Red Cross asks: Are you prepared?

The Red Cross recommends people start by taking three actions to prepare for disasters: Get a kit: Assemble or purchase a portable emergency preparedness kit with enough supplies for three days in case you need to evacuate. The Red Cross also recommends having at least two weeks worth of supplies at home. Supplies should include water (one gallon, per person, per day), nonperishable food, a flashlight, battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra batteries, first aid kit, a seven-day supply of medications, a multi-purpose tool, sanitation and personal hygiene items and copies of important personal documents. Make a plan: Make sure each person knows how to reach household members, including an out-of-area emergency contact person, and knows where to meet if they can’t go home. Be informed: Learn about what resources are available and what types of disasters are most likely to occur where you live, learn, work and play. Take a first aid and CPR/AED course—a component of disaster preparedness in case emergency help is delayed. The Red Cross created a free online education program to make it easier for people to get prepared. The Be Red Cross Ready program walks people through three key preparedness steps: getting an emergency kit, making an emergency plan and being informed and is available at www.redcross.org/BeRedCrossReady. Additionally, the local Red Cross offers a free on-site presentation of Be Red Cross Ready that can be conducted in workplaces, at club meetings, church meetings, community groups or board meetings.