Include your children when preparing for an emergency so they know what to do and how to get help after a disaster.

• Provide your children with the emergency contact numbers and teach them how to call 911.
• Warn children that they should never touch wires hanging from posts or lying on the ground.
• Teach your children to leave the building if they smell gas.
• Practice the skills including your children in emergency drills and evacuation/reunion planning (see “Steps to plan and prepare for a disaster”.)
• Make arrangements to pick up your children from school or day care if you are not able to do it.
• Update your child’s school on emergency information authorized to pick up your child from school.
• Know the school’s emergency plans or policies.

TIPS FOR PET OWNERS

Plan

• Keep a collar, updated license tags and ID on your pet at all times. Consider installing a microchip in your pet.
• Ensure your pet is comfortable when treated and used to be in a basket, box or cage to transport it.
• Keep an updated list of trusted neighbors that could help your animals in case of an emergency.

Adjust and secure the latches in bird cages. Fix the fish tanks to low shelves or tables.

Equipment

Prepare an emergency bag for your pet. Include:

• Resistant leash and/or carrying baskets. A pillowcase is a good option to carry cats and other small animals.
• Dog muzzles.
• Food, drinking water and medication for at least a week.
• Anti-spill containers, manual can opener and plastic lid.
• Plastic bags, litter box and sand
• Updated pictures of your pet to show in case it gets lost and can reunite with it.
• Names and emergency contact numbers, local emergency veterinarian hospitals and animal shelters.
• Vaccine records and medical condition and/or conduct problem information.
• First aid kit and manual for pets
• Portable fence or baby doors.

Response

Remember that animals react to stress differently. The most reliable pets may get scared, hide and try to escape or even bite and scratch. Outside your home and in your car, keep your dogs on a leash and carry the cats in baskets or pillowcases.

If you lose your pet, get in touch with the nearest animal shelter to inform your pet is lost. When it is safe, return to your neighborhood to look for and distribute “Lost Pet Posters”.

Evacuation:

Try to locate all your animals and keep them with you. If you must evacuate to a disaster shelter, have in mind that the shelters will allow only service animals. In a large scale disaster, animal shelters will be established near human shelters whenever possible.

If you must leave your pets:

• Inform pet rescue workers about your pet’s status: At the front door or visible widow, use chalk, paint or a marker to describe the amount and types of pets in your residence. Include your home’s location and the date you evacuated your home.
• Leave plenty of water in a large and open container that can’t be tipped over.
• Leave plenty of food in programmed feeders to avoid overfeeding.
• Do not tie your pet.