Have You Ever Thought About How Far You Would Go to Protect Your Family?
Disasters and Your Family: Exist Prepared
Folio Content
Past: Claire McCarthy, Doc, FAAP & Scott Needle, MD, FAAP
Nobody likes to think about disasters affecting our communities. But whether its hurricanes, wildfires, tornados, or other disasters, thinking near it is exactly what we demand to practice. Preparation makes all the difference; it tin can literally salve lives.
Children and families tin prepare together. Disasters can be scary, but existence prepare is i fashion to be less afraid!
Preparing your family
Here are some elementary and important things you can do with your family:
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Talk to your children almost disasters that might happen—and what they should practice.
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Know where to go reliable news and information about weather and disasters. Accommodate a few different ways to receive alerts, such as texts.
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Teach children the basics most what to do in a fire, such as getting low to avoid smoke or feeling doorknobs for heat before opening them. Accept a fire escape programme.
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If y'all live in an surface area afflicted past hurricanes , tornadoes, wildfires or earthquakes, talk with children almost how to recognize the signs and where they should go.
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Make certain children know how to call 911 and tin can requite their name and address. Even very immature children tin acquire this.
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Determine on a person (preferably non a local person who might be affected by the aforementioned disaster) that everyone tin can contact if you are separated.
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Take a meeting place exterior the house where family unit members can go if y'all are separated and can't achieve each other.
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Practice! That is the all-time way to be sure the information sticks. Take fire drills and drills for other possible disasters where you live. If y'all take young children, try making it a game—they will be less scared and more willing to practice regularly.
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Program for where you would go if you had to evacuate. If you lot have pets, make certain the identify you are going will have them.
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If you plan to purchase a generator for extended power outages subsequently disasters, be sure to acquire about steps to foreclose carbon monoxide poisoning
Disasters and COVID-nineteen
If your children are as well young to go the COVID-xix vaccine, try to take steps to protect them from the virus. If you have to travel or go to a shelter, try to proceed at least 6 anxiety autonomously from people not in your family. Unvaccinated children over historic period 2 should wear face masks when near other people. Remind them to avoid touching their faces, and utilize hand sanitizer or wash their hands.
Put together a family disaster kit
Having bones supplies is key if there is a disaster. In the heat of the moment, though, you lot may non have the time, or presence of mind, to assemble them. Then, do it ahead of time. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have bang-up data on items to pack, merely here are some ideas to go you started:
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A starting time-help kit
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Water (two gallons per day per person)
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Flashlights, batteries, chargers
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A battery-operated radio
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Non-perishable foods, such every bit canned foods (include a can opener), granola confined and peanut butter
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Cups and utensils (you tin pick up some inexpensive camping ground kits)
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Spare apparel, and a coating or 2
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Toys or games
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Supplies for pets
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Medications—if you tin, effort to stay ahead of your refills and keep 1 in the disaster kit. At the very to the lowest degree, accept a picture of the bottle so that y'all know exactly what you take.
Tip: It'due south not always possible to keep things similar current medications stored abroad , so make a checklist of everything you might need to take hold of quickly. You lot tin tape the list to the top of the container, which should be a manageable size (y'all may need a couple of them) and in a readily accessible place in your house.
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Extra supplies to include during the COVID-19 pandemic for unvaccinated family members
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mitt sanitizer with at to the lowest degree lx% alcohol, bar or liquid soap
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disinfectant wipes (if available)
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Two masks for each person over age 2
Involve your children in planning and packing—you can make it a game by doing a scavenger hunt. Retrieve to bank check expiration dates and have kids help with remembering and doing that, as well. The more you make it something regular and ordinary, the ameliorate.
Hopefully, your emergency preparations will never be more than a game. But should a disaster e'er striking, they will be the most important game your family ever played.
More information
- Hurricanes & Floods: Taking Care of Your Children and Yourself
- Flash Flood Recovery: Information for Families
- Hurricane Preparedness: Tips for Families
- Wintertime Tempest Disasters: Facts for Families
- Are You Prepared for Disasters? Family unit Readiness Kit (AAP.org)
- Natural Disasters, Natural Disasters, Severe Weather, and COVID-19 (CDC)
About Dr. McCarthy: |
About Dr. Needle |
Article Body
- Concluding Updated
- seven/7/2021
- Source
- American Academy of Pediatrics AAP Council on Children and Disasters (Copyright © 2020)
The data contained on this Web site should not be used equally a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may exist variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
Source: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Getting-Your-Family-Disaster-Ready.aspx
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