# 3741
Being prepared to deal with emergencies, or disasters, isn’t something you can suddenly decided to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
It takes a bit of planning and thought, and the acquisition of some important supplies.
To help make getting prepared easier, and more palatable to the average family, Washington State’s Emergency Management office has put together a 12-step plan, that can be done in about 1 hour a month, over a year’s time.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with doing one step a week, or even a day. The sooner you finish, the sooner you and your family will be prepared for the unexpected. But choose a rate you can sustain to completion.
The Prepare In A Year webpage has a 23-page PDF pamphlet you can download, but the webpage version also includes a number of short companion videos.
Additional resources include:
Need more help?
Take a few minutes to view more "How To" video clips:
Additional Information
- Prepare in a Year Booklet (PDF)
- Emergency Food Supply
- Food Safety - Prepare for disasters
- Completing the Out of Area Contact Card (PDF)
- Vehicle Safety and Preparedness (PDF)
- Pandemic Flu Information
- Pandemic Flu - (Video)
- Shelter-in-Place for Home, Business, School, Hospitals (QuickTime Video)
- NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies
- Emergency Alert System (EAS) Location Codes
Admittedly, you may not live in an area where earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis are a threat - as they can be in Washington State - but nearly all of us are vulnerable to one type of disaster or another.
Being prepared for emergencies is the best possible insurance for you and your family.
There are a great many other preparedness resources available at the Washington State Emergency Management Site, and it is well worth exploring.
A hat tip to @Femainfocus for twittering this information.
