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Emergency Plan for Home
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To print in booklet format, download this PDF version: Emergency Plan for Home (PDF file - booklet format)
Contents
- Information about emergency planning
- Complete the Readiness Checklist
- What should you do after completing the checklist?
Information about emergency planning
Get prepared! People who are prepared for emergencies usually stay safer when something happens than people who are not ready.
During an emergency the general public may be advised by state or local officials to stay where they are. People may need to stay at home, work or another place. Individuals with disabilities and families, like everybody else, should be prepared to take care of themselves at home for at least three days. Your home may need to be your shelter. This "home checklist" can help you create an emergency plan for your home.
- Be sure to have a battery operated radio with extra batteries. Listen for updates from officials about whether you should stay where you are or leave for a shelter. Don't count on regular communication. Electricity may be out, phones, including cell phones, and wireless devices may not work. Your battery operated radio and backup batteries are your best bet to listen for information from officials.
- Don't take for granted that help will come. Make your personal or family plan. If you will need support during an emergency, include the people who will help you in your plan. Check in with them regularly to make sure they are still available and their personal emergency plans have not changed.
- Make sure contact information and copies of important papers are kept up-to-date. Check the dates on batteries and food supplies every couple months. Complete the check list provided in this booklet. Using this checklist will help you make your plan with your family or support people.
If you are not able to stay at home for at least 3 days, your personal emergency plan should identify:
- who will help you get to a safe place,
- how these people will be contacted in an emergency,
- what kind of transportation you need, for example, a vehicle with a wheelchair lift, an ambulance or ambulette,
- the place that you are likely to go, and
- what you need to take, for example, medicines, equipment, names and phone numbers of people who are important to you, and copies of identification, insurance cards and important papers.
Complete the Readiness Checklist
1. Emergency supplies
If you can not afford to stock up on supplies for an emergency, contact organizations like the American Red Cross and those that serve people with disabilities. If you have a Case Manager or Service Coordinator, ask them to help. Store your emergency supplies where you can easily get to them.
| Completed? | Checklist item |
|---|---|
| Yes / No | Battery operated radio |
| Yes / No | Flashlight |
| Yes / No | Extra batteries for radio and flashlight (check expiration dates every couple months) |
| Yes / No | Signaling device, such as a whistle, beeper, bell, screecher |
| Yes / No | Food for at least 3 days - packages or cans that you can open and prepare easily (check expiration dates every couple months) |
| Yes / No | Water - one gallon per person per day for at least three days |
| Yes / No | Food and water for your service and companion animals or pets |
| Yes / No | Non-electric can opener that you are able to use |
| Yes / No | Extra blankets, especially for winter emergencies |
| Yes / No | First aid kit with Band-Aids, bandages, hand sanitizer, insect repellent, topical ointments, flu and cold remedies, and vitamins to boost general health |
2. Medications
| Completed? | Checklist item |
|---|---|
| Yes / No | Extra supply of medicines you need to take (if possible, a two-week supply, check expiration dates every couple months) |
| Yes / No | Extra copies of prescriptions (ask your doctors, let them know they are for your emergency kit) |
| Yes / No | Ice chest if your medication needs to be cold (keep your ice trays filled in your refrigerator in case you need ice) |
3. Equipment and assistive devices
| Completed? | Checklist item |
|---|---|
| Yes / No | Equipment and assistive devices are easy to locate during an emergency |
| Yes / No | If needed, back-up equipment, for example, spare batteries or a manual wheelchair |
| Yes / No | Written instructions on how to operate and move your medical and adaptive equipment |
4. Readiness
| Completed? | Checklist item |
|---|---|
| Yes / No | Know where main valves and switches are for gas, water and electricity. Get help adapting handles, valves and switches, if it makes a difference to help you to turn them off |
| Yes / No | Fire extinguisher that you can you use, for example, one with extended handles |
| Yes / No | An emergency plan, including transportation, if you need to get to a shelter or other safe place |
| Yes / No | Written instructions and copies of important papers listed in your Important People and Papers Checklist |
5. Reasonable accommodations
Be prepared to quickly explain to rescue personnel with the least amount of words in the least amount of time how to move your mobility aids and how to move you or assist you to move safely and rapidly. For example, "take my oxygen tank," "take my insulin from the refrigerator," "use the board to transfer me from bed to my wheelchair."
Your needs should be reasonably accommodated as much as possible during an emergency so that you remain as safe as possible and keep as much control of your life and choices as possible. Know what accommodations related to your disability you may need to ask of rescue personnel. For example, if you are unable to wait in long lines for extended periods of time, practice clearly and concisely explaining why, because of your disability, you cannot wait in line.
List accommodations you may need to ask of rescue personnel during emergency response and recovery periods. Accommodations you may need are described in your Shelter Checklist.
| Type of accommodation | Notes about the accommodation |
|---|---|
| Type: | Notes: |
| Type: | Notes: |
| Type: | Notes: |
| Type: | Notes: |
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