How to prepare for emergencies

Families need to prepare for unexpected events, as disasters of all types can happen with little or no warning. A major part of preparing is having a family contact plan.

Families should set up a meeting to talk about the need to prepare for disasters and the types of emergencies that could potentially happen, including home fires, school shootings/acts of terror, natural disasters and public health disasters such as an infectious disease emergency.

Family members should pick two places to meet in the event of a disaster, one right out outside the house and another location outside the neighborhood for those who cannot return home.

Household members need to decide how to contact each other during an emergency and share those plans with relatives and friends. Options for keeping in contact include:

+Have an out-of-area family member or friend be the "family contact." Family members who are separated during a disaster may call this person and tell them where they are. Include this phone number on an emergency contact card that family members keep with them at all times.

+Develop an e-mail distribution list of family members and friends.

+Those affected by a disaster may register themselves as "safe and well" on the Red Cross Safe and Well website at www. disastersafe.redcross.org. This Internet tool allows family members and friends who go to the website to view messages posted by loved ones who are in the disasteraffected area and possibly unable to communicate any other way.

To print out a free emergency contact card, visit the website, www.arcventura.org under the Get Prepared section.

This story is provided by the American Red Cross of Ventura County.