Are Your Children Prepared For An Emergency
Emergency Preparedness For Children
You may know what to do and your partner may know what to do, but do your children know what to do in case of an emergency? If the answer is no, your kids may be in danger and you need to do something about it. There are things your kids absolutely must know about. Make sure your kids know what they should by reviewing our emergency preparedness tips for children.
Name, Phone Number and Address
There are three things every child should know – their name, phone number and address. If your child is too young to remember this information, get them an identification bracelet with the information engraved on it.
Emergency Contact Information
Make sure your child knows who they should contact in case of an emergency if they can’t get a hold of you. It can be a grandparent, an aunt or a neighbor, but make sure there are at least two emergency contacts for your child and make sure the school is informed of that emergency contact person as well. The best case scenario is to have one emergency contact nearby and one emergency contact located out of state.
Meeting Sites
Set up a number of meeting sites for your family and make sure your child knows where they are and how to get to them. The first meeting site should be your home. Make two or three other nearby meeting sites in case your home is not accessible in the event of an emergency. This will give you the greatest chance of finding your child should you be separated when an emergency occurs.
Teach Important Facts
Make sure your child knows important emergency-related facts such as to stay away from flood waters (even if it seems like a few inches of water in the road) and not to touch downed wires or poles. Also teach your children how and when to call 911. This information could save their lives and yours in the event of an emergency.
Role Play
Run drills at least twice a year. Practice makes perfect and if your children have experience running through the emergency drills, they’ll know what to do if a real emergency occurs.