| you like to find out what those-in-the-know have | | | | should know where to go for protection and/or |
| to say about emergency plans? The information in | | | | escape. The same holds true for homes. Families |
| the article below comes straight from | | | | with small children should practice disaster drills at |
| well-informed experts with special knowledge | | | | various times during the night and day in order to |
| about emergency plans. | | | | make sure children know innately what to do in |
| There are very few people in the world or the | | | | case of emergency and do not panic and forget |
| United States who are not vulnerable in their | | | | when and if the crucial time should ever prevent |
| homes or businesses to one type of disaster or | | | | itself. Knowledge saves lives in situations such as |
| another. Disaster strikes generally when least | | | | this and having a clearly defined and understood |
| expected and not at all prepared for and can | | | | avenue for escape can be critical in a situation |
| have devastating consequences in the toll of | | | | such as this. |
| human lives, property damage, and the ruin of | | | | More than giving workers and family members a |
| businesses. Prepare a disaster plan for your home | | | | clearly defined route to take when disaster |
| and business in order to maintain as much control | | | | strikes having a designated and specific plan for |
| of things in this situation as possible. | | | | emergencies also gives them a sense of purpose |
| Home or business invasions should first focus on | | | | that will often override the traditional sense of |
| everyone getting out of the house. Whether or | | | | panic. This is a good plan for families and work |
| not the invader is in the house when this is | | | | places across the country to practice. |
| discovered or not the first order of business | | | | It was mentioned above that hurricane plans are |
| needs to be to insure the safety of everyone in | | | | slightly different and this is true. Hurricanes |
| the home or business. For both homes and | | | | present a fairly unique dilemma as we have |
| businesses it is best to establish a rendezvous | | | | discovered in recent years because they can |
| point for this specific situation. Make sure every | | | | literally devastate entire regions with the totality |
| family member or employee knows where he or | | | | of their destruction. In these instances, |
| she should meet everyone else in the case of a | | | | information is needed to get out quickly to |
| break in. For families with small children it should | | | | employees and family members that not only |
| be something as simple as a neighbor's house for | | | | allows them to know who is safe but also the |
| businesses it can be wherever you feel there is a | | | | status of work, coworkers, and home and hearth. |
| large enough space to accommodate everyone | | | | Establish an email list in order to contact those |
| that will need to meet. Businesses should also | | | | that may be displaced and to allow all who have |
| have a phone call protocol established of those | | | | an interest to know what the situation at home, |
| who should be able to call those who do not need | | | | work, etc. may be. If a home or business is |
| to be present initially in order to avoid | | | | fortunate enough to be in place once these 'once |
| overwhelming the situation and location with too | | | | in a lifetime' storms pass then family members |
| many people asking questions and wanting | | | | and employees will take great comfort of getting |
| answers all at once. | | | | back into the normalcy of a workweek as quickly |
| Hopefully the information presented so far has | | | | as possible. Use the opportunity to let them know |
| been applicable. You might also want to consider | | | | the situation and give them the option of returning |
| the following: | | | | (if they are ready and prepared) or taking the |
| For fires and weather related disasters home and | | | | time off necessary in order to get their homes |
| businesses need to have an emergency plan in | | | | and lives in order. All in all having a plan is the best |
| place (this should be different in hurricane regions | | | | way to go. |
| according to the long range predictions and | | | | There's a lot to understand about emergency |
| uncertainty of not only the routes of hurricanes | | | | plans. We were able to provide you with some of |
| but the amount of damage that can lie in their | | | | the facts above, but there is still plenty more to |
| wake). If emergencies such as fires or tornadoes | | | | write about in subsequent articles. |
| occur during regular office hours every employee | | | | |