INDUSTRY INSIGHT
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
SPONSORED CONTENT
In an Emergency , How Would Your Family Keep in Touch ?
Most people do not expect to ever find themselves in the midst of an emergency or disaster , but these events happen . Consider the massive flooding and destruction that Hurricane Helene wrought on mountainous areas of North Carolina in October 2024 — inland places that nobody thought would be leveled by a hurricane .
Often , these disasters are made worse when families have not planned for how they will communicate at such a time . The members of your household might not be in the same place when an emergency occurs . These are some situations that have occurred and could happen again :
• Extreme weather , such as tornadoes , hurricanes and blizzards .
• Workplace violence caused by non-employees or current or former staff .
• Violence at school .
• Explosions , whether from bombings or gas leaks .
People naturally want to know whether their loved ones are safe when these events occur . However , communication may be hampered by various factors , such as outages that affect utilities , internet access , and cell phone service . Extreme weather may make transportation inadvisable . Local authorities may even prohibit unnecessary travel .
THINKING AHEAD
Without advance planning , you might be unable to reach your loved ones . It is better to think ahead about the following :
• How will everyone get emergency alerts and warnings ?
• How will they communicate with each other if normal channels are down ?
• How can individuals let others know they are safe ( or not )?
• Where will your family meet up , and how will they get there ?
A sound family emergency communications plan should include information such as :
• The names and contact information for individuals outside the area for family members to get in touch with .
• Addresses of locations in the neighborhood or the surrounding area for the family to gather .
• Names , addresses , and contact information for all family workplaces .
• Names , addresses , and contact information for all schools .
• Names and important information for all family members , including dates of birth , Social Security numbers and vital medical information .
• Contacts for all family medical providers , including physicians , specialists , dentists , pharmacies and veterinarians .
The Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) has a walletsized template available online for all of the above contacts . Every member of the household should have copies of the plan for storage in wallets , purses , backpacks and glove compartments .
Family members should plan to report where they are , their condition and whether they can travel . If the household includes pets , the report should include their location , condition and who has custody of them .
To help families put plans together , FEMA has also developed specific templates for adults and children . The one for parents contains self-explanatory fields for entering vital information . The one for children , in addition to having fewer fields for the most basic information , has spaces for drawing maps that show emergency gathering locations and all exits in the home for use during fire emergencies .
THE TAKEAWAY
Your family may never need to use the emergency communications plan . However , having one can make dealing with an emergency easier for everyone by reducing stress and worry .
OPEN ENROLLMENT ENDS JAN 15 , 2025
Cusumano Insurance , a local family-owned business , has been serving the Pittsburgh area since 1958 . The agency represents several insurance companies offering various options for your personal and business insurance needs . Its experienced staff are creative problem solvers who help find the suitable insurance companies , products and discounts to meet your specific needs . Give them a call today for a free insurance review .
This Industry Insight was provided by :
Joann Cusumano Sciulli , AAI Agency Principal
Rosann Cusumano Elinsky , AAI , LUTCF Agency Principal
Cusumano Insurance Agency , Inc . • 178 Clairton Blvd • Pleasant Hills , PA 15236
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