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!
![](/media/4y5icrk2/planning-with-kids.jpg)
#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
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#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
![](/media/4aydz255/kit.jpg)
#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
![](/media/hoql2wdh/alert-1.jpg)
#5 Manage Your Risks
- Conduct a comprehensive insurance review annually
- Home and auto
- Flood insurance
- Sump pump rider
- Life Insurance
![](/media/svmnh2bd/life-insurance-concept-family.jpg)
#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
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#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
![](/media/ivhh5ap3/smoke.png)
#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
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#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
![](/media/4aydz255/kit.jpg)
#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
![](/media/g0dbx01h/school.png)
#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
![](/media/fxvdy4ke/first-aid.jpg)
#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
![](/media/tdbf1ugj/pay-it.jpg)