Emergency situations always occur at the most inopportune moments in life. If they were not unexpected, then they probably would not qualify as an emergency. They would just be a planned inconvenience.

The Department of Homeland Security has been extremely busy over the past 9 years and the Ready.gov website is representative of another approach they are utilizing to helping Americans to stay safe and prepare for the worst. At the Ready.gov website you can quickly and easily follow their 3 step process to being prepared for an emergency situation.

Step 1 - Get a Kit!

It is always a good idea to put together a “survival kit” that can be used immediately following an emergency situation. In most cases you will want to pack this kit with food and water rations that will supply you and your family with at least three days of nourishment. The following are items that the Ready.gov website recommend that you include in your basic emergency kit:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers

Step 2 - Make a Plan!

When an emergency strikes, it is very possible that you and your family will not all be together in one location. For this reason, it is important to make a planfor how you will contact each other, where you will meet up, and what your plan is for different situations. ReadyAmerica has created a website that guides you through the process of creating an emergency plan. However, the following are good suggestions to keep in mind as you go through the process:

• Identify an out-of town contact. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
• Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone, coins, or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. If you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) in your phone. If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts.
• Teach family members how to use text messaging (also knows as SMS or Short Message Service). Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.
• Subscribe to alert services. Many communities now have systems that will send instant text alerts or e-mails to let you know about bad weather, road closings, local emergencies, etc. Sign up by visiting your local Office of Emergency Management web site.

Step 3 - Be Informed!

Depending on what section of the country you live in, you may need to be more prepared and knowledgeable about specific emergencies as compared to others. For instance, if you live in Florida, you could probably care less about preparing for a blizzard like situation. However, you may really be interested in what to do in case of a hurricane. The Ready.gov website has a list of the most common emergency type events that could impact our country ranging from Tornadoes to Nuclear exposure. When time allows, check it out and read up on the emergency situations that seem more appropriate for your region of the country.

Get Your Own Widget!

The following is a widget provided by Homeland Security in conjunction with FEMA and the Ad Council. It provides a “onestop” shop experience for people visiting your website, blogger page, facebook, or myspace accounts. If you would like your own widget, just click on “get and share” and select the correct format and cut and copy the code into your web utility. It is quick and easy and serves as a great resource for your readers.

We hope this information is helpful to our readers at SmartSecurityPeople.com and provides you with a better sense of security for you and your loved ones in the event of an emergency situation. If you know of anyone that would benefit from this knowledge, please be sure to use the Share Tab below to send them a link to this article.