Disasters disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives every year they can strike quickly and without warning. If a disaster occurs in your community, local government and disaster-relief organizations try to help you. But you need to be ready as well. Responders and relief workers may not be able to reach you and your family immediately. Families can work together to cope with disasters by preparing in advance. Being prepared and understanding what to do can reduce fear, anxiety and losses that accompany disasters. Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility. Help your family to know that if they are prepared, they need not fear emergency situations.
Work Place Disaster Kit Recommendation
It is important that you and your co-workers have certain basic emergency and first aid supplies available at your office so that you can respond to home emergency and disaster situations when they arise. Organize your emergency kit(s) and be sure each person knows where these supplies are kept and has a basic knowledge of how to use them. The supplies in your kit may vary with your individual needs and activities. Please review the following emergency/disaster kit recommendations and create your own kit:
Workplace recommendations from Ready.gov
Remember to include important items to preserve your family’s routines, such as favorite toys, games, or books so that your family will be able to have some degree of normalcy if a time of emergency arises.
Work Place Disaster Plan Recommendations
In addition to emergency supplies your family should also have a plan for how to respond to an emergency. Your family plan should be flexible, responsiblites should be divided and often duplicated among family members so that regardless of who is at home the family will still be able to respond properly. You should include in your plan specifics of how family members will contact one another if the family is scattered during an emergency, keep in mind normal lines of communication may not be functioning depending on the scope of the event.
Every Business Should Have a Plan – Ready.gov
This brochure outlines the new Ready Business initiative, including measures that business owners and managers can take to better prepare for an emergency.
Homeland Security: Fire and Explosion Planning Matrix
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA has developed this matrix to provide employers with guidelines and online resources that may help reduce their vulnerability to or mitigate the results of a terrorist’s explosive device or act of arson.
Listo Negocios
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with the Advertising Council, Listo Negocios assists Spanish-speaking owners and managers of small- to medium-size businesses in preparing their employees, operations, and assets for an emergency.
Virginia Business Emergency Survival Toolkit
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management developed this web site to help businesses prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
First Aid & CPR
Knowledge of first aid procedures may be invaluable for you, your employees or coworkers durning any type of emegency sistuation. First aid and/or CPR classes are provided at many locations within most communites. The following are organizations and companies in Illinois which offer First Aid and/or CPR training:
American Red Cross – List of Chapters contact your local chapter
American CPR Training
CPR Pro – directory of Illinois specific training centers