My 12 Steps to Preparedness

#1 Make a Plan

• Family communication plan
• Exit/escape plan
• Evacuation process
• Shelter-in-place procedures
• Reunification locations
• Know your evacuation routes and what hazards may affect you!

#2.  Practice The Plan

• Put plans into actions with drills
• Walk through steps to eliminate confusion
• Engage children with timers and games
• Use practice to find holes or areas for improvement
• Be familiar with plan when the time comes to use it

#3 Gather & Update Emergency Supplies

• Food and water - 3 day supply (1 gallon of water per day, per person)
• Flashlight and batteries
• First aid kit and medications
• Cash and important documents
• Unique household items (infants, elderly, pets)
• Build a kit over time with Safeguard Iowa's 20 Weeks To Preparedness

#4 Sign Up For Alerts And Warnings

• Enroll in Alert Iowa here, address-based Polk County alerts, delivered by phone call, text message or email.
• Acquire a weather radio
• Have local news and weather apps on your phone
• Know the hazards in your area
• Be familiar with your location

#5 Manage Your Risks

• Conduct a comprehensive insurance review annually
• Home and auto
• Flood insurance
• Sump pump rider
• Life Insurance

#6 Inventory Property

• Take photos/videos of your property/valuable items
• Place important things in a safe or safety deposit box
• Digitize your family pictures, baby books, scrap books
• Keep digital copies off-site for recovery if needed

#7 Make Home Safer

• Check your smoke alarms monthly
• Replace batteries every 6 months
• Install carbon monoxide detectors
• Replace alarms according to manufacturer's instructions

#8 Save For A Rainy Day

• Keep cash in small bills to cover a couple of days of expenses
• Create an emergency fund
• 3-6 months of expenses is a great goal
• See Step #5 regarding insurance

#9 Assemble a "Go-Kit"

• Use a backpack or old suitcase 
• Items you will need if you have to evacuate quickly
• One for each family member (and pets)
• Mobile, scaled-down version of #3

#10 Expand Your Plan

• You are a busy person, what will you do if an emergency occurs at...
  • Work or School
  • Activities
  • Events
  • Place of worship

#11 Be Involved, Get Trained

• Take a first-aid class
• Learn CPR
• Find a class on Stop the Bleed
• Volunteer with a group that increases the community's resiliency

#12  Share! Pay it Forward

• Involve a family member
• Challenge a neighbor to prepare
• Bring a friend along to training
• Organize a group
• Share your successes
• Keep passing it down