As part of National Preparedness Month, the Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) Emergency Management Department is promoting the importance of making a family emergency plan.
“Every individual or family should have a preparedness plan, complete with a list of contacts during an emergency,” said Les Hiatt, NSAB deputy emergency manager. “Making an emergency preparedness plan empowers you. It saves lives, property and time, and reduces stress.”
Throughout September, the emergency management department along with the Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) and American Red Cross volunteers will set up outreach tables to hand out information on how to prepare a family emergency plan as well as resources on how to prepare for different types of emergencies.
“National Preparedness Month is trying to encourage individuals and families to have a preparedness plan, and a list of contacts in case there was an emergency,” said Abby Patel, FFSC emergency case manager. “In case a natural disaster were to happen it’s better to be prepared.”
The FFSC has lists of resources throughout the installation, and can advise people on how to set up family emergency plans. One component of that plan is making a home escape plan, Patel said.
“The plan should be tailored to the type of situation that you may undergo, for instance, an escape plan for a fire and an escape plan for a home invasion might be different,” Patel said.
Each plan should include a meeting place, both in the neighborhood, such as a mailbox or a neighbor’s house; and outside of the neighborhood, which could be a library, community center or place of worship. A location outside of town should also be determined which can be a home of a relative or family friend and make sure everyone in the family knows the address and find ways to get there.
A map of each floor in the house should be marked to indicate where windows and smoke alarms are located. There should be at least two ways to get out of each room – usually a door or a window. Each family member should know where the emergency kit is located.
“Put your exit plan to work by practicing it as a family at least twice a year,” Hiatt said.
American Red Cross Bethesda Senior Station Manager Marin Reynes said the Red Cross offices on base have brochures on how to prepare for an emergency as well as what to include in an emergency kit.
She said the brochures might have items that people wouldn’t commonly think of to include in an emergency kit like extra prescription medications and extra pet supplies.
Another component of the family emergency plan is writing down important phone numbers and addresses, including home, school, work and other places that are frequently visited by family members.
Also include an out-of-town contact that family members can reach in case of an emergency. The list should also include the phone numbers for the Quarterdeck, command duty officer, ombudsman, and NSAB’s dispatch as well as the Navy-wide emergency call center at 1-877-414-5358 or TDD number, 1-866-297-1971.
Other numbers to include are doctors, dentist, pharmacy, veterinarian and kennel for pets.
Hiatt said the family emergency plan should also indicate family member’s names, birth date, Social Security numbers, driver’s license number, passport number, prescriptions/medical information and insurance policy numbers for medical, dental, homeowners/renters, auto, life.
Instructions on how to turn off the home’s utilities should also be included in the family emergency plan because the ventilation system or other utilities might need to be turned off, Hiatt said. He advised to write the locations and instructions for the controls and keep any tools necessary with the emergency kit..
“Like a fire and evacuation plan, this is a good thing to review and practice with the whole family,” Hiatt said.
Important personal and financial records should also be kept with the emergency supply kit and ones that aren’t regularly used should be kept inside a water-and-fire proof container that can be transported in case of an emergency, he said.
Personal records can include military ID cards, driver’s licenses, birth certificates/adoption records, Social Security cards, passports, citizenship papers, marriage licenses, divorce records, vehicle registration/ownership records, medical records, immunization records, power(s) of attorney (personal/property), wills, and a household goods inventory from the last three permanent-change-of-station moves.
Financial records include bank/credit union statements; credit/debit card statements; income records such as government benefits, child support, and alimony; mortgage statement or lease; electric, gas, and water bills; health insurance cards and record; auto, property and life insurance records; tax returns and property tax statements; and investment/retirement account records.
For more information, visit www.ready.gov or contact the NSAB Emergency Management office 301-295-2219 or 301-319-2554 to get pamphlets and ideas on how to make a family emergency plan, or visit www.redcross.org. The U.S. Department of Defense Web site also has a special report for National Preparedness Month at www.defense.gov/News/Special-Reports/National-Preparedness.
| Date Taken: | 09.08.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2016 08:04 |
| Story ID: | 209153 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, MD, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Be Prepared, Make a Family Emergency Plan, by Andrew Damstedt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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