Are you Prepared?

Some neighborhoods in Spanish Fork are going to do a Mock disaster in the Fall, my neighborhood is one that is participating. So my husband and I have been asked to be block captains for about 25 homes. To get prepared for this we've passed around a questioner for each family to look over and review so they can see how prepared they are.

Some of the questions are:

Does your family have a communications plan for contacting family members who may not be home at the time a disaster occurs?
(many husbands work away from home. If a disaster happens the phone lines and power may be out. Do you know how you can get word to him?) I have two places to meet if a disaster strikes so that you can meet up there. My family will meet at home if it's safe or our church building if it's not.

Does your family have a plan to evacuate your home in case of an emergency?
we have little ones in my home and my husband works about 25 minutes from us. So we thought about several scenarios that would be the best for me to get both or my kids (3yrs and 18mths) out of the house safely. Think about what you would do now and plan it out. When there is an emergency you will need to act quickly. Better be prepared now.

Do you have a 72 hour kit for each person in your home?
I will be honest we didn't. We had everything we needed just not put together. So today I put one together for my entire family. Here is what to put in your 72 hour kit , or 72 hour kit checklist . Now this can be catered to your needs. The best way to think about it is what will I need if I no longer can live in my home for 72 hours and nether can anyone else. We have a tent attached to our 72 hour kit so we can have some shelter. Do keep in mind weight, you want to be able to carry it when there is an emergency.
Once I assembled it I put it in a place that is easy to get to in case we only have a few minutes to leave the house. I will most likely be home alone with our two kids so I need to be able to get out with the kids and our 72 hour kits.

Do the adults in your house know how to shut off the electricity?
This is something you would need to know. So I would find out.

These are just a few of the questions on the list. Things to think about. It never hurts to be prepared. In Fact it's wise.