Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response 2570 Riverside Parkway P.O. Box 897 Lawrenceville, GA 30046 770-339-4260 www.gnrhealth.com
Family Preparedness Guide
“Helping you
PREPARE
before a disaster strikes”
Preparing is Important
Too often many families are unprepared when disaster strikes. Knowing what types of emergencies are possible in your area, how to respond to these emergencies and having the needed resources readily available can help you and your families take control when disaster strikes. Depending on the nature of the emergency (naturally occurring, disease epidemic or pandemic, or an intentional act of terrorism involving chemical, biological or radiological devices) you may have to survive on your own for 72 hours or more without access to power, food, or transportation. Each emergency and disaster affects individuals, families, and communities differently. Through preparedness efforts, you can help reduce the fear and anxieties related to these unknown situations as well as reduce the immediate and long term risks to you and your families. We recognize that emergency planning can be overwhelming if you attempt to think about every situation, so this guide is designed to make it easier for you and your families to take small steps toward preparedness. Take the steps to PREPARE before disaster strikes and by the end of this process you will have successfully completed a comprehensive emergency plan and created disaster kits.
Table of Contents
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Prepare Your Plan
Family preparedness involves developing an emergency plan and practicing. This plan should include considerations for when your family is together at home and when family members are at work, school or other facilities. Consider including the following in your preparedness plan:
Communication plan
Emergency kits
Evacuation plans
First Aid kits
Food and water safety
Sanitation and hygiene
Shelter in place plans When creating your plan and emergency kits, it is also important to consider the types of emergencies and disasters that you and your family may be at risk for. Understanding the types of emergencies and knowing how you will address them will help your family be better prepared. The following list includes examples of potential emergencies that may occur in Georgia. Natural Events: droughts, earthquakes, extreme heat, floods and flash floods, house fires, hurricanes, thunderstorms and lightening, tornadoes, wildfires, winter advisories and ice storms Technological: hazardous material (hazmat) incidents, nuclear power plant incidents Terrorism: chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) threats Public Health: anthrax, botulism, chemical emergencies, infectious diseases (Ebola virus), pandemic influenza, plague, smallpox, vector-borne diseases (West Nile and Zika virus) While these emergencies may be possible throughout the area, remember that preparing is a family effort and specific to your individual needs. Work together as a family to take the steps to be prepared, in order to stay safe and healthy during an emergency or disaster.