Are you Ready for a Disaster?

Make sure you are ready for public health threats. These include natural disasters, disease outbreaks, accidents with unsafe substances and terrorist attacks. Public health threats can lower air quality, cause shortages of safe water and food, and cut off electricity, gas and phone services. These events are hard to predict and out of your control. But you can take steps to help keep yourself and your family safe.

  • Make a family plan. Choose a friend or a family member who lives out of town to contact during an emergency. Family members can text or call this person to let them know they are safe.
  • Know important phone numbers. Keep them in your cell phone and post them near your home phones. Include your emergency contact, the fire department, police department and local hospital.
  • Make a kit with: food, water, extra cash, first aid items, a flashlight, a radio, a multi-purpose tool, meds and health care items, ID cards, cell phone with chargers, map of the area, a blanket, emergency numbers, and sanitation goods such as disinfecting bleach. Think of the special needs of family members and add items that fit your needs (such as baby items or pet food). Be sure to have your HAP CareSource ID cards.
  • Decide ahead of time where to go if you are told to leave your home. Choose several places, a meeting place in your neighborhood, a meeting place just outside your neighborhood, and a meeting place out of town.
  • Review these plans with all members of your family and go over it by running drills.
  • Stay informed, find the best ways to get local news.
  • Download smart phone apps that may help you in an emergency. There are some apps from the American Red Cross that are free. You can find more tips at www.redcross.org. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also has an app that gives alerts as well as crisis safety details. For more info, visit www.fema.gov.
  • In case of a disaster, you can sign up on the American Red Cross Safe and Well website, www.redcross.org/SafeandWell, to let family and friends know about your welfare. If you do not have internet access you can call 1-866-GET-INFO.

Good to Know:

  • Please update your address and phone number with HAP CareSource often so we can reach you in case of an emergency. Members can do this by calling Member Services.