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Visit http://www.ready.gov Here are some other things you can do
right
now to be safer! Check and change the batteries in your smoke alarms and replace all alarms that are more than 10
years old. Make sure you
know where your local fire department, police station, and hospital are and post a list of emergency phone numbers posted
near all the telephones in your home. Organize
and practice a family fire drill -- make sure your children know what your smoke detector sounds like and what to do if it
goes off when they are sleeping. Locate
the utility mains for your home and be sure you know how to turn them off manually: gas, electricity, and water. Create an emergency plan for your household, including
your pets. Decide where
your family will meet if a disaster does happen: 1) right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency, like a fire and 2) outside your neighborhood in case you can't return
home -- ask an out of town friend to be your "family contact" to relay messages. Prepare a 3-day disaster supply kit, complete with flashlights, batteries,
blankets, and an emergency supply of water and food (and pet food!). Plan to hold a Neighborhood Watch meeting -- your local Sheriffs' office or police station can help
you get started or visit www.usaonwatch.org for more information. Check the expiration dates of all over-the-counter medications -- discard
all that are expired and replace any that are routinely needed. Make sure all cleaning products and dangerous objects are out of children's reach. Plan to sign up for a first aid training course. Call
your local American Red Cross chapter, the National Safety Council or American Safety & Health Institute to ask about
courses in your area Visit with your neighbors and discuss
how you would handle a disaster in your area. Talk to neighbors with special needs and help them become safer too!
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