VIII. PREPARING FOR RESPONSE

A. Individual and Family Preparedness. As a disaster volunteer with a critical skill, your help is important to your community's emergency response and recovery activities. You have a personal responsibility for making sure that you and your family are prepared to survive a disaster. Outlined below are some simple steps that you can take to ensure that your family will be safe while you are responding to the emergency An expanded version of these steps are provided in Attachment E to this manual:

1. Develop your Own Family Disaster Plan. There are four basic steps you should take to develop your own Family Disaster Plan.

a. Find out what could happen to you. Contact the American Red Cross or the County Emergency Management Agency for information on what type of disasters are likely to happen in your community.

b. Create a Family Disaster Plan. Once you know what disasters to prepare for, discuss with your family how to prepare and respond if one occurs.

c. Complete your checklists. Make checklists to cover home and area evacuation, Disaster Supply Kit contents, safekeeping vital documents and a personal property inventory.

d. Practice and maintain your plan. Once you have a personal disaster plan you an your family should regularly review the plan and practice evacuation procedures.

2. Assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit. In a large disaster, it may take days before local officials and relief workers are on the scene. Your family will cope best if you assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit before disaster strikes. Your kit should include clothing and blankets to protect you from cold and wet weather, food and water for at least three days, a flashlight, a radio and batteries, a first aid kit and other personal items.

B. Response Equipment. As an amateur radio operator who has volunteered to provide emergency communications, you should be prepared to respond with your own equipment to a variety of situations and locations. In a few cases, communications equipment may be in place. It is more likely that you and your equipment may be the only communications source available. Attachment A to this manual lists suggestions and checklists of equipment and supplies that you should consider using to prepare your ready kit.