September is National Preparedness Month, a chance to take practical steps to get ready for emergencies. By learning local hazards, creating a communication plan, building an emergency kit, preparing for medical needs, and practicing your plan, you can strengthen your ability to respond and recover.
1. Learn Your Risk
Learn which emergencies occur in your community and how they might affect your health, transportation, and daily needs. Consider the needs of children, older adults, people with disabilities, and others who may require extra support. Understanding these risks helps you make relevant, realistic emergency plans.
To get started:
- Explore the Fairfax County Community Emergency Response Guide (CERG) to learn which hazards are most likely to occur in this area. Consider how each hazard may impact you.
- Think about what you will need if an emergency occurs at home, at work, or at other places you frequent.
2. Create a Household Communication Plan
Deciding how you’ll communicate with loved ones before a disaster helps you stay in touch after one. It’s also important to identify how you’ll receive emergency alerts and updates, such as through the news, radio, or text alerts.
Together with your loved ones, discuss:
- A safe meeting place where you can regroup if you have to evacuate or can’t go home. This could be a local store, place of worship, or other central location you can all access.
- How you will communicate if cellular or internet service is disrupted.
- Signing everyone up for free text and email alerts from Fairfax Alerts at bit.ly/FFXAlerts.
3. Build an Emergency Kit
Keep your emergency supplies in one easy-to-access place so that you can grab and go during an emergency. Include medications, medical supplies, important health information, and any other items your family may need.
Remember these health essentials:
- Medications and medication information
- A list of medications, doctors and their contact information, and copies of prescriptions
- Backup batteries or other power alternatives for powered medical equipment
4. Prepare for Medical Needs
Having a plan for managing medical needs during an emergency helps prevent interruptions in treatment. If you or a loved one has chronic conditions, mobility considerations, medical equipment, or other health needs, think about how to incorporate those into your emergency plan.
You should:
- Talk with your healthcare provider about your medical needs and how to manage them during an emergency.
- Coordinate with any caregivers you or loved ones have to discuss how to continue care if an emergency limits transportation or access.
5. Practice Your Plan
Put your plans into action by practicing evacuation routes, regularly updating contact information and copies of medical records, and conducting drills for various emergency scenarios.
To practice, you can:
- Pretend you have to evacuate your home. Practice grabbing your emergency kit and meeting at the gathering place you identified.
- Regularly review and update your household communication plan, including meeting locations, contact information, and alert subscriptions, to make sure everything is current.
Related Resources