Commentary by Cindy Benedict
How many times have you filled out some survey and then thought, “Nothing will happen with this?” Well, I want to reassure you that we pay serious attention to the Noblesville Citizen Survey conducted every three years. One item in particular caught our eye – how prepared are you for a disaster? Thirty-four percent of our residents said that they stocked supplies in preparation for an emergency. That isn’t overly encouraging since that means 66 percent of us aren’t ready to weather a disaster. As we begin to prepare for the winter, can I encourage you to take a Saturday morning and make sure your family can manage most emergencies? It isn’t that hard and it could make a huge difference for first responders. If you can shelter in place for three days, it gives our emergency responders some valuable time to cope with whatever disaster has come our way.
There are three elements to a good disaster preparedness plan for your family:
1. Have a written plan. This is actually very simple – everyone needs to know who to call within the family and an out-of-town contact in case the family gets split up. Write down where you all agree to meet in the neighborhood, doctor contact information and critical medical information. You can find some great templates at www.ready.gov/make-a-plan. These include easy information for your kids that they can keep in their backpack. Be sure to talk about the plan with all your family members – a practiced plan is one that will work.
2. Prepare your home. There are lots of lists out there for a family three-day emergency kit, but you can get a great overview at www.ready.gov/build-a-kit. In addition to the kit, you need to think about where to shelter in your home and practice how to get out of your home should an emergency arises. For example, do you have a safe way to get out of second-story bedrooms? Finally, think about how to cook or stay warm if you lose electricity. You need a safe alternative that can be used within the home.
3. Prepare your car. The link to help you is www.ready.gov/car. There are some excellent lists to help you prepare your car and create a car kit. Sometimes the biggest problem is getting stuck on the road due to bad weather conditions and road closures. Make sure you can handle the delays.
In just one morning, a little advanced preparation could make a huge difference in your ability to handle a disaster. We’ve all been watching the news, we know they happen. So get prepared and then relax. You’ve done all that you can do and hopefully you’ll never need to use your emergency kits.
Cindy Benedict is the community engagement manager for the City of Noblesville. She may be reached at 770-2007 or [email protected].
