How To Prepare For a Family Emergency

We all know that life is unpredictable. However, one thing we can predict is that we’ll almost certainly experience at least one family emergency in our lives. Let’s discuss how to prepare for such emergencies in a thorough, rational, and well-thought-out manner.

What do family emergencies consist of?

Really, because the phrase “family emergency” is not recognized by dictionaries as an entry, there isn’t any single definition of “family emergency” that people can readily agree on. Further, because people don’t talk about family emergencies from this standpoint, people also don’t have their own go-to definitions for this phrase.

For our discussion, we’ll be splitting the contents of family emergencies into four main categories. The first of these is natural disasters. Natural disasters are inevitable and will take place throughout the entire planet until the universe stops moving some many, many billions of years from now.

The most common types of natural disasters are hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, avalanches and mudslides, and – last and generally least common – tsunamis. The purpose of this article is to help you and your family members pool together knowledge and resources in order to effectively deal with family emergencies. You will not learn about what you need to do in each specific type of natural disaster listed in this paragraph, though you are encouraged to do so by looking in survival readiness manuals or elsewhere on the World Wide Web.

Infographic provided by Canter Power Systems, Generac whole house generator installation

While some people may not consider power outages as a family emergency, they can become one in certain situations. For instance, if you live in an area with extreme temperatures and experience a blackout during a heatwave or blizzard, it could put your family at risk. Having a backup generator installed by a trusted local generator installation company can ensure that your home stays powered and comfortable during these types of emergencies. Whether it’s a natural disaster or something as simple as a power outage, having a reliable backup power source can make a huge difference in keeping your family safe and comfortable during an emergency.

Next up are deaths. As far as deaths that have impacts on family units are concerned, they generally include family members such as your – it’s safe to assume that you are the mother or father in your family unit, rather than the child or children – father or mother, known by your kids as their grandmothers or grandfathers. These are generally the only type of deaths considered to be family emergencies, outside of in-family deaths, that is.

Third up is trips to the hospital. There are many reasons why you or your family unit’s members might have to make rushed emergency trips to hospitals. Your children could break bones or otherwise experience serious accidents. Parents could experience stuff like heart attacks or, too, their own bones being broken. Also, family members that you’re close to might also necessitate trips to the hospital. Combine all types of medical help with hospitals.

Plan out actions to take for if and when emergencies take place

All members of your family unit should have their own kit with phone numbers of importance, emergency contacts, routes of escaping your home, pre-planned spots to meet in the event of an emergency, plans for how to take care of your pets, and a ready-to-go bag in which you can quickly throw in any objects you might think you need at the last second.

After coming up with such emergency action plans, you need to have your entire family unit carry out everything that such a plan consists of at least twice a year. The better prepared you are, the higher chances of surviving, as well as coming out the other end in good shape, that you have.

Compile a disaster readiness kit

Disaster readiness kits contain, before anything else, a supply of food and water that’s sufficiently large and diverse enough to feed your entire family for at least three days. When it comes to water, each member should have at least a gallon. While humans can’t go without water, we can go without food for a few weeks, if absolutely needed. Pack only what food you can carry for the short-term.

The kit should hold a radio powered by a hand-crank charging system. Battery-powered radios work just as well, though they’re not foolproof and force you to have charged batteries to get them to work. You should also include a flashlight, basic first aid supplies, a plastic or metal whistle, dust mask, local map, cell phone with extra battery and multiple chargers, and lastly, a wrench or pliers to turn of the gas supply before leaving your home.

There may be times where even the most well-prepared disaster kit is not enough to thwart unexpected damages. In the case of a terrible storm, you may find your roof partially blown off or your windows smashed from the wind force. To avoid a potential safety and health hazard, you will need to attend to these unexpected damages urgently, even if you don’t have the savings to cover the repairs. For short-term financial assistance in unexpected crisis like these, online loans fast may be an option to consider.

All about family emergencies

As you likely already know from experience, there are many types of emergencies. Now, after reading this article – as long as you act on this info, that is – you’ll be able to provide a form of comfort and improved chances of survival if any of the aforementioned emergencies end up taking place.