There is a lot to consider when you want your family to not only survive a disaster, but to do so in as organised and calm a way as possible. We analyse how you, your home, and family will be affected by a disaster, and we prepare you so that when something happens, be it a big emergency (such as an earthquake), or a smaller one (such as an extended power cut), you have a plan and all the means to implement it. We also get you ready to bounce back with full access to everything you need to get back on track as smoothly as possible.
The first step to getting ready is to sit down with you and talk you through all the aspects of emergency preparedness for your family and everyone involved in your life.
Especially during and after earthquakes, you want your home to be a safe place. We will help you identify and secure potential hazards, such as furniture, appliances, pictures, cabinets, shelves, gas, water, electricity, and chemical hazards. We identify escape routes and meeting places, and make sure every member of your family not only knows where to go and what to do but also has the tools to get there and do it.
✓ Information
✓ Documents
✓ Arrangements
Access to information and documentation will be crucial during and after an emergency, to yourself and to anyone helping you from the outside.
We help you collect all the personal, medical, contact information* relevant to your family. Then we compile it into information packages for you and others – especially your designated out-of-area contact, who will be an important element of our plan for you.
We help you gather and update where necessary all important documents to prove and recover your identity, property, insurance, accounts, investments, medical information, arrangements (testaments, custody, living will, medical directives, end of life, etc.). We will also make sure copies of your most important documents as well as information on your arrangements are with your out-of-area contact and/or another trusted friend or family member.
✓ Communication
✓ Movement
Most people picture themselves at home when a disaster strikes. But you may be at work, or out shopping, your children may be at school, or at sports practice, the internet and phone networks may not be working, collapsed bridges, buildings, or power lines may make roads and freeways impassable
When the earth shakes, your family will depend on you to keep a calm and clear mind. Being calm and clear will depend on you having a solid plan. That's why we tailor your plan based on your family's usual whereabouts and movements. We will give you clear priorities (Who does what? Pick up the kids first? Check on the house?) and ways to keep yourself and others informed, even when the phones and internet are down.
✓ Out-Of-Area Contact
An earthquake is more likely to affect local communication and internet access but may leave long distance phone lines working. Our plan strongly encourages you to identify a trusted friend or family member who does not live in the same area or even state and who can act as an information hub and coordinator for your family. Once we've identified that person, we will make sure she or he gets all the information they will need in an accessible and easy to use package. We will also set up your out-of-area contact to be automatically notified when a disaster strikes your area so that they can start reaching out to check on you and supply you with information. When your family is separated, your out-of-area contact will help relay information between family members, and also keep your wider family and friends informed. For them, just as for you, knowing what to do will go a long way to make a terrifying situation manageable, and we will make sure they have all they need to help you.
✓ Supplies
To most of us, this is what first springs to mind when we start thinking about emergency preparedness.
But making sure you're ready, no matter where you and your loved ones are when it happens takes a little more than a go-bag from amazon.
Recent events and projections for potential natural disasters in our area show clearly that the 72-hour pack will not be enough to get you and your loved ones through a disaster and its aftermath. And what about your pets? We help you put together a solid stock of reliable supplies so that you have enough food, water, clothing, tools, and shelter to sit out the aftermath of a disaster in relative comfort. And we also know about a few things that can give you and your family some joy and distraction - even when the beloved screens are not working!
So let's get started.
*We take protecting information and your right to privacy very seriously. We will help you with collecting, updating, securing, and storing your documents, but we will never store them or use them without your express consent, and then only for the purpose of helping you keep everything up-to-date and accessible when you most need it.