Creating plans for family communications, loved ones with special needs, household matters, financial documents and evacuation are all part of being well prepared. During an emergency, family members may not be together and a Family Communications Plan will assist people in contacting each other. Household Plans will assist your family in knowing how to prepare ahead of time and what to do during and immediately after an event. Businesses, schools and neighborhoods should take steps to develop plans as well. Neighbors and co-workers often support each other during times of disaster. There are some tips and links for planning below, or see our Regional Emergency Preparedness Guide. Individuals with disabilities can learn more about planning in The Independence Center Guide for People with Access and Functional Needs.
Family and Household Emergency Plan
Download and fill out these forms to make your plan today!
- Family Communications Plan - Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact one another and review what you will do in different situations.
- Household Plan - One of the most important steps you can take in preparing for emergencies is to develop a household disaster plan.
- Important Documents Checklist - Having access to important documents can make recovery time after a disaster easier to manage.
- Evacuation Plan - A wide variety of emergencies may cause an evacuation. In some instances you may have a day or two to prepare, while other situations might call for an immediate evacuation. Planning ahead is vital to ensuring that you can evacuate quickly and safely, no matter what the circumstances.
Dont' forget to check in with neighbors to see how you can help each other out before and after a storm.
Evacuation Plan
In some emergencies, authorities will notify the public when to evacuate. In other situations, you may need to evacuate on your own. Signing up for emergency alerts is critical for receiving timely notifications. In the City of Colorado Springs, there are designated evacuation zones, with an online map providing additional information about specific locations. To learn your Colorado Springs evacuation zone, visit https://aware.zonehaven.com/search and enter your address. In other parts of El Paso County, emergency notifications will describe the area of the evacuation by street names and landmarks.
Evacuation levels:
Pre-Evacuation Warning - This means there is a potential threat to life and property, and a high probability that you will be ordered to evacuate, but that order has not yet been issued. Get prepared to leave, or leave now. You do NOT have to wait to be ordered to leave, and may voluntarily evacuate.
Evacuation Order - An order is issued when an immediate evacuation is required due to an imminent threat to life and property. This is an order to leave immediately.
Shelter in Place - A direction to shelter in place means the public should remain in or move to an indoor location. Monitor media and emergency notifications for further instructions.
Disability, Access, Functional Needs Preparedness Plan
If you have a disability, or access/functional need that might require specific planning for your individual concerns, plan ahead. Coordinate contacts and resources in advance to provide accessible transportation that you may need for evacuation; make plans for powering electrical medical equipment in a power outage, etc. Work with local services, public transportation or paratransit to identify accessible transportation options.
You may need to develop a personal support network including friends, neighbors or family members.
- The Independence Center provides the Pikes Peak Region with resources and information on Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities.
- This document provides a form to fill out at home to Plan for Disability, Access, and Functional Needs.
- A message about planning for people with disabilities
Youth Preparedness
Youth Preparedness - Disasters happen everywhere, and every member of the family can prepare. Preparedness for the future starts today. Whether you’re a kid or teen yourself, a parent or loved one, or work with youth, Ready Kids has tools and information to help before, during and after disasters.
More helpful links:
- Sesame Street Fire Safety Program for preschool children (U.S. Fire Administration)
- Ready Wrigley (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Owley Skywarn (National Weather Service)
Plan for Pets and Animals
Pets and Animals - Remember, during a disaster what’s good for you is good for your pet, so get them ready today. If you leave your pets behind, they may be lost, injured – or worse. Never leave a pet chained outdoors.
Financial Preparedness Plan
Financial Preparedness - Americans at all income levels have experienced the challenges of rebuilding their lives after a disaster or other emergency. In these stressful circumstances, having access to personal financial, insurance, medical, and other records is crucial for starting the process of recovery quickly and efficiently. Taking the time now to collect and secure these critical records will give you peace of mind and, in the event of an emergency, will ensure that you have the documentation needed to start the recovery process without delay.
Businesses and Organizations
There is much that a business leader can do to prepare his or her organization for the most likely hazards. The Ready Business program helps business leaders make a preparedness plan to get ready for these hazards.
The Ready Business Toolkit series includes hazard-specific versions for earthquake, hurricane, inland flooding, power outage, and severe wind/tornado. Tool kits offer business leaders a step-by-step guide to build preparedness within an organization.
Communities
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
The Pikes Peak Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates the public about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, which allows them to focus on more complex tasks. Through CERT, the capabilities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters is built and enhanced.
- Learn more about Pikes Peak Community Emergency Response Team
Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD)
Every community has voluntary organizations that work during disasters. Visit the South Central Region VOAD page to learn how volunteers can get involved.
Ready and Resilient Neighborhoods
Neighbors can organize preparedness efforts to help each other locally in a disaster. For ideas about how to start, visit the Ready and Resilient Neighborhoods page for resources, or contact PPROEM if you'd like consultation, training, or other assistance.
Additional Resources
- Pikes Peak Regional Emergency Preparedness Guide. Hard copies are available by request.
- FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency This webpage has information on planning and preparing for natural and human caused disasters.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response website is CDC’s primary source of information and resources for preparing for and responding to public health emergencies.
- American Red Cross The Plan and Prepare web page has information on planning and preparing for natural and human caused disasters.
- The Independence Center This local organization has information that can assist those with disabilities to prepare for an emergency.
- Pikes Peak United Way 2-1-1 is a free, confidential information and referral hotline connecting people in need with the health and human services they require.
- NOAA Weather Information