Part of being prepared for an emergency is knowing what resources you can count on in a disaster prior to anything happening.  The best way to get to know what’s out there may be for you to get involved with making your own advance preparations and designing your own plan.

If you are designing an emergency preparedness plan specific to you and your family, then you may want to spend some time thinking about how a disaster would affect each person in your family.  Spend some time learning about what resources you may be able to tap to make things easier on yourself in the aftermath of an emergency.

A good example of this is I own multiple dogs.  In the event of a disaster, I may well have to evacuate those animals in a very short time span.  I have a good friend who lives in the country.  She has a large, fenced-in back yard, and she has a huge storage barn.  I’ve already spoken to her about bringing my dogs there is something should happen.

I have a special “Go Kit” ready to grab and go, specifically tailored for my dogs.  There is extra food, tie outs, collapsible crates, food and water bowls, toys, etc.  All the items I may need on the spur of the moment are ready to go.  That brought me some peace of mind!

If you have children, elderly parents, a disabled relative, pets, whatever your situation is, please take the time to begin designing a plan now for how you’ll fare during and after a disaster.