Emergencies can fall upon us at any given moment. Fire could break out in your home, floods could occur after a heavy rain, and no one really knows when an earthquake could rattle us. We can apply the Scout Motto to all of these scenarios, Be Prepared! Yes, you spot geographically on this planet plays a large part on some of the emergencies you may encounter. It’s a safe assumption that your not going to be snowed in from a blizzard in the middle of Arizona… but, it is good to be ready and have an understanding of how to be proactive for “any old thing.”

There are four aspects of emergency preparedness.

1. Preparedness

   • One way to be prepared is to simply make a plan and practicing it often. This is one of the reasons why schools hold fire drills. So that in the event of a real fire the students can evacuate safely, quickly, and orderly. Your able to get out of the building safely because you have practiced it many times and know exactly where to go in the event of the emergency. Being prepared also involves have the necessary items and tools available and ready in the event of an emergency. This could include a 72 hour kit or “bug out” bag in the event that you need to evacuate your home for safety.

2. Response

   • There may be a chance during an emergency that you end up being the one that is rendering help to those who are injured or involved in an emergency. If you, yourself, are prepared, than it is much easier to render assistance to those around you. This could involve helping individuals find shelter, administer first aid, and communicate with first responders. Some neighborhoods have pre-determined emergency channels chosen for radios.

3. Recovery

   • After the dust settles from an emergency is usually the time that everyone starts picking up the pieces and works of getting things back to how they were. After the Teton Dam flood in South East Idaho, it took months and months for the community to clean up the aftermath . I’m sure that you or those you know have stories and experiences of the aftermath cleanup of floods, tornados, hurricanes, and many other emergency events.

4. Mitigation and Prevention

   • Mitigation means to “lessen the force of intensity” and “to make less severe.” If you have not experienced and emergency situation, rely on the knowledge of those who have. Prevention goes hand in hand with preparedness and response. If we are prepared, we can mitigate the intensity of the damage which will result in a quicker recovery.