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Plan and practice a tornado drill

Posted on by dekiss4

You may not always have advance warning that a tornado is approaching your location. You may not be at home. Taking the time to identify where you would go for the best protection for every place where you spend a lot of time (for example, home, work, school, house of worship) and how you would get there is part of being prepared.

PrepareAthon_Web_Badge_Join_In_TornadoBut it is not enough. Actually practicing is as important. The following suggestions are from the FEMA guide, How to Prepare for a Tornado.

  • Identify a shelter or other protective location beforehand.
  • Practice moving quickly to the protective location.
  • Take note of how long it takes you to get there.
  • Consider those with disabilities and those with access or functional needs.

Two minute drill

Posted on by dekiss4

If your home were on fire, how long do you think you would have to escape? A recent survey by the American Red Cross found that most of us think we will have about five minutes to escape a burning home.

noun_30585_ccExperts agree that we actually only have about two minutes to escape before it is too late to get out.

Take these two simple steps that can save lives:

1) Check your existing smoke alarm — if you don’t have a smoke alarm, install at least one on every level of your home. Check local codes for specific requirements in your community.

2) Practice fire drills at home. Fewer than one in five families with children under the age of 18 have actually conducted a home fire drill. Practice periodically until all members of the family know how to get out of every room and can do it in two minutes or less.

Not sure how to plan or practice a home fire drill? Watch this video and learn more.