Family Disaster Planning

Wicuhkemane Psiw Elakomukot – Let’s help our relations

It’s important that we all create an emergency plan that we can carry out along with our family.

Our plan must take into account a variety of disasters. We should keep in mind what disasters could occur in our area and what some other potential disasters could be.

Let’s create a plan; gather supplies and keep them in a to-go bag that we can easily grab, in case of an emergency; make a list of contacts; and be sure to remember important documents.

Why preparing for an emergency is important | Steps to get started

We never know what may happen in Maine – ice storms, hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters or power outages. During major events, people who can help might not be able to reach us for several days. That’s why it’s important to:

1. Have an emergency plan that you can carry out on your own or with your family.
2. If you have a disability, make sure you create a plan that is appropriate to your specific needs and abilities. For more information, visit Ready.gov.
3. Look at your plan, and make a list of what you would need and where you would go. Plan how your family would communicate if phone lines were down and family members were in different places at the time of an emergency.
4. Start to gather the emergency supplies you think you would need. See the Emergency Supplies Checklist at right for ideas.
5. Continue to update your plan to handle any new changes that affect your family or your abilities.

Emergency contacts – 5 steps

1. Create an emergency contact card.
2. Make copies, and give them to family members.
3. Include out-of-town contacts.
4. Teach your children how and when to call 911.
5. Post the emergency contact card by the phone, and program it into your family’s mobile phones.