans.

3. Is there a warning system used to alert the community of disasters? It is important to know all of the alert systems that your community utilizes and what you should do when there is an alert.

4. What are the disaster plans for your workplace, your children’s school or day care center, and other places where members of your family spend time? You do not want to be caught off guard when it comes to a man made or natural disaster, your survival could depend on how prepared you are, where ever you are.

5. How can you help the elderly, disabled, or other special needs people you care for prepare for disasters? There may be special needs to consider, such as the need for medications or certain foods.

6. What do you need to consider when caring for pets through the effects of a disaster? If evacuation to a public shelter is an only option then you will need to plan a place for your pet to go as they are not permitted in public shelters. According to many local health department regulations, pets (other than service animals) are not permitted in places where food is served.

Be Descriptive With Your Disaster Plans

The next step in your disaster planning is to now ask yourself this: “What would I do if…?” Discuss with your loved ones the risk assessment and disaster preparedness information you got from the risk exposure evaluation to help answer the “what if” question and create as many scenarios as possible. It’s a good idea to write out each scenario of what might happen to you and your loved ones with as much detail as possible, this will help you create your survival supplies lists, develop an emergency communication plan in case family becomes separated, create an evacuation plan, and it will be less likely that you will leave something vital out.

Once you have your disaster "what if" scenarios written, you should discuss with your family about evacuation meeting spots, ways to stay informed and up to date on the disastrous situation, and ways to stay in contact with each other in case of separation or a mandatory evacuation from your house or community. Learn more about safety measures such as CPR, first aid, where and how to turn off the gas, water, and electricity to your home, and how to use your fire extinguisher. Then incorporate what you said you would do and the survival supplies you would need for each scenario into a rough draft of emergency check lists and emergency plans. Review the rough drafts to see if you need to make any changes or additions, then make whatever changes and additions to create the final drafts.

Last But Not Least When it Comes to Disaster Planning

Finally, in order for your set of plans to be as foolproof as possible you will need to rehearse your plans so that you are familiar with what you will need to do in the event of man made and natural disasters. With all the stress, fear, and anxiety caused by a disaster you can’t expect your brain to utilize a plan that it is not very familiar with. Your rehearsals need to be acted out as real as possible, this will help train your brain for thinking clearly in a crisis situation. Turn off electricity for a week, fake injuries, separations, and live off what you have. It will greatly benefit you to rehearse at least every six months, as it will not only better prepare you for a disaster, but will help you keep track of your survival supplies. Our parents didn’t tell us “practice makes perfect” because they liked to hear how well they could pronounce their “p’s”, what makes someone good at what they do is practice and repetition, and it is the key to minimizing the devastating effects that a disaster can have on your life.

Copyright © 11/20/2010 by A.K. Love (dragnhaze)

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