A new month is here, and while there is much to celebrate there is also much to be aware of. With so many of our friends and loved ones impacted by the devastating effects of the Caldor fire, as well as the Dixie fire and 9 others occurring in our state right now – Homes of Silicon Valley just knew that we could not let National Preparedness Month pass us by.
Our primary commitment to your home and your family is safety and security, and as such we wanted to share some resources and tips to help you prepare for the worst while always hoping for the best.
Ready.gov has compiled a week-by-week list of goals to accomplish for each week this month. We have inserted the graphic below and added our own resource additions to each stage of preparedness as well.
Week 1: Make A Plan
One of the most critical pieces of making a plan is knowing how you will receive communication about an incident in your area. Please be sure you are signed-up for AlertSCC or your own local county text alert system. Other aspects of planning are sheltering, evacuation routes, family communication and more – find helpful information pertaining to planning HERE.
Week 2: Build A Kit
While most kit building focuses on basic disaster supplies to have on hand in the event you need to survive on your own for several days, we also want to add packing evacuation kits and bags to this list. For this step, we recommend the Ready For Wildfire evacuation guide HERE.
Week 3: Low-Cost, No-Cost Preparedness
Too often we put off preparedness because it seems too costly or too overwhelming. In this case, we recommend starting your emergency kit with items you already have on hand, marking your calendar with items such as checking smoke detector batteries and planning emergency routes (one task a week is great!). There are also many free or low cost apps to help (CNET has a great list!). Take it one step at a time, start with what you have and do the next right thing (you know that is a HOSV classic philosophy!).
Week 4: Teach Youth About Preparedness
There are some great resources to help teach kids about preparedness, and may reasons to do so (FEMA lists them here!). Some of our favorite resources are Santa Clara County Fire Department’s ‘Online Safety Program For Young Children’ - coming up on 9/14 - as well as weekly tips from our friends at the locally owned and nationally recognized ICS4Schools Team and Ready Kids.
Please share these resources with anyone you know who may benefit. We can help each other through tough times – and planning for them in advance may be the best way when possible. Amidst all the uncertainty that surrounds us, the thing we know is that we are always better together!