Federal Emergency Management Agency

Washington, DC 20472
lreparin, Makes Sense.
Tho |||o||hooo lhul you uno your um||y w||| surv|vo
u houso ro ooponos us much on huv|ng u wor||ng
smo|o ooloclor uno un ox|l slrulogy, us on u
wo|| lru|noo ro oopurlmonl. Tho sumo |s lruo or
surv|v|ng u lorror|sl ulluc| or olhor omorgoncy.
Wo musl huvo lho loo|s uno p|uns |n p|uco lo
mu|o |l on our own, ul |ousl or u por|oo o
l|mo, no mullor whoro wo uro whon o|suslor
slr||os. Jusl |||o huv|ng u wor||ng smo|o ooloclor,
propur|ng or lho unoxpocloo mu|os sonso.
Get ready now.




1
Get a KIt
of Lmer,ency Supplies.
Bo propuroo lo |mprov|so uno uso whul you huvo on huno
lo mu|o |l on your own or at Ieast three days, muybo |ongor. Wh||o
lhoro uro muny lh|ngs lhul m|ghl mu|o you moro comorlub|o, lh|n|
rsl uboul rosh wulor, ooo uno c|oun u|r.
Consider two kits. ln ono, pul ovorylh|ng you w||| nooo lo sluy whoro
you uro uno mu|o |l on your own. Tho olhor shou|o bo u ||ghlwo|ghl,
smu||or vors|on you cun lu|o w|lh you | you huvo lo gol uwuy.

You'|| nooo u gu||on o water por porson por ouy or or|n||ng uno
sun|lul|on. lnc|uoo |n lho ||ls u lhroo ouy supp|y o nonpor|shub|o foods
lhul uro ousy lo sloro uno propuro such us prolo|n burs, or|oo ru|l or
cunnoo ooos. l you ||vo |n u co|o woulhor c||mulo, |nc|uoo warm
cIothes uno u s|oop|ng bug or ouch mombor o lho um||y.
Somo polonl|u| lorror|sl ulluc|s cou|o sono l|ny m|croscop|c jun|
|nlo lho u|r. Muny o lhoso mulor|u|s cun on|y hurl you | lhoy gol |nlo
your booy, so lh|n| uboul croul|ng u burr|or bolwoon yourso| uno
uny conlum|nul|on. ll's smurl lo huvo somolh|ng or ouch mombor o
lho um||y lhul covors their mouth and nose, such us lwo lo lhroo
|uyors o u collon lsh|rl, huno|orch|o or lowo| or hIter masks, rouo||y
uvu||ub|o |n hurowuro sloros. ll |s vory |mporlunl lhul lho mus| or olhor
mulor|u| l your uco snug|y so lhul mosl o lho u|r you broulho comos
lhrough lho mus|, nol urouno |l. Do whulovor you cun lo mu|o lho
bosl l poss|b|o or ch||oron.
A|so, |nc|uoo duct tape and heavyweight garbage bags or
pIastic sheeting lhul cun bo usoo lo sou| w|noows uno ooors |
you nooo lo croulo u burr|or bolwoon yourso| uno uny polonl|u|
conlum|nul|on ouls|oo.

2


Make a PIan
lor Wlat You Will Do in an Lmer,ency.
P|un |n uovunco whul you w||| oo |n un omorgoncy.
Bo propuroo lo ussoss lho s|luul|on. so common sonso
uno whulovor you huvo on huno lo lu|o curo o yourso|
uno your |ovoo onos.
DeveIop a FamIIy CommunIcatIons PIan. Your
um||y muy nol bo logolhor whon o|suslor slr||os, so p|un
how you w||| conlucl ono unolhor uno rov|ow whul you
w||| oo |n o|oronl s|luul|ons. Consider a pIan where
each famiIy member caIIs, or e-maiIs, the same
friend or reIative in the event of an emergency.ll
muy bo ous|or lo mu|o u |ongo|slunco phono cu|| lhun
lo cu|| ucross lown, so un out-of-town contact muy
bo |n u bollor pos|l|on lo commun|culo umong sopuruloo
um||y mombors. Bo suro ouch porson |nows lho phono
numbor uno hus co|ns or u propu|o phono curo lo cu|| lho
omorgoncy conlucl. You muy huvo lroub|o goll|ng lhrough,
or lho phono syslom muy bo oown u|logolhor, bul bo pul|onl.
Dopono|ng on your c|rcumsluncos uno lho nuluro o lho ulluc|,
lho rsl |mporlunl ooc|s|on |s wholhor you sluy pul or gol uwuy.
You shou|o unoorsluno uno p|un or bolh poss|b|||l|os. so common
sonso uno lho |normul|on you uro |ourn|ng horo lo oolorm|no |
lhoro |s |mmoo|ulo oungor. Watch teIevision and Iisten to the
radio for ofhciaI instructions as they become avaiIabIe.
Create a PIan to SheIterInPIace. Thoro uro
c|rcumsluncos whon sluy|ng pul uno croul|ng u burr|or
bolwoon yourso| uno polonl|u||y conlum|nuloo u|r ouls|oo, u
procoss |nown us sho|lor|ng|np|uco uno sou||ng lho room
cun bo u mullor o surv|vu|. If you see Iarge amounts of
debris in the air, or if IocaI authorities say the air is
badIy contaminated, you may want to sheIter-in-pIace
and seaI the room. Consider precutting pIastic sheeting
to seaI windows, doors and air vents.Euch p|oco shou|o bo
sovoru| |nchos |urgor lhun lho spuco you wunl lo covor so lhul you
cun oucl lupo |l ul ugu|nsl lho wu||. Lubo| ouch p|oco w|lh lho
|ocul|on o whoro |l ls.
so u|| uvu||ub|o |normul|on lo ussoss lho s|luul|on. l you soo |urgo
umounls o oobr|s |n lho u|r, or | |ocu| uulhor|l|os suy lho u|r |s buo|y
conlum|nuloo, you muy wunl lo sho|lor|np|uco. Ou|c||y br|ng your
um||y uno pols |ns|oo, |oc| ooors, uno c|oso w|noows, u|r vonls
uno rop|uco oumpors. lmmoo|ulo|y lurn o u|r cono|l|on|ng,
orcoo u|r houl|ng sysloms, oxhuusl uns uno c|olhos oryors.
Tu|o your omorgoncy supp||os uno go |nlo lho room you huvo
oos|gnuloo. Sou| u|| w|noows, ooors uno vonls. noorsluno
lhul sou||ng lho room |s u lomporury mousuro lo croulo
u burr|or bolwoon you uno conlum|nuloo u|r. Wulch Tv, ||slon
lo lho ruo|o or choc| lho lnlornol or |nslrucl|ons.
Create a PIan to Get Away. P|un |n uovunco how you w|||
ussomb|o your um||y uno unl|c|pulo whoro you w||| go. Choose
severaI destinations in different directions so you huvo
opl|ons |n un omorgoncy. l you huvo u cur, |oop ul |ousl u hu|
lun| o gus |n |l ul u|| l|mos. Become famiIiar with aIternate
routes as weII as other means of transportation oul o your
urou. l you oo nol huvo u cur, p|un how you w||| |ouvo | you huvo
lo. Take your emergency suppIy kit, un|oss you huvo rouson
lo bo||ovo |l |s conlum|nuloo uno |oc| lho ooor boh|no you. Tu|o
pols w|lh you | you uro lo|o lo ovucuulo, howovor, | you uro go|ng
lo u pub||c sho|lor, |oop |n m|no lhoy muy nol bo u||owoo |ns|oo.
l you bo||ovo lho u|r muy bo conlum|nuloo, or|vo w|lh your w|noows
uno vonls c|osoo uno |oop lho u|r cono|l|on|ng uno houlor lurnoo
o. L|slon lo lho ruo|o or |nslrucl|ons.
Know Emergency PIans at SchooI and Work. Th|n| uboul
lho p|ucos whoro your um||y sponos l|mo: schoo|, wor| uno olhor
p|ucos your um||y roquonls. TaIk to your chiIdren's schooIs
and your empIoyer about emergency pIans. F|no oul how lhoy
w||| commun|culo w|lh um|||os our|ng un omorgoncy. l you uro un
omp|oyor, bo suro you huvo un omorgoncy propuroonoss p|un. Pov|ow
uno prucl|co |l w|lh your omp|oyoos. A commun|ly wor||ng logolhor
our|ng un omorgoncy u|so mu|os sonso. TaIk to your neighbors
about how you can work together.

S
Be lnformed
About Wlat Mi,lt Happen.
Somo o lho lh|ngs you cun oo lo propuro or lho
unoxpocloo, such us ussomb||ng u supp|y ||l uno oovo|op|ng u
um||y commun|cul|ons p|un, uro lho sumo or bolh u nuluru| or mun
muoo omorgoncy. Howovor lhoro uro s|gn|cunl o|oroncos umong
polonl|u| lorror|sl lhrouls, such us b|o|og|cu|, chom|cu|, oxp|os|vo,
nuc|our uno ruo|o|og|cu|, wh|ch w||| |mpucl lho ooc|s|ons you mu|o
uno lho ucl|ons you lu|o. By bog|nn|ng u procoss o |ourn|ng
uboul lhoso spoc|c lhrouls, you uro preparing yourseIf lo
roucl |n un omorgoncy. Oo lo www.ready.gov lo |ourn moro
uboul polonl|u| lorror|sl lhrouls uno olhor omorgonc|os or cu||
18CCBEPEADY (18CC2373239) or u roo brochuro.
Be preparedlo uoupl lh|s |normul|on lo your porsonu|
c|rcumsluncos uno mu|o ovory oorl lo o||ow |nslrucl|ons
roco|voo rom uulhor|l|os on lho scono. W|lh lhoso s|mp|o
propurul|ons, you cun bo rouoy or lho unoxpocloo.
Get ready now.

Get lnvoIved
in lreparin, Your Community.

4Alor propur|ng yourso| uno your um||y or poss|b|o
omorgonc|os, lu|o lho noxl slop uno gol |nvo|voo |n propur|ng your
commun|ly. Jo|n Citizen Corps, wh|ch ucl|vo|y |nvo|vos c|l|zons |n
mu||ng our commun|l|os uno our nul|on suor, slrongor uno bollor
propuroo. Wo u|| huvo u ro|o lo p|uy |n |oop|ng our homolowns
socuro rom omorgonc|os o u|| ||nos. C|l|zon Corps wor|s huro lo
ho|p poop|o propuro, lru|n uno vo|unloor |n lho|r commun|l|os. Oo
lo www.citizencorps.gov or moro |normul|on uno lo gol |nvo|voo.