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Date: 11/10/05
Contacts: Lori Wirth - City of Madison Fire Department, (608) 266-5947
Dr. Marvin Birnbaum – UW Hospitals EMS, (608) 263-9641
PREP: Family Communication Plan = Peace of Mind
First responders know the importance of a meeting place where families
can gather in the event of a house fire or other dangerous incident. The
meeting place ensures no one is unknowingly left behind and can help rescuers
focus on the most important task they have – rescuing those unable
to rescue themselves.
Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it’s important
to plan how you will contact one another and review what you will do in
different situations.
In recent disasters, the heartbreaking aftermath has centered on victims
of disaster searching for lost loved ones. A well thought out communication
plan can ease that task considerably.
Here are some tips from FEMA:
• Always carry identification and emergency contact numbers with
you. PREP is making cards available as a guide to what information should
be included.
• It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call
across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to
communicate among separated family members.
• Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and
has coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact.
• You may have trouble getting through, or the telephone system
may be down altogether, but be patient.
A communication plan should also include thoughts on how you will obtain
emergency information before, during and after a major incident.
Find out what kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, are most
likely to occur in your area and how you will be notified. Here in Wisconsin,
the most likely scenarios for natural disasters are tornados or snowstorms.
This is the month to be sure you have a battery-operated radio in your
emergency supply kit so that you can keep track of changing conditions
and emergency information.
December’s PREP theme will be Sheltering-in-place. For more information,
visit the PREP website at prep.medicine.wisc.edu.
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