Homeland Security offers tips for emergency preparedness

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security says that September is National Preparedness Month and the theme this year is “Disasters Dont Wait. Make Your Plan Today.” The annual awareness event is meant to promote family and community disaster planning.

The agency urges you to make a communications plan and evacuation plan for your family.

The communication plan should outline how family members will reach each other during a disaster, including situations where systems such as cell phones or telephones get cut off. You should chose a location for family members to meet, should they be unable to communicate and create a list of emergency contacts for every household member. You should also identify ways to receive weather or emergency alerts in case of a disaster.

The agency also suggests creating an evacuation plan. You should recognize that some disasters allow you a day or two to evacuate, while others might require you to evacuate immediately.

You can get help with developing your family plans online at Ready.gov or www.in.gov/dhs