When you move into a new custom home, the last thing you’re thinking about is creating an emergency preparedness plan for your whole family. The truth is, though, that there’s no better time to create one than right now – no matter how long you’ve lived in your house.
Disasters Don’t Wait on You
Nashville and the surrounding areas are no strangers to weather emergencies, which can happen at any time of day. Your family might be spread all over the state during an emergency, so it’s up to you to create a plan that brings everyone together as quickly and as safely as possible.
Download and print the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Family Communication Plans to make sure that everyone is on the same page if disaster strikes when you’re not together.
From there, you can create your family’s disaster plan for use in your own home.
A Family Disaster Plan that Works for Everyone
We encourage you to cover fire escape routes with your family soon after you move into your new home, and the same goes for tornado sheltering procedures. As you create these two emergency plans, remember:
- Take the path of least resistance to escape from fire.
- Shelter in the innermost portion of your home during a tornado. If you don’t have a basement, choose a room on a lower floor that has no windows, such as a closet, a hallway or beneath a stairwell.
Make sure that your family has identified a safe meeting place during any emergency, and be sure to assign family members to assist those who can’t help themselves.
Creating a Disaster Kit
Many families find it helpful—and at the very least, comforting—to know that they have a disaster kit ready in case an emergency strikes.
Working together with your whole family, put together a backpack that includes basic necessities, such as:
- A battery-powered radio
- Flashlights and extra batteries
- A first-aid kit
- Dust masks
- Tool kits
- Moist towelettes and hand sanitizer
- Lighter and waterproof matches
- Spare keys to your vehicles
This kind of emergency kit should be stored in a central location close to where you’d go in the event of a tornado; that way, it’s readily accessible without wasting valuable time retrieving it.
Custom Homes with Built-In Emergency Shelters
At Carbine and Associates, we specialize in building custom homes in Middle Tennessee. Our expert developers will work with your plans to ensure that your home meets your family’s needs. Call us at (615)661-9995 or contact us online today.
