Emergency Plans for the Home & Business

For the Home
  • Have a designated meeting place.
  • Have a notification sheet ready, encased in a protective clear film, giving your address and name and stating that all persons and pets have left the home. List the number of adults, children and pets, and the location of your designated meeting place which any plan should have. And have an out-of-state contact number. This notification sheet should be ready to be easily but securely attached to your outside front door for emergency responders to see. This step could save a first responder’s life.
  • Have a plan and practice it. Review it periodically.
  • Have a plan for sheltering in-place. Identify the rooms that are most appropriate for each type of emergency. If chemical: Close or cover all vents, including fireplace, stove, dryer, etc. Shut off air conditioning or heat/furnace and gas. Shut doors, windows and any drafts. Go up to your safe room.
  • Have a system in place to verify everyone is out of the house.
  • Have an emergency kit for you and your pets ready to take with you if you have to evacuate. Include emergency contacts, medicines and important papers.
  • Have an out-of-state (and if possible out-of region) contact.
  • If you are a working parent or pet owner, form a neighborhood emergency cooperative with neighbors you trust to help your children and/or pets if an emergency occurs when you are not home. Incorporate them into your plans.
  • In a case of sheltering in-place, if possible have materials and supplies stored in your designated safe room. You should have:
    • A clock
    • A first aid kit
    • A make-shift sanitation system
    • A phone
    • A working battery operated radio
    • Clothing and bedding
    • Duct tape
    • Extra batteries
    • Flash lights
    • Food
    • Fun diversions for children and adults
    • Medicines
    • Plastic
    • Water including for pets
  • Keep a full tank of gas.
  • Know all the plans of all the places where your family members regularly go.
  • Know the risks in your community.
  • Make sure everyone knows the plan and understand his or her responsibilities. Be sure people know of changes to the plan.
  • Make sure you keep a list of medications that your family takes.
  • Practice evacuating your home from different exits.
For Your Business
  • Have a designated meeting place.
  • Have a plan and practice it. Review it periodically.
  • Have a plan for sheltering in-place.
  • Have a system in place to keep track of who is in the office.
  • Have a system in place to verify everyone is out of the office.
  • Have an emergency coordinator and several alternates in case someone becomes incapacitated or is not there on a given day.
  • Have an emergency packet ready to take out of the building. Include emergency contacts for every employee with medical needs noted if employees are willing to list them. The top sheet in this packet, encased in a protective clear film, should be a notification that:
    • A contact phone number
    • All persons have left the office
    • The address of the office
    • The location of the designated meeting place
    • The number of people that left
    The top sheet of your emergency packet should be easily but securely attached to the office outside door for emergency responders to see. This step could save a first responder’s life.
  • Have an out-of-state (out of region if possible) contact.
  • In a case of sheltering in-place, have materials and supplies stored in a designated safe area on site. Know how to shut down air-conditioning; heat, etc. Shut all windows, doors and drafts. Close any vent. At a minimum, have:
    • A clock
    • A first aid kit
    • A make-shift sanitation system
    • A phone
    • A working battery operated radio
    • Duct tape
    • Extra batteries
    • Flash lights
    • Food and water
    • Plastic
  • Make sure all employees, especially new ones know the plan and understand their responsibilities. Be sure everyone knows about changes to the plan.
  • Practice evacuating from different exits. Know those exits.
  • Work with your local fire department and Local Emergency Planning Committee to identify hazardous materials that might be in your office even if you do not fall under the required reporting regulations.