September is National Preparedness Month! Emergencies can happen at any time, for any reason. Being prepared with an emergency plan can keep your family safe whether you need to shelter in place or evacuate your home. If you don't already have an emergency kit or emergency plan for your household, it's time to get the family together and make a plan! Get started: Make A Plan | Ready.gov.

An emergency kit includes essential items your family might need to stay safe in the event of an emergency or natural disaster. This includes a first aid kit, bottled water, flashlight and batteries, personal hygiene items, and more. Starting now and adding new items to your kit each week or even each month can help you plan ahead and be prepared to respond to emergencies when they occur. Find a list of items to include here.  

An emergency plan is your household’s way of responding to emergencies, including where you will go if you need to evacuate your home, which route(s) you will take, and where you will meet up if you’re separated. Having a plan in place can increase your family’s ability to respond quickly and safely to emergencies.

Remember! You may need to come up with additional plans as you consider the specific needs of those in your household. For instance, is there someone with a disability who might need special transportation in the event of an evacuation? Is there an older relative who uses medical equipment? Are there dietary restrictions, allergies, or other health-related conditions that require special foods or medications? Considering the specific needs of each member in your household can help you create a plan that works for everyone! Learn more.

Make sure you know where and how to get information during an emergency or disaster. Alert systems like Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) automatically send area-specific notifications to your phone based on your current location, while registering for Alert Spokane ensures you receive important updates about threats and emergencies near the address you register, no matter where you are. Devices like a NOAA Weather Radio or mobile apps like FEMA are also great for receiving emergency alerts. Learn more about ways you can stay informed during an emergency and sign up for Alert Spokane.

While we hope that emergencies, natural disasters, and other threats to our community are not imminent, being prepared can give your family peace of mind that you’ll have a plan to stay safe and alert if they do. While you come up with a plan to keep your family safe, know that our Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) team is always working behind the scenes to develop plans and implement procedures to quickly respond to emergencies in our area, along with other community, regional, and state partners. Together, we can all find ways to keep ourselves and our community safe!