National Preparedness Month is held each September to encourage Americans to take simple steps to be prepared for emergencies in their homes, businesses and communities. This year’s theme is “You Can Be the Hero.” This is the perfect time to make an emergency plan or review the emergency plan you already have in place.

When creating an emergency plan, consider young children, elderly parents, functional needs or disabilities and pets. Create an emergency plan that supports your unique needs. Bismarck Emergency Manager Gary Stockert explains, “It’s important to involve others in the planning and to move from planning to training through discussion and drills. This will also help you develop an appropriate communications plan prior to an event.”

Be prepared to conduct these typical response actions depending on the nature of the incident:
1. Severe weather sheltering (e.g.: tornado, winter storm, power outage)
2. Shelter in place (e.g.: chemical incident),
3. Evacuation (e.g.: fire, flood), or
4. Lock down (e.g.: active assailant).

Remember, most everyone has a role in emergency preparedness: this includes individuals, families, business, government, churches, schools, emergency response agencies, volunteer groups, other organizations, etc.

If you have to shelter in place it is recommended to have at least 72 hours of food and supplies. You may be without utilities or water for days. It is essential to be able to safely shelter in place until resources become available again or responders can get to you. If you need to evacuate, what is your escape route? Do you have a “Go Kit” packed? Make sure you have your prescribed medications and copies of your prescriptions in your “Go Kit”.

There is a good chance that you will be somewhere other than your home during an emergency. Does your work or child’s school have an emergency plan in place? Familiarize yourself with these plans in order to be prepared during an emergency event. Set up a plan to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together, how you will get to a place of safety, and how the plan may alter based on the emergency.

For detailed information on how “You Can Be the Hero” for your family by creating an emergency plan, you can visit: www.bismarck.org/EmergencyManagement