Monthly Focus: Making a Plan

Every month, we will try to focus on a specific topic within the realm of Provident Living. This month, our focus will be on creating a disaster plan.

Everyone needs to have a WRITTEN disaster plan, and that plan needs to be shared (and practiced) with every member of the family.

What your plan includes will depend largely on where you live (so if you live in hurricane country your plan might be different from someone who lives in earthquake country), your family composition, and the resources available in your area (such as family nearby, local emergency services, hotels, etc.).

There are several resources for ideas and advice on creating your disaster plan.

The Department of Homeland Security has created Ready.gov, which has a variety of Emergency Preparedness resources. They have several documents and brochures that can help you.

One important worksheet they have is a Family Emergency Plan worksheet, on which you can record important vital information on family members, emergency contact information, and other important data.

The American Red Cross also provides a comprehensive range of preparedness resources. They have a section dedicated to making an Emergency Plan, which can give you some great ideas on how to get yours started.

In addition to information on the Emergency Plan, the Red Cross also offers advice on Evacuation Planning and Sheltering in Place (in case you can't get out during a disaster or emergency), which are important components in making your Disaster Plan.

You can also find information on how to prepare for a variety of natural and man-made disasters and situations. This information can be helpful for those living in areas with specific concerns (such as hurricanes and tornadoes).

So here is the challenge for the month:

1. Read through these resources.
2. Get ideas about what your plan needs to include (based on your specific circumstances and family composition).
3. Hold a family meeting and talk about what your plan will be.
4. WRITE YOUR PLAN DOWN. Just talking about it isn't enough. You need to have a concrete plan that is written down. You also need to remember to periodically review the written plan, and make changes if necessary. If you have small children who cannot read, it may help to create a picture guide to go along with the written plan.
5. KNOW THE PLAN. Share the final plan with all family members, and make sure that each individual knows what they should do in the event of an emergency or disaster.
6. PRACTICE YOUR PLAN!! It won't do you any good if you don't use it. This part is especially important when you have young children who may not be able to simply memorize the ideas. Practicing the plan will also help reduce the stress and fear that you may face during an actual emergency.

Making your plan is an important first step to being prepared, and that is our goal for this month, to take that first step.

Please share your ideas, your struggles, your advice, your successes with this monthly challenge.

I'll post more information as I find it out!