Emergency preparation is often used for the safety of a person or family in times of disaster. Preparing for an emergency may involve planning a route of escape, holding drills to teach proper emergency plan execution, and creating an emergency kit. Disasters can consist of both man-made or natural events that require immediate action by the person or family. A plan may differ depending on the location of the home and the potential threats common in that area.
Planning a route of escape in case of an emergency may help to ensure all people involved understand the best actions to maintain safety. The escape plan can include sharing emergency phone numbers and determining the location of the nearest safe town. All emergency phone numbers should be long distance from the home region since local phone numbers may be more difficult to reach if the area is facing an emergency. The safe town should be far enough away from the location of the disaster to be secure, but close enough so that all friends and family involved in the plan have little trouble reaching this location.
Drills are a part of disaster preparedness that are often forgotten. Holding mock disasters as a part of emergency preparedness may make those involved more familiar with the plan. This familiarity could be a life saver when a disaster occurs and people are scared and feeling anxious to escape. These drills can be practiced on a monthly schedule, and increased in number as the time of year when disasters are likely to occur draws closer. The disaster drill can also include a review of the phone numbers to be used in case of an emergency.
Creating an emergency preparation kit can strengthen the disaster plan. The kit can include water, prescription medications, and extra batteries. Some people choose to include canned foods and can openers as part of their kit as well. Emergency preparation kits should be refreshed each year to keep the supplies in the kit fresh and in good condition, in the case of a disaster.
Emergency preparation will often be tailored to the area in which a person lives. If the location of the home is near water, boards and nails can be a part of the emergency preparation kit and used to cover windows during hurricanes or typhoons. If the home is located on a flood plain, sand bags could also be kept on hand to protect the home against flooding.