What’s in Your Family Emergency Kit?

Your cooperative works year-round to ensure our members have safe, dependable electric service however; sometimes extreme weather, wild animals or other unforeseen events can cause a power disruption. There may be times when extensive damage results in electric service being out for longer than we’d like. Use this guide to ensure your family is prepared should a power outage, or other emergency, occur at your home or business.

1. Meet with your household to talk about emergencies like fire, flood, earthquake and severe weather and discuss what you would do in each case.
2. Locate the safe places in and outside of your home where family members should go in each type of emergency and talk about escape routes and meeting places.
3. Talk about power outages and make sure everyone knows where to find the flashlights and other emergency supplies.
4. If you or someone in your household depends on electricity to power medical equipment, identify a location with emergency power.
5. Show family members how to turn off the power, water and gas if it becomes necessary. Make sure all the right tools are nearby.
6. Teach your children how and when to call 911.
7. Identify a contact person nearby and one out-of-state or out of the area that family members can call in case you’re separated or cannot reach one another. Add the number’s in their cell phone contacts.
8. Keep important family documents in a waterproof, fireproof portable container.
9. Determine evacuation routes out of the area from your home and identify transportation options. Keep our vehicle filled with at least half a tank of fuel in case you must evacuate.

One of the most trusted sources of information about wildfires is an app that’s mostly run by volunteers and on a shoestring budget.

WATCH DUTY is run by active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, first responders, and reporters who monitor radio scanners in your area around the clock to bring you up-to-the-minute life saving information. It is the only wildfire mapping and alert app powered by real people giving you real-time information vetted by trained professionals, not robots. Watch Duty is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides this app at no cost.

WILDFIRE TRACKING FEATURES:

• Push notifications about nearby wildfires
• Real-time updates as conditions change
• Active fire perimeters and progress
• Infrared satellite hotspots
• Wind speed and direction
• Evacuation orders & shelter information
• Street and satellite maps
• Air attack and air tanker flight tracker

To learn more on how to Prevent, Prepare, and Protect our communities, visit our Wildfire page.