1. Call your child’s school(s) and ask for a copy of the school emergency plan. If they don’t have one ask some specific questions. For some help in writing a list of questions copy the article Is Your School Prepared at www.TotallyReady.com If your school has no plan to notify parents in case of an emergency or to provide for a student’s needs during a lock down, now is the time to get involved in the parent club or to get a group of friends together to go and ask some questions of your school administration and school board. This is very important. Every day in the United States there are at least a few schools locked down. Be sure to set aside some time to discuss this plan with your children.
2. With your family, make a list of your 10 favorite meals. These should be the ones you could eat over and over again. They should include meals that would be appropriate for breakfast as well as lunch and dinner. Next compile a list of their 5 favorite desserts. This is a fun topic for around the dinner table. We will use these in coming weeks and months to accumulate your food storage. Place the list in your binder.
3. Add whistles and clothing to your 72 hour kits. (refer to the checklist you printed off and placed in your binder) For infants and young children make sure the clothing and diapers you add are at least a size too big. You can make too big work but too small is a huge headache during a crisis. And, yes diapers are clothing for an infant or toddler. Check them off the checklist in your binder when you are finished and note anything you may need to purchase on this weeks shopping list. If you don’t have backpacks place items for each person in their own large trash bag for now. Make sure you label the bag so it is not accidentally thrown away.
4. Get out your list of items that use electricity. Purchase the items you will need to replace the use of your stove, (matches, charcoal, camp stove…) and dish washer (liquid detergent, paper plates, cups and bowls, plastic utensils…).
5. Find out which radio and TV stations are part of the emergency broadcast system for your local area. Be sure to find out which stations will handle emergency broadcasts for school emergencies. Place this list in your binder where you can find it quickly when the need arises.
6. Contact a friend or family member living at least 100 miles away and ask them if they would be willing to be your family “Out of Area Contact”. They are agreeing to let you come to their home if you need to evacuate, make phone calls on your behalf to your extended family and to store copies of important paper and photos. Get a large manila envelope and write their name and address on the front. We will use this next week
