Community Outreach

Supporting community preparedness is a big part of our mission. Here are some tips for people to prepare.

Have an emergency supply kit ready
Make sure you have enough water, food and medications for yourself and your service animal (if you have one) to last at least three days. Think about other items you may need as well - extra eyeglasses, batteries for hearing aids, medical supplies, etc.  

Have an emergency communication plan in place. How will you contact your family members if something happens and you're separated? Share your emergency plan with neighbors, friends and relatives so they know how to contact you if the power goes out.

Develop a map of resources around where you live and work
so members of your support network who are unfamiliar with your neighborhood can find and get what you need. You may want to include nearby places to buy food and water. Also, include fire, police, other city agencies and local apartment/commercial buildings with their own sources of power should the citywide/town-wide power be out. Consider adding taxi stands/bus stops/subway stations, and parking regulations/parking lots, etc.

Ask others about what they will do to support you in an emergency. If you are a person who relies on dialysis, what will your provider do if there is an emergency? If you rely on home care or deliveries, such as Meals on Wheels, ask about emergency notifications and their plan to maintain services. If you use paratransit, find out their plans for providing service in an emergency. If you use oxygen or other life-sustaining medical equipment, show friends how to use these devices so they can move you or help you evacuate, if needed. Practice your plan with the people in your personal support network.

Keep assistive devices and equipment charged and ready to go.
Consider having an extra battery on a trickle charger if you use a power wheelchair or scooter. If available, have a lightweight manual wheelchair for backup and extra chargers and charging cables for all assistive devices.

Make sure you have access to important documents.
Collect and safeguard critical documents. Store electronic copies of your important documents on a password-protected thumb drive and in the "cloud," and if you feel comfortable doing so, give a copy to a trusted relative or friend outside your area. This way, you'll have a record of critical identification documents; medical information including where and how to get life-saving supplies and medications; financial and legal documents; and insurance information as well as important phone numbers, instructions and email addresses.

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