Do you have an emergency plan prepared?

With the devastating fires currently burning in California it brings to the forefront emergency preparedness.

September happens to be National Preparedness Month and El Dorado County's Public Health Preparedness and Response reminds residents to make an emergency communications plan for themselves and their families. Planning ahead will help protect families, neighborhoods and communities when emergencies and disasters arise.

"Being prepared is a shared responsibility in communities," said Michelle Patterson, Public Health Preparedness and Response Supervisor. "Emergencies will happen, so it's important for everyone to be proactive. Families should make a communications plan now to identify how they will connect with one another if they are not together when a disaster occurs."

To begin with, make sure you are enrolled with the City of South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County for their emergency alert systems.

Make a communication plan and make sure all household members know what they are supposed to do. It is important to have a plan on how to communicate in case of an emergency and where to go during, and after. Include pets in the plan! An idea is to have everyone phone a predesignated friend or relative so that person can help everyone keep in touch. You never know what the local situation will be like so having a joint contact out of the area is helpful. Have a meeting place, and it doesn't have to be near your home, just a place everyone can get to.

Things to consider for a meeting place:
- Decide on safe, familiar places where your family can go for protection or to reunite.
- Make sure these locations are accessible for household members with disabilities or access and functional needs.
- If you have pets or service animals, think about animal-friendly locations.

Have a disaster supplies kit which is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency. Try to assemble your kit well in advance of an emergency. You may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you. You will probably not have time to search for the supplies you need or shop for them.

You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it might take days.

Additionally, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days or even a week, or longer. Your supplies kit should contain items to help you manage during these outages.

A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

- Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
- Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Whistle to signal for help
- Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
- Manual can opener for food
- Local maps
- Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

Practice Your Plan. Have regular household meetings to review your emergency and communications plans and practice them, just like you would a fire drill.

There are many other things you and your family can do to make things easier should you loose your home in a disaster. Have a copy of your insurance policies and prescriptions. Think of storing these items on the cloud, or have copies at a relative's home outside of your area. When you have 15 minutes or less to leave your home, be aware of where things are and what you'd take. In a state of panic, a practiced emergency plan will save time and make a stressful time easier.