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You can create a Family Disaster Plan by taking four simple steps.

• Learn what hazards exist in your community and how to prepare for each.
• Take steps to prepare your family for disaster such as: posting emergency phone numbers, selecting an out-of-state family contact, assembling disaster supply kits for each member of your household and installing smoke detectors on each level of your home.
• Have a family meeting to discuss what you would do, as a group, in each situation.
• Practice your Family Disaster Plan so that everyone will remember what to do when a disaster does occur.  Have reminder and practice meeting couple times a year, even though children get tired of hearing the same thing over and over again, this information can save their lives at times of crisis.

Contact your local emergency management or civil defense office, or your local Red Cross chapter for materials that describe how your family can create a disaster plan. Everyone in the household, including children, should play a part in the family's response and recovery efforts.

Teach your child how to recognize danger signals. Make sure your child knows what smoke detectors, fire alarms and local community warning systems (horns, sirens) sound like.

Explain how to call for help. Teach your child how and when to call for help. Check the telephone directory for local emergency phone numbers and post these phone numbers by all telephones. If you live in a 9-1-1-service area, tell your child to call 9-1-1.

Help your child memorize important family information. Children should memorize their family name, address and phone number. Some children may not be old enough to memorize the information. They could carry a small index card that lists emergency information to give to an adult or babysitter.

They should also know where to meet in case of an emergency. 

Give them the name, address and phone number of a family member or close friend they can call if they cannot reach you.  Include this person in one of your disaster plan meetings so they are aware of their role and your expectations.   

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