Is Your Family Prepared for an Emergency?

Be Ready to Hunker Down

If an emergency forces your family to remain at home, or be confined to a portion of your home, for a lengthy period of time, keep the following "Ready-to-Stay Kit" supplies in a plastic tub or special cabinet:

• Three gallons of water for each family member (note the expiration dates on purchased containers of water)
• Canned food and snacks for at least three days
• Manual can opener
• First-aid kit
• Medicine you routinely take
• Toilet paper
• Clothes for each family member
• Blankets
• Books and games to keep you busy
• Paper and pencils
• Pet food and supplies for three days
• Unscented bleach

Talking to Your Kids

HSC recommends that you talk with your children about the different kinds of weather or other emergencies that could affect your community. Reassure them that you or another adult, such as a firefighter, police officer, neighbor or physician, will be there to help them in an emergency. And put a list of emergency numbers, and the work and cell phone numbers of family members, by each telephone in your house.

For more information on emergency preparedness, visit the HSC Web site. You can order a free home safety education program, which comes with an activity book and worksheets on emergency preparedness in English and Spanish.