With wildfires in the West and hurricanes in the Southeast, our country is being hit with a variety of natural disasters. An emergency on its own, whether natural or human-caused, is incredibly destructive, but on top of a global pandemic could be catastrophic. It’s important to be prepared for any type of emergency that Whatcom County might face. Having a plan and an emergency preparedness kit can make a huge difference in how you and your family get through an emergency.

Make a plan

Being prepared in advance for an emergency means that you won’t have to waste valuable time trying to figure out what to do if one occurs. The Red Cross has a good outline for a family emergency plan that you can fill in with your own information. The plan includes things like:

• Deciding on a meeting point.
• Deciding who will have which responsibilities.
• Assigning an emergency contact who lives far away who can act as a go-between if you and your family are separated.

Practice as many parts of your plan as possible to make sure everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.

Create an emergency preparedness kit

Along with having a plan, you should have a survival kit with supplies like food, water and medications. The Red Cross has a list of recommended supplies to keep in a survival kit. Keep your kit in an easily accessible place and make sure everyone knows where it is. 

If you can’t get all the supplies for it at once, try adding to it a little at a time, starting with essential items, like food, water, medications and your important documents. 

Get trained in First Aid and CPR

• It’s a good idea for everyone to have first aid and CPR training, but it may be even more important during an emergency. Find a CPR class near you.

The worst time to figure out how to respond to an emergency is after it’s happened. With so much on our minds right now, it’s difficult to take on one more thing. But preparing for a disaster now will give you peace of mind that you’re ready for whatever might come your way later.