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Emergency Preparedness Kit
Are YOU ready?
Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed
Hurricane Season is fast approaching!
1) Get a Kit Here’s a checklist of items that you may need. You should prepare for at least a 3 days’ supply, although a week’s worth is better:
- Water –2 1/2 gallons of water per person per day (1/2 gallon for drinking, 2 gallons for bathing and sanitation)
- Food – Ready to eat canned food: juices, milk, soup; Snacks: cookies, cereals, etc.; Soft drinks, instant coffee, tea. Don’t forget a non-electric can opener
- Medicine – first aid kit that contains aspirin, non-aspirin pain reliever, antacid, antiseptic, scissors, mosquito repellent
- Personal Hygiene/Care Items: toilet paper, towels, soap, shampoo, denture needs, eyeglasses, sun protection
- Other supplies – clean clothes, battery operated radio, flashlight and batteries, portable cooler and ice, plastic trash bags, tarp or sheet plastic, duct tape, cleaning supplies such as bleach, paper napkins, plates and cups, pillows and blankets
- Keep a record of scheduled appointments for follow-up visits, lab work and specialty care services
- Make copies of important legal papers. Place them in a Ziploc bag
- Extra supply of prescription medicines, a listing of medications and their dosages, extra set of eyeglasses and hearing-aid batteries, list of styles and serial numbers of medical devices you use; extra copies of insurance documents and cards, list of doctors, relatives and friends who should be notified if you are injured
2) Make a Plan Know in advance what you will do and where you will go during an emergency.
- If you or a family member has a disability or a special need, here are some helpful tips to consider BEFORE an emergency:
- Form a support network of people in your area to help you in an emergency (neighbors, friends, or family members
- Include any special supplies specific to your needs in your Emergency Kit
- Contact your local emergency management office and notify them of your disability/special need so they have your information if assistance is needed
- Wear medical alert tags/bracelets that identify your disability/special need
- If you are dependent on dialysis or other life sustaining treatment, know the locations and availability of more than one facility in your area
- Develop a Family Communication Plan – make sure you include an out-of-state contact in case you get separated from loved ones or local phone systems are down.
- Create a Plan to Get Away – Always try to use evacuation routes that have been pre-selected by local authorities. If you have a disability or special need that requires you to go to a special shelter in the community, make sure your information is on file at your local emergency management office.
- If you have to evacuate, know in advance where you will go. Staying with friends or family members out of the area will be most comfortable for you. Even if you have plans to stay with family or friends, know where shelters are in your community in case you have to go to one.
- Communicate with your family about your plan. Make sure you designate a meeting place if you are separated from family during an emergency.
- Make sure you get some cash. ATMs and banks may not be operational immediately after a major disaster or emergency.
- Fill up your vehicles with gas, beforehand. Most gas stations do not have backup power and the pumps won’t work without electricity.
3) Be Informed
- Check our Emergency Response and Information website for important updates, especially during hurricane season
- During emergencies, you can also call VISN 8 TelCare (Toll Free) 1-877-741-3400 to get information on clinic closures, pharmacy refills, and rescheduling of appointments
- Listen to your local authorities and follow their directions, including evacuation orders
- If you evacuated the area, wait until local authorities announce “ALL CLEAR” letting you know it is safe to return home
- Visit the Florida Division of Emergency Management website for more information on preparedness tips
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