Emergency Preparedness:
Are you really prepared? Here are some questions you should ask yourself.
- What are the major types of emergencies that impact your area of residence?
- What, if any, accessible emergency services exist in your area?
- (i.e. accessible evacuation areas, accessible emergency transport, easy access to medical care, etc.)
- What resources/emergency preparedness resources currently exist in your area that work?
- What are some go-to resources that you utilize, or can utilize, in emergencies?
- (I.e. preferred medical professionals, go-to places to charge devices in the case of a power outage, reliable transit or care services, etc.)
- What are the most supportive hospitals/agencies/evacuation centers for people with SCIs/SCIDs in your area?
- What resources are missing in your area? What gaps need to be filled?
- Do you have any personal tips, tricks, or best practices?
- Do you have stories or personal experiences (good or bad) with dealing with an emergency and would be willing to share?
*The first thing I’m going to do is a bit of online research followed by phone calls to agencies, organizations, and city services that you found when doing your online research. Then I’m going to put a plan down on paper and keep it handy, share it with family and friends so they know what you will need should they be able to help.
Develop your own checklist of equipment and supplies that you will need, consider that you may be displaced from your home for an extended period of time. Create a list of important phone numbers, account numbers, passwords etc.
San Diego has a new Emergency Preparedness Guide, click the link below to go to their site where you can request a hard copy or download as a PDF.