Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Family: _________________________
Date: ___________________________
First and foremost, preparing for emergencies is a mental exercise. You prepare by
understanding the risks and what you can do now to lessen their impact. Once you are
thinking in that way, you may want to start acquiring things that you may need. Think
and plan first, and then act. All the tools and supplies are of no use to you, if you do not
have any idea why you may need them.
A quick review of the internet, and you will see that a lot of emergency management for
individuals assumes an apocalyptic event, and one that you address by both buying things
and retreating to the needs of just you and your family. I do not believe you prepare for
emergencies by buying things you think you may need. I believe emergencies are best
prepared for as communities.
We live in a rich and resourceful country, but each family needs to take responsibility for
itself to the greatest extent it can. For many situations, a family can take care of itself
with no help from others – and in some situations, a family will need help from others;
government, charities, and neighbors.
There are many risks facing families; natural, technological or man-made. Families can
prepare for the characteristics that are common to all risks, and coordinate with outside
help to address those aspects beyond the wherewithal of individuals and families.
This book is designed to help American families work develop their own emergency
plan. The mere fact of doing this will help them face future events with the certainty they
can help make their own circumstances and not be helpless victims.
The goal of this workbook is to provide families with the chance to learn about various
risks, and prepare for them. Education and preparation will give you the tools you need
to face any emergency.
1. Introduction to Emergencies
There are natural, technological, and man-made hazards. Each one has its own set of
challenges, but many of the challenges are the same. Part of the work a family should do
is figure out what hazards about which they should be concerned. A family in New
England will want to think about winter weather problems, and less about earthquakes. A
family in southern California will want to think about earthquakes and wildfires.
•Natural Hazards
These are the biggest hazards facing families and the most probable. It is nature that has
the most variety of challenges. Depending upon where you live, you should be more
concerned about some hazards.
Floods
Severe Weather; hurricanes, winter weather, tornadoes, heat.
Fire; home or wildfire
Earthquake
Tsunami
Mudslide
Drought
Disease
•Technological Hazards
We have come to depend on technology for a superb lifestyle, but it comes with its own
set of risks. Knowledge of how all the technology can go wrong would require more
detail than a household needs. However, one should keep in mind some basic potential
hazards.
Household Chemicals
Hazardous Materials
Industrial Accidents
Power Failures
Nuclear Power Plant radiological accident
One emergency may spawn another; e.g. a flood may cause hazardous materials to be
turned loose. Families must learn that any emergency will require similar actions, and
this book is geared to help you figure out what to do. Focus on the hazards with the high
probability, and you will be better prepared for the more severe situations that are less
probable to occur.
2. The Four Phases of Emergency Management
Emergency preparedness is a process, and not a task to be done once and forgotten until
some unfortunate event. Performing specific actions, like storing batteries and a radio, is
a good start. Real preparedness comes from knowing what, why, how and when to
prepare for emergencies. There is a process that emergency managers use to prepare –
and it has four phases.
A family should go through the four phases, and this work book is geared to help you
through them. The four phases are:
1. Mitigation – Figuring out what hazards you may face, and doing what you can to
avoid them or lessen their effects.
2. Preparation – Understand what you have to do, make a plan, and exercise that
plan to ensure everyone knows what to do.
3. Respond – When an emergency happens, do what you need to do to keep you and
others safe.
4. Recovery – Getting your family back to normal, and incorporating the lessons
you learned dealing with a hazard.
The next part of the workbook will walk you through the four phases, and help you
document what you decide about hazards facing you, ensure you have a plan to deal with
those hazards, and provide a reference document for emergencies.
The government has recently changed their planning to focus on three phases: Prepare,
respond and recovery. Within each of these three are many subsections. I believe that
mitigation requires its own stress, and so I keep with a four phase emergency planning
perspective.
3. Identifying and Assessing Risks
When you first start looking to prepare for emergencies, risks can seem pretty
intimidating. Some people will prefer not to even think about them. Others may take
preparations to extremes by attempting to prepare for any and all risks. The best initial
response is somewhere in the middle.
The first step is to identify what hazards and risks you and your family could face. Then,
look at them and think of the probability of a hazard actually happening, and finally the
effect that actual risk could have on your family.
When you start to identify hazards, you come to some basic truths – the biggest risks
your family faces are ones easy to mitigate. These are fires, household chemicals, and
common illnesses. If you take concrete steps to address these few, you are way ahead of
most people and well on your way to position your family for other hazards.
Some hazards are easy to identify. If you live in Florida, you will be correct to put
hurricanes on your list. A family in Connecticut may be better served to think about ice
storms. If you live near a nuclear plant, you will want to think about radiation. For all
the attention the media pays to some hazards, e.g. tsunamis, one must take a pragmatic
and measured approach to determining what hazards could show up in your
neighborhood.
A good resource to determine the probable hazards your family may face is your local
government. Your town or county should have an emergency manager part of whose job
is to identify and assess risks. You should contact them directly. If you can not find your
local emergency preparedness office, then your state government most certainly has an
emergency management office. See appendix 1 for a list of state emergency management
contacts and use them to determine where you can find some help.
Now is the time to start to think about preparedness as it applies directly to your family.
On the next page list the hazards you face in your community. Also put down a
probability of low, medium or high to help you understand what the most important
potential hazards are. There is no right or wrong – but when you are done you should be
feel you have a good grasp of what hazards your family may face.
Here are some things to think about when you identify hazards you may face.
●What weather does your part of the country experience?
●Do you live in an industrial area, or close to highways or railroads? That may mean
potential exposure to hazardous materials.
●What hazards does your state or local emergency manager suggest you prepare for?
__________ Family Emergency Management Plan
Identification of Hazards
Natural Hazards Technology Hazards Man-Made Hazards
1. Illness M 1. Fire M 1.
2. 2. Household 2.
Chemicals
3. 3. 3.
4. 4. 4.
5. 5. 5.
6. 6. 6.
7 7 7
8. 8. 8.
9. 9. 9.
There are no right or wrong answers. The key is to start to understand what you may
face, and begin the mental exercise to prepare.
4. Mitigating Risks
We have based our plan on four phases to preparing for emergencies. The first is
mitigation; knowing what you may face and then working to obviate it or lessen its
impact prior to its occurrence.
Each hazard you just identified that you may face has its own risk, and each risk has its
own mitigation measure. By addressing them, your family lessens its risk. Mitigation
can be an action you take, or something you learn. Learning about risks can take the fear
and paralysis out of the equation.
In the appendix are sheets on specific emergencies and their related risks. They have
risk-specific actions you can take. As smart as it is to address hazard specific risks, the
first thing to do to is to take actions that will benefit the family across a variety of
hazards.
Look at the hazards you identified, and ensure you work through each so you know what
you must face.
There are several hazards everyone will have to face, and those are filled out but room is
left for you to include your own ideas. Behind these common hazards of fire, personal
illness, and household chemicals are blanks to fill in other potential hazards in your
location. Refer to the appendix for detail on hazards.
Hazard: ______Fire______________________
Initial Warning: When Smoke or smoke alarm;
and how will you know about this
risk?
Overall Impact on the Major impact on you, but little on the community.
Community: Does this
affect just you or the entire
community?
Consequences- Expense and effort to shelter family before new housing is
damage, casualties: obtained or repairs made. Loss of property and chance of burns.
What can you expect and how will Emotional upheaval at loss.
this affect you?
Needed Actions and Mitigation: ●Maintain house clean and free of flammable
Resources - Including material. ●Educate your family on how to avoid fires and plan
Mitigation efforts: for each room to have two exits. ●Sketch your house plan and
What can you do to avoid this? each exit, and practice each with the family. ●Have fire
extinguishers for use in the kitchen. ●Maintain electrical
system in good working order. ●Maintain smoke alarms
throughout your house.
Response: What do you need Action: Get out of your house in the case of fire. Do the
to do after it happens? emergency exit as you have practiced. Have the family meet at
a specific location safely distant from your house. Call 911.
Needed Actions and Mitigation: Maintaining your health as best you can with
Resources - Including exercise, rest, proper food, and proper habits. Maintain
Mitigation efforts: personal hygiene and appropriate vaccinations. Maintain
What can you do to avoid this? appropriate stocks of medicines and any needed supplies.
Response: What do you need Action: Seek and follow the advice of health care professionals.
to do after it happens?
Hazard: ___Household Chemical____________________
Initial Warning: When A look around your house can give you all the warning you
and how will you know about this need. Know that medicines are a hazard if used or stored
risk?
improperly.
Needed Actions and Mitigation: ●Remove the chemicals; clean your house and take
Resources - Including advantage of hazardous waste disposal days in your community.
Mitigation efforts: ●Inventory those you must maintain and know their specific
What can you do to avoid this? risks, and how they can be addressed. ●Stock ipecac or
activated charcoal and use only if instructed by Poison Control
Center as the wrong treatment can make matters worse. ●Move
chemicals out of the reach of children and pets, and away from
sources of heat and corrosion.
Response: What do you need Action: Call a Poison Control Center 1-800-222-2222
to do after it happens?
A lot of people will spend time planning for specific risks or hazards – but a smarter start
is to plan for certain actions you will want to do regardless of the risk you face. Once
those basics are taken care of, then it makes sense to plan for specific risks.
Basic needs are what you plan for; food, shelter, clothing – all the stuff you have to do
whether there is an emergency or not. However, an emergency has its own set of
challenges. Power may be interrupted, roads may be closed – so it will take some
preparation to make do until things return to normal.
Professional emergency managers will plan according to what they call Emergency
Support Functions or ESF’s for short. FEMA currently plans for fifteen ESF’s, and they
relate to tasks that will be common to any emergency. For each ESF, they have
designated a particular branch of the government as responsible. For instance, ESF#1 is
Transportation, and the lead agency is the Department of Transportation. ESF #5 is
Emergency Management, and FEMA owns that.
Families can plan along the same lines. The ESF’s that the government plans for are not
what a family should do exactly but there are parallels. The ESF’s currently used for
planning by FEMA are included for your reference as appendix.
Here are the basic family ESF’s to plan for; we will work through each later to build your
actual emergency plan.
2. Communication
A family will need to plan for all members to communicate in the face of an emergency;
and that should be coordinated with a rallying point. You will want to have a primary
plan, but also a secondary, should it be necessary. Knowing where your family is will
save you from anxiety and wasted energy.
3. Transportation
What transportation needs does your family have? Probably, the main concern for
transportation are first, how does everyone get home or to a safe area in the event of an
emergency. Second, how should you plan to evacuate if it comes to that, and where
might you go?
7. Pets
Your pets will need to be cared for as part of your emergency management plan. This is
not only important for their own sake, but to ensure that you and your family do not have
to expose yourselves to any unnecessary to care for a pet in the midst of an emergency.
No matter what type of emergency your family is faced with, the above items are
common to any plan.
6. Emergency Plan Documentation
The time to plan for emergencies is before they happen. The pages that follow give you
the templates to complete your own family’s emergency plan. The goal here is not just to
fill out these sheets; this is the time to engage your entire family with emergency
planning. Take the time to ensure that they know why a plan is necessary.
Address: ___________________
City: ___________________ State: _____ Zip Code: __________
Many plans are made and then they sit on a shelf. Your family’s plan should be a living
document and should be reviewed regularly.
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
Awareness and Planning
_________________ Family Emergency Plan Date: _________________
Government Emergency Management
Your local, county and state should all have emergency plans, and many are on the web.
You will want to look at them for two reasons. First, they can be a great source of
information for planning – identifying risks, hazards, and mitigation strategies. Second,
you will want to know how they plan on getting information to you and what their actions
may be in the event of an emergency.
Do not make the mistake of thinking some government entity will provide for all your
needs, immediately, in an emergency. You will have to provide you and your family a
level of capability. You will need to know how your individual efforts can marry up with
those of government.
The responsibility to deal with emergencies proceeds from local governments, to county,
to state, and then to Federal agencies. Successful response happens when government
entities work together to identify hazards and mitigate risks before an emergency, so they
are able to better able respond when it is needed. Some states have lots of experience
working together, like California with firefighting. Others are constrained by the political
inability to work across levels of government. The response to Katrina spotlighted some
poor coordination between government entities.
The lesson for individual families is to decide if their particular region has the ability to
work together. One can gauge this not by listening to what governments say, but how
they act. Are there actual written plans for emergencies? Are roles for various
government entities spelled out? Most important, have there been recent exercises
practicing responses and what were the lessons learned? If your governments can not
answer these questions with facts about actions, working up your own emergency plan
will work to your longer term advantage in an emergency. Check the dates of your
government plans – many were done years ago and exist only as a document on a shelf.
Research who is responsible for emergency management in your area, and reach out to
them. Find out what they suggest you do in an emergency, and plan accordingly.
Address:
Phone Number:
Address:
Phone Number:
Phone Number:
You will want to document what you have learned from local, state and federal websites
information that will help you to stay informed.
Official Information – What are the sources to which the government uses in your area:
Radio Stations:
Television Stations:
Internet:
Physicians
Local Hospital
Veterinarian
Primary Rallying Point – Where the family should work to meet up in case of an
emergency causing disruption. Home is a good place.
Who is in charge? __________________
Address: ___________________
City: ___________________ State: _____ Zip Code: __________
Secondary Rallying Point – Is there a second place to meet should the primary place not
work or is not safe?
What place? ________________________
Address: ___________________
City: ___________________ State: _____ Zip Code: __________
What to do?
In case of an emergency, all family members should go to the primary rallying point if
able, but not if it is dangerous. All should call in to the family member in charge at that
rallying point. If unable to reach anyone at the rallying point, the family member should
call the Out of Area Contact
Communication Plan
_________________ Family Emergency Plan Date: _________________
Evacuation: A family may be able to plan for a place to which they can evacuate should
the situation require and allow it. More often than not, it is best to stay at home but in
case, but a vacation home or a relative may be a viable option.
Additional Vehicles:
Vehicle:__________________ Vehicle:__________________
Tag #: ___________________ Tag #: ___________________
Fuel Capacity: ___________gallons Fuel Capacity: ___________gallons
Estimated Range: _________miles Estimated Range: _________miles
Primary Driver: ___________ Primary Driver: ___________
Fuel Status: ____________ Date: ________ Fuel Status: ____________ Date: ________
Registration: ____________ Registration: ____________
Fire Extinguisher: Y/N First Aid Kit: Y/N Fire Extinguisher: Y/N First Aid Kit: Y/N
Flashlight: Y/N Spare Tire: Y/N Flashlight: Y/N Spare Tire: Y/N
Maps: Y/N GPS: : Y/N Maps: Y/N GPS: : Y/N
Maintenance Status: Maintenance Status:
Transportation Plan
_________________ Family Emergency Plan Date: _________________
Public Transportation:
What types may be made available for evacuation? Has anything been pre-designated by
local, county or state government? These questions are best answered by referring to
your local or state emergency manager’s website.
Food and Shelter are the next critical items for which to plan in an emergency. Families
must plan on making their own way in the midst of an emergency for several days.
FEMA speaks of having enough food and water for three days – but that is not a
guarantee that any government agency will be present to look after all your needs within
three days.
Water:
Water is critical for survival in the short term. Needs of individuals will vary, but the
average person needs two to three quarts of water to drink daily. Heat, illness, and other
factors may increase that need. Plan on at least one gallon per person per day.
You may not be able to count on your public water supply, so it is best to store water
against an emergency. If you have notice of an impending situation, you should fill other
containers while you have water.
Food:
A food supply separate from daily living needs is preferred for emergencies if one can
afford it. The best solution is to store canned and dried food which does not need
refrigeration. Relying on food that is in a refrigerator or freezer means relying on the
power to run those appliances.
Think about all that is needed for food preparation. You may want to dedicate specific
pots and utensils for your emergency supplies. Remember also that sanitation is no less
critical during emergencies so you should also store soap, cleaning supplies and
sanitation supplies, e.g. plastic garbage bags.
Shelter.
One’s own house is the best place to shelter – as long as the government has not ordered
an evacuation. It may be cold and dark due to lack of electricity, but it can still provide
shelter. You must also recognize that your home may be damaged, possibly to the point
it can no longer be used. Basic repair materials, e.g. plastic sheeting, tools, etc. are valid
to retain, and so are alternatives like tents or tarps.
Keep in mind the need for sleeping; blankets, mats, and sleeping bags are to be stored
against the need for greater warmth than a bed provides, or in the case of the need to
evacuate.
For all food, water, and shelter material remember to store it in a place and in such a way
that it is accessible and not subject to flood waters.
Water Stowage:
Number of Number of One Gallon Number of
People in days to of Water Gallons to
the plan for be stored
household
Food Storage
It is prudent to inventory the food you store for emergencies, and when, so that it can be
replaced when shelf life is reached.
Water Purification
tablets
Plastic Garbage bags
Cooking Utensils
Pot - Large
Pan
Dish soap
Food and Shelter Plan
_________________ Family Emergency Plan Date: _________________
Food Item Quantity Location Expiration
Date
Food and Shelter Plan
_________________ Family Emergency Plan Date: _________________
Shelter
Item Quantity Location
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping mat
Blankets
Ground cloth(plastic)
Tarp
Tent
Cots
Resource Plan
_________________ Family Emergency Plan Date: _________________
Resources beyond food and shelter must be considered. The extent one family can go
purchasing and stockpiling various resources is limited only by imagination and money.
The main thing to remember is that emergency preparedness is not an inventory of things,
but knowledge of risks and what to do about them.
In the food and Shelter section, you worked up what you need for water, food, and
shelter. Now is the time to think of what else you will need.
Before thinking of what you may need, it is a good idea to document what you have. A
room by room inventory of what you have is needed. Such an inventory, accompanied
by photograph evidence, will make insurance claims and loss
There are basics for any emergency, and those are listed on the inventory below.
Additional gear will depend upon what hazards your can expect to face.
Flashlight
Extra Batteries
Radio(battery
powered)
Smoke Alarms
Resource Plan
_________________ Family Emergency Plan Date: _________________
Emergency Item Quantity Location Expiration
Date
Health and Medicine Plan
_________________ Family Emergency Plan Date: _________________
There is first and foremost a need for a first aid kit. All families should have one and
know how to perform first aid. One for the house and one for each vehicle. They each
should include a blanket. The blanket is used to treat for shock, and if you do not know
how or why to do that, then you need more instruction on first aid. The Red Cross
provides training, and has some publications also. A tried and true document remains the
First Aid merit badge pamphlet from the Boy Scouts.
The next step is to document all the medicine, prescription and non-prescription, and
ensure that you have a supply ready. The severity of illness in your family may require
more specific items, e.g. oxygen or monitors, and more detailed planning to ensure
proper care is maintained.
Physicians
Local Hospital
Critical Equipment: Status and Use Dietary Restrictions: Alternative site for Care:
Critical Equipment: Status and Use Dietary Restrictions: Alternative site for Care:
Critical Equipment: Status and Use Dietary Restrictions: Alternative site for Care:
Pets Plan
_________________ Family Emergency Plan Date: _________________
Pets need to be attended to in emergencies. They have the same needs as people.
Water:
You will need to figure out how much each of your pets drinks daily, and store that
amount of water. You will need supplies separate from your families.
Food:
An emergency food supply for pets, separate from daily uses, is just as important as that
for people. You will know how much your pet needs.
Shelter.
You will want to ensure you count your pets into the equation when you plan for shelter
Water Stowage:
Number of Number of Daily Number of
Pets in the days to Water Use Gallons to
household plan for in Gallons be stored
_________
Food Storage
Stowing food in strong and waterproof containers will help to ensure the food is around
when needed.
Shelter
Item Quantity Location
Crate - Dog
Crate - Cat
Crate - Other
Mats
Blankets
Ground cloth(plastic)
Tarp
Pets Plan
_________________ Family Emergency Plan Date: _________________
Tent
Veterinarian
A. Government References
Online listings of government emergency management websites; state and federal.
B. First Aid Kits
Suggested contents and inventory sheets
C. Government Emergency Support Functions
Federal government high level responsibilities
D. Hazard Specific Information
Web references for hazard information
\
Appendix A – State and Federal Government References
The Federal government has, with the National Response Framework, designated which
functions are necessary in emergencies and assigned specific agencies to coordinate. A
family plan will address the functions in a family centric way. Seeing how the Federal
government plans to react is necessary. In an extended emergency, a family will need to
know when and where they can expect government assistance as their individual capacity
is either exhausted or superseded by the severity of the emergency.
First aid kits are required in several locations. As with everything in preparedness, the
answer is not in things but in knowledge. Take a Red Cross first aid course so that you
will know why you have what in your kit, and how it is to be used. At the very least, read
and study first aid. Military service manuals, Red Cross publications, and the Boy Scout
First Aid Merit Badge book are potential resources.
The contents of a first aid kit vary by location; a kit for a car may have less than a kit at
home. There are many commercially available kits. I have always built my own, and
kept a current inventory. As with your emergency plan, first aid kits are something that
you use continually. A common error is to buy or make a kit, use it without thinking to
replenish, and then finding it incomplete when you need it most. This is especially true
when children are informed about first aid, which is always a smart idea.
●Dedicate a waterproof container and a specific location for your first aid kits.
●Keep a list of your medical provider, insurance, and emergency contact information
in your kit.
●Remember your paper and pencil – in emergencies you will want to document what
you do and when you do it.
●When you travel, check your first aid kits within your baggage. The scissors, tubes
and vials can upset security. Bring a simple kit with you.
FIRST AID KITS
Home #1 Home #2 Home #3 Home #4
Location: Location: Location: Location:
Suggested
Quantity
Bandages and Dressings
Adhesive bandages in several shapes and
sizes Various
Adhesive tape - 1″ roll, 1 (waterproof, if
possible) 1
Steri-Strips: (skin closure) 1 pkg
Ace Bandage (elastic): 4 inch roll. 1
Absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9
inches) 2
Non-Adhesive Dressing Various
Gauze Pads - (3 x 3 inches) 5
Gauze Pads - (4 x 4 inches) 5
Gauze rolls (1/2 to 2 inches wide) Various
Gauze, Self adhering 2”. 1
Gauze, Self adhering 3”. 1
Gauze, Self adhering 4”. 1
Eye Pad - Sterile 3
Triangular Bandage / Sling 2
Moleskin or Molefoam (prevent blisters) Package
QuikClot - clotting agent for bleeding 2
Wound Treatment
Antibiotic ointment packets
(approximately 1 gram) 5
Alcohol wipes 5
Antiseptic wipes 5
Hand Towels - 3 3
Hydrogen peroxide Small Bottle
Mild liquid soap (avoid antibacterial and
deodorant soaps) 2-4oz Small Bottle
Cotton balls 5
Cotton swabs 5
Eye wash(i.e. Visine, Clear eyes) Small vial
Medications/ointments/repellents
OTC pain meds [Aspirin, Tylenol,
Ibuprofen] bring several types 20
Antacid tabs 20
Throat lozenges 10
Pepto-Bismol tabs, 24. 24
FIRST AID KITS(continued)
Home #1 Home #2 Home #3 Home #4
Suggested Location: Location: Location: Location:
Quantity
Decongestant spray Small Bottle
Children’s and infants’ non-aspirin liquid
pain reliever (acetaminophen) Small Bottle
Diarrhea medication
Sugar or glucose solution (ex: diabetes) As needed
Antihistamine (allergies) - 25mg
diphenhydramine Package
Antibacterial cream Tube
Antibiotic ointment Tube
Hydrocortisone cream (1%) packets Tube
Calamine lotion Small Bottle
Sunscreen SPF #15 or greater 3-4 oz. Tube
Lip Balm with sunscreen, 1 tube. Tube
Activated Charcoal (poisoning
emergencies) Package
Oral Re-hydration Packets, 2
Re-hydration fluids, such as Pedialyte, to
treat infant diarrhea As needed
Insect repellent, 2-4 oz. (child safe) Small Bottle
Snakebite kit As needed
Tools/accessories
Gloves Disposable - 2 pair 2 Pair
Thermometer (young children - include
both oral and rectal thermometers) 1
Tweezers 1 Pair
Safety Pins - 5 5
Scissors – Blunt/Sharp 1 1
Face mask for CPR 1
Length of surgical tubing for constricting
band 1
Other
First aid guide
Paper & pencil
Your list of emergency phone numbers
Heat Pack 1
Ice Pack 1
Heating pad 1
Blanket 1
Flashlight and extra batteries
Water purification tabs, 1 bottle: Small Bottle
Petroleum jelly Tube
Appendix C – Emergency Support Functions
The Federal government has, with the National Response Framework, designated which
functions are necessary in emergencies and assigned specific agencies to coordinate. A
family plan will address the functions in a family centric way. Seeing how the Federal
government plans to react is necessary. In an extended emergency, a family will need to
know when and where they can expect government assistance as their individual capacity
is either exhausted or superseded by the severity of the emergency.
ESF Scope
ESF #1 – Transportation iation/airspace management and control
ansportation safety
storation/recovery of transportation infrastruc
vement restrictions
mage and impact assessment
ESF #2 – Communications ordination with telecommunications and information techn
industries
storation and repair of telecommunications infrastructure
tection, restoration, and sustainment of national cyber and
information technology resources
ersight of communications within the Federal incident
management and response structures
ESF #3 – Public Works and Engineering rastructure protection and emergency repair
rastructure restoration
gineering services and construction management
ergency contracting support for life-saving and life-sustain
services
ESF #4 – Firefighting ordination of Federal firefighting activities
pport to wildland, rural, and urban firefighting operations
As part of every household’s emergency plan, a family needs to identify and give a rough
priority on each hazard they face. Sections 3 and 4 started on that with basic hazards,
their characteristics, what you can expect, and what you can do both before experiencing
and when faced with that hazard.
There are many sources of information on hazards. Before you go into them in detail,
make certain you realistically lay out what hazards you believe you will face. It is easy to
become overwhelmed with the types and increments of hazards. Becoming overwhelmed
is to be avoided. Remember that being prepared with the basics will cover you to a great
degree for all hazards.
The best place to get basic information on the hazards you may face is on the FEMA
website.
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/index.shtm
It is recommended that you study and transcribe the information you find pertinent to
your own plan. You will want the hard copy, and just printing the stuff out does not help
you learn about the hazard.
Remember you can use the format in Section 4 – replicated on the next page.
Hazard: _________________________________
Initial Warning: When
and how will you know about this
risk?
Overall Impact on the
Community: Does this
affect just you or the entire
community?
Consequences-
damage, casualties:
What can you expect and how will
this affect you?