Create a Home Emergency Plan

It's not a happy thought to think about your house burning down or a tornado tearing it apart, but if we just turn on the news, we know it's happening somewhere in the world almost all the time. Even though sometimes we might get a little annoyed with our family members, they are the most important part of our lives, so we want to make sure we do all we kind to protect them. An emergency plan can help your family stay together and stay safer in an emergency.

• Research your area: Most states have their own websites with advice on what to do in emergencies, as well as sample checklists and emergency plans. Find out what the procedure in your community would be if you needed to evacuate.
• Make a plan: If your house was on fire, what would you do? Look in each room and try to find at least two exits. Also, it's very important to create a family meeting place that everyone knows about. You don't want to be worrying that not everyone has come out of a burning house when they actually are over on the other corner of the street instead. Also, make a list of emergency contacts. Include local people as well as people that are out-of-state that might be able to help.
• Have a family counsel: Gather all of your family together to talk about what you would all do in various emergencies, such as fires, floods, earthquakes, or whatever other potential natural disasters could happen in your area.
• Put together an emergency kit: Put it in an easy place to access, so that you can grab it running out of the house, while not wasting any time. Inside, keep a well-stocked first aid kit (if possible, put whatever prescription medications that your family members regularly need), a flashlight with extra batteries, cash, a battery-operated radio, and blankets if possible. Your local Red Cross should have a suggested list for your area for what to include.
• Keep food storage: Invest in nonperishable food that would be edible if the power is out. You want to be able to survive if you ever get stuck at home. Also, keep plenty of water.

Remember that you can't control emergencies or natural disasters happening, but you can control how you handle them. Let's do all we can in order to keep our precious families as safe as we can.