How to Prepare Your Kids For Emergencies

9/22/2021 (Permalink)

Make sure to practice your emergency readiness plan with your family regularly

The fourth and final theme of this National Preparedness Month 2021 is teaching the youth about preparedness. Make sure your entire family, including kids, are aware of your emergency preparedness plan. In addition, practice it so they know what to do and how to respond in the face of an emergency. A few steps to talk through with your kids are:

1. Who to contact - make sure they have your phone number memorized as well as other emergency contact information and numbers.
   • Tip: pick someone out of town for an emergency contact as they might be easier to reach if there is a local disaster. 

2. Where to meet – Talk through with your family on where to meet in case of an emergency. Pick a familiar and accessible place where you can take shelter if needed.
   • Tip: Make sure the place you decide on is pet friendly if applicable.

3. Practice! Hold regular household meetings with your family to discuss your plan and keep copies of your contact information somewhere safe like a backpack or cellphone.

Ready.Gov has fun interactive games for children to play in order to help prepare the youth for emergencies. Check it out here: https://www.ready.gov/kids/make-a-plan

As National Preparedness Month 2021 comes to an end, SERVPRO of Rochester, Michigan wants to remind you that emergencies and disasters happen year round. Make sure you and your family are staying vigilant each month by keeping up to date with your preparedness kits and looking out for alerts.

#YouthPrep