Are You prepared For An Emergency?

Being ready for an emergency
The devastation from Hurricane Katrina has made us all stop to consider our level of disaster preparedness. Are you confident you’d know what to do in the event of an emergency? Do you have everything you need to deal with a fire, earthquake, storm, or other disaster? To help you get started, we’ve organized some excellent online resources—so you’re better prepared before disaster strikes.

General emergency sites:

• American Red Cross
  A great place to start. Filled with comprehensive information.
• Ready.gov
  Another comprehensive general site, with special emphasis on terror threats.
• FEMA
  Disaster relief information, plus how to prepare for all kinds of natural hazards.
• Preparedness for Businesses
  How to protect your workers, assets, and your entire company.

Things you can do to prepare:

• Build a Disaster Supplies kit
  Find out what’s essential to stock in your home.
• Make a Plan
  Planning strategies for various types of emergencies in different locations.
• Protecting Your Records
  Learn how to keep your personal and financial records safe.

Preparing for specific disasters:

• Floods and flood insurance
  Essential information for people living in flood hazard areas.
• Hurricanes
  Learn about hurricanes and how to protect yourself and your home.
• Tornadoes
  Learn what to do before, during, and after a tornado.
• Fires
  Get facts on smoke alarms, safe-guarding electrical wiring, planning escape routes, and more.
• Earthquakes
  Complete earthquake preparation handbook with important survival information.

First aid and medical care:

• First Aid and Self Care
  Comprehensive list of first aid treatments from the Mayo Clinic.
• CPR and Emergency Care
  Life-saving information from the American Heart Association.

Locating loved ones:

• Next of Kin Registry
  Free contact system for locating your next of kin in emergency situations.
• Family Links
  International Red Cross site to help people find information about their loved ones.

Children and others with special needs:

• FEMA for Kids
  Interactive site designed to engage and inform kids.
• Prepare.org
  Info for the elderly and others with special needs (includes a large print function).
• Resources for Parents and Teachers
  Tips and information on taking care of kids away from home.

Pets:

• American Veterinary Medical Association
  Guides on caring for house pets and farm animals.
• Disaster Preparedness for Pets
  Tips from the Humane Society to safeguard your pet.

HW cares:
We have established link to the red cross www.harlemworldmag.com to help family and friends connect with victims of the devastating events in the Gulf Coast. Search our database, add information if you know someone is safe, or check the links to other national Hurricane Katrina survivor databases.