Step 3: Develop an Evacuation Plan
An evacuation plan is a crucial component of emergency preparedness, especially for individuals with disabilities who may have mobility challenges.
Identify Accessible Exit Routes: Determine accessible exit routes from your home or building. Ensure these routes accommodate mobility devices such as wheelchairs or walkers.
Designate Safe Meeting Points: Choose accessible meeting points near your home and outside your neighborhood where you can reunite with family and caregivers.
Plan for Transportation: Identify accessible transportation options for evacuation. This may include accessible vehicles, paratransit services, or assistance from neighbors or community organizations.
Practice Evacuation Drills: Regularly practice evacuation drills to ensure that the individual with a disability knows what to do and can evacuate quickly and safely.
Step 4: Create a Shelter-in-Place Plan
In some situations, it may be safer to stay indoors rather than evacuate. A shelter-in-place plan outlines how to stay safe inside your home.
Identify Safe Rooms: Choose safe rooms in your home where you can take shelter during different types of emergencies, such as a basement for tornadoes or an interior room for chemical spills. Ensure these rooms are accessible.
Stock Supplies: Ensure your safe room is stocked with essential supplies, including food, water, first aid kits, medications, flashlights, batteries, and a battery-powered radio.
Maintain Accessibility: Keep mobility devices, communication aids, and medical equipment within reach in your safe room. Ensure that assistive devices are charged and in good working condition.
Step 5: Assemble Emergency Kits
Emergency kits are vital for ensuring you have the necessary supplies to sustain yourself during an emergency. Create kits for home, work, and vehicles.
Home Emergency Kit: Include items such as non-perishable food, bottled water, first aid supplies, medications, medical equipment, flashlights, batteries, a multi-tool, personal hygiene items, important documents, and cash.
Work Emergency Kit: Prepare a smaller kit with basic supplies like food, water, a flashlight, a whistle, comfortable shoes, and personal hygiene items. Store it in a desk drawer or locker. Include any necessary assistive devices.
Vehicle Emergency Kit: Keep a kit in each vehicle with items like food, water, blankets, a first aid kit, a flashlight, flares, a tire repair kit, and a portable phone charger. Ensure the kit includes any necessary medical supplies and mobility aids.
Step 6: Establish Communication Plans
Effective communication is crucial during an emergency, especially for individuals with disabilities who may have unique communication needs.
Designate Points of Contact: Choose primary and secondary points of contact within and outside your immediate area to facilitate communication during an emergency.
Utilize Technology: Familiarize yourself with communication apps and tools that can be useful during emergencies, such as text messaging, social media, and emergency alert apps. Ensure these tools are accessible.
Develop a Communication Tree: Create a communication tree that outlines who will contact whom during an emergency. Ensure everyone, including caregivers and support services, has a copy of this plan.
Alternative Communication Methods: Identify alternative communication methods, such as two-way radios, communication boards, or text-to-speech apps, in case traditional methods are unavailable.