Prepare Your Household For Emergencies

The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management encourages you to talk with your family about emergencies: what to do, the emergency supplies you need and how to stay in contact during an emergency.

• Discuss the hazards in your neighborhood. Visit the Prepare for Philadelphia Hazards page for more information.
• Know your neighborhood's Emergency Evacuation Routes.
• Decide on two meeting places where household members should meet after an emergency - one right outside or close to your home and another outside your neighborhood. (If a fire happens, a nearby meeting place helps ensure everyone gets out safely and is accounted for.)  
• Practice evacuating from your home using different exits and practice getting to your meeting places.
• In the event you need to evacuate, have a Go Bag of essential supplies.
• Be prepared to Shelter-in-Place for at least 72 hours. Decide which room to shelter in and develop a Shelter-in-Place Kit.
• Fill out a Household Emergency Plan containing important information for you and your family in an emergency. Give everyone in your home a copy and include copies in your Go Bag and Shelter-in-Place Kit. 
• Plan for everyone in your family especially seniors, people with special needs, non-English speakers and pets.
• Ask a friend or relative who lives outside of the area to be your family's emergency contact. If local phone circuits are busy, long distance calls may be easier to make. (This person can be a hub of information to keep your family connected.)  
• Twice a year - make sure your emergency plan is up to date and check the expiration dates of your emergency supplies when you reset your clocks and change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors during Daylight Saving Time.

For more information on emergency preparedness, visit the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management at www.phila.gov/ready. You can also follow PhilaOEM on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, MySpace and YouTube.