Free Home Emergency Plan
You may never want an emergency, but you do want an emergency plan.
Many people today have been spending more and more time at home. For a bunch of us, it has become our workplace on top of our home. Let’s take a look at some simple steps to make our homes a safe place to live and work.
Did you know that all businesses have emergency plans?… (or at least, it is an OSHA requirement) Well, businesses do… and as a new home owner or new buyer of what has to be your dream home, it is best that you do also. Plus, that whole remote worker thing I just mentioned… just makes sense, right?
Yes. We have to do this.
Photo by Mick Haup
Sure, you can just ‘do this’ all in your head, and pretend it is official, but your life is important, and having a written plan is just as important as the one an employer sets up for you and their establishment… after all, the BOSS at home is YOU.
Of course… that is… unless you have a spouse or partner… they may actually be the boss…
children, for that matter…
and pets…
so… just make sure everyone in the team is on board.
Communication is the key here.
Although, this post is geared to new home buyers, veteran homeowners, who have not written a plan, should too. Condos, Rowhouses, new/used homes, you name it, even if you rent, knowing how to escape, regroup, and deal with various emergency situations could save your and your loved one’s life. Even if you stumbled on this post because you want to know how to sell your home in Texas…
…it is never too late to get some of the basics in place.
- Think this stuff through, even if you live alone.
- Got family? Roommates? Partners? A strange dude name Chad sleeping on your couch?
- Talk and write it out using the free emergency plan.
- Start the conversation well before the emergency happens.
- Decide on a meeting place.
- Discuss how to escape from all rooms.
- Talk about the different emergency types.
——————–
FIRE
If a fire occurs and you encounter it, you have the option to extinguish it if, and only if, it is small and you feel comfortable to do so. Remember grease fires in kitchens do not react well to water. Try to smother them with another pan, or heavy blanket/towel . Immediately turn off the stove once flames are doused, you do not want the blanket to ignite. (Be prepared to provide more smothering.) Preferably, keep a kitchen extinguisher on hand designed for grease fires, and make sure everyone is aware of where it is and how to use it.
If a fire is too large and unsafe, alert all others and proceed to escape through the safest route. Once properly safe and secure at your meeting place, contact 911. Make sure all are accounted.
TORNADO
If a tornado warning is issued get to the central most space of your home and wait it out. Bathtubs and basements, door jams… bathtubs in basement door jams… or tornado shelters, if you got one… that makes sense.
EARTHQUAKE
If an earthquake should happen everyone needs to exit the home and gather at the meeting place. This is the most sheltered place from falling debris. Once the earthquake has subsided do not just run back into the home until it is deemed safe, and even then you should probably walk.
INJURY
In the unfortunate event of an injury:
Requires immediate medical attention!
Please call 911.
Be prepared to react confidently and without wasting time in either a life-threatening situation or a minor accident, study first aid guides in your free time, take a first aid course…
It is vital that you keep emergency telephone numbers on-hand so that they are available for immediate use. It is also important that you keep your medical supplies in a safe and convenient place where you can find them when needed.
Remember, it is important to remain calm and use common sense in any emergency situation. For Medical Emergencies, Seek Professional Help
ASSESSING THE SITUATION (borrowed from a workplace safety manual)
What to Treat First
- Don’t panic. You will be able to assess the situation more effectively. Remember, psychological support is also important.
Remember the ABCs of Life Support:Airways open – Open and maintain victim’s airway.Breathing restored – If victim is not breathing, begin rescue breathing techniques immediately.Circulation maintained – If no pulse is present, get assistance from a person certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques.- ABC”S has been removed. Just go straight into compressions, and then breath!REMEMBER, to be able to perform CPR effectively, it is essential to be properly trained.
- Check for bleeding. Apply direct pressure and elevate injured limb.
- Look for signs of shock and broken bones (fractures).
- Check for emergency medical identification on the victim.
- Get professional medical help quickly. Know emergency numbers, such as 0 or 911. Telephone appropriate authorities (rescue squad, ambulance, police, poison control center or fire department) and describe the problem. Be sure to give your name, location and the number of persons involved.
- Loosen any clothing that may restrict victim’s breathing or interfere with circulation.
- Never give an unconscious person anything by mouth.
- DO NOT move injured persons unless situation is life-threatening. Keep victim still, quiet and warm (except heat exhaustion and sunstroke). Victims with broken bones (fractures) should not be moved until a splint has been properly applied.
CELL PHONES
Dim your phone screen to conserve battery power, especially during large events that affect others, like earthquakes and alien attacks. In these cases it is good to use texting for communication purposes, because texts will deliver once connections happen if there are line disruptions or device power issues, and take up less bandwidth.
Mother explaining to her family the assembly point map while preparing emergency backpacks
Free Emergency Plan
Ready.gov has created downloadable plans for your emergency planning needs.
Click this bad boy to get your plan.
https://www.ready.gov/plan
This kids area of the site has games and everything… sure it is geared to families, but aren’t roommates just extended families? Even those living alone can find some great tools and planning activities that will prove useful. https://www.ready.gov/kids/family-emergency-planning
HOPE THIS HELPS
Please bookmark this page for future use.
With this Homeowner Helper Tip, you can feel confident tackling a task that could save one’s life. Please check my other Homeowner tips here. You will find tips and tricks for other home maintenance issues that may come up in your future!
And as always…
Here’s to successful homeownership, please share with your friends and family. And when they ask if you know of any great places to find a home in Austin and Central Texas, you tell them that…
Kathy Knows Homes.