Have regular family meetings to discuss preparing in advance for a disaster. Explain to your children what may happen when a disaster hits Tooele County. Each family member should have their own responsibility to help your family work as a team. Even small children can be taught what to do. Once you have had an initial meeting, plan to have discussions on a regular basis to review, review, and review. Its not a question about “if” a disaster happens, but “when”.

The most important decision you need to make as a family is where you will meet. In a case of a fire in your home, you may want to meet outside in the driveway, or right outside your home away from danger. You also need to have a meeting place established outside of your neighborhood in case a disaster strikes your neighborhood and you can’t return home. Everyone in your family must have the address and telephone number memorized. Rehearse with your family over and over until everyone can repeat it out loud without having to think about it.

Once your emergency plan is established, have regular fire and evacuation drills. Make sure everyone in your family knows how to turn off the water, electricity, and gas.

Discuss what your family should do during an evacuation. Don’t forget your pets. They must be included in your plan. Temporary shelters set up by emergency operation centers and other agencies most often don’t allow pets. You may not be able to take them with you. Your disaster plan must include what to do with animals.

Your family also needs to know what the disaster plan is where you work. What is the disaster plan at your child’s school? The Daycare center? Your local church? For example, do you know where your children will be taken if they are at school when a disaster strikes? Do you know where your spouse or partner will be taken if they are doing charity work at your local church and a disaster strikes?

Establish an out of state relative or friend to be your “spokesperson”. After a disaster, family members and friends can call this person for information. Your family and friends must have this information available to them quickly.