Is your family ready for an emergency? 

Planning ahead can keep you safe if a flood, fire, flu pandemic, terrorist attack, or other public health emergency strikes.

June is Home Safety Month, a good time to prepare yourself and your family for an emergency.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend these simple steps to help you prepare for an emergency:

n Do a walk-through of your home. Check your smoke alarms, child safety locks, and first aid supplies.

• Get an emergency supply kit.

• Make a family emergency plan.

• Stay informed about emergency resources available in your community.

Planning ahead is key.  Here are a few simple items you can gather today to prepare for an emergency:

• At least 3 gallons of water for each member of your family

• Food for at least three days — choose foods that don’t need a refrigerator, like canned fruit, energy bars, peanut butter, and crackers

• Pre-scription medicines that you take every day, like heart or diabetes medicine

• A first aid kit to treat cuts, burns, and other injuries.

The staff at Bonner General Hospital conducts emergency preparedness drills each year as part of our accreditation requirements for the Joint Commission Accreditation of Hospital Organizations, as well as various exercises to meet out emergency preparedness funding requirements.  This advance planning and preparation helps to ensure that the hospital will be ready to respond to our community’s health needs in an emergency. 

Take this opportunity to prepare yourself and your family to assure that if an emergency strikes, you’re ready to respond appropriately.

Lynda Metz is the director of community development at Bonner General Hospital.  The information in this article was provided courtesy of the Home Safety Council.