City of Mansfield, Louisiana

7 Steps to Emergency Preparedness

1. Create a Plan of Action and Know what to do
   1. Find out what can happen in your area. Learn what to do before, during and after every disaster. 
   2. Create a Disaster Plan for your family and business include: 
      • Evacuation
      • Meeting places for family members
      • Out of state contact person
      • Post your Important Phone Numbers.
      • Review the check list “How Safe is Your House?”
      • Know how to shut off your utilities.
      • Know how to “Report an Emergency.”
   3. Practice and Maintain your plan.
2. Prepare items for Quick Action
   1. Prepare a 3 Day Evacuation Kit. 
   2. Have a 1st Aid Kit.
   3. Have at least ½ tank of Gas in your vehicle. 
   4. Keep cash on hand in smaller bills. 
   5. Review your Action Plan Checklist.
3. Preparing for up to 1 year
   1. Store Food. 
   2. Store Water and know how to purify it. 
   3. Gather and put in place the 40+ most over looked items.
   4. Take inventory of your possessions at home and work. 
   5. Review your insurance policies.  
   6. Keep immunizations current. 
   7. Consider: Clothing, Shelter, Heat, Light, Fuel, Cooking and Sanitation items.
4. Long Term – Self Sufficiency
   1. Gardening, Canning, and Dehydrating. 
   2. Alternative Energy – Wind/Solar/Generator/Geothermal
   3. Alternative Shelter – Bomb Shelter
   4. Communications - Ham Radio.
5. Complete Preparedness – Review your situation with the following
   1. Financial
   2.  Temporal 
   3. Physical
   4. Spiritual 
   5. Educational 
   6. Vocational
6. Recovery – Learn the steps taken to return to normal life.
7. Mitigate- Actions taken to prevent or reduce the effects of future disasters.

For more information on how you and your family can be better prepared -http://www.areyouprepared.com