What you need to know in an emergency

Whether it's a nuclear incident or a natural disaster, you may be called upon to evacuate your home at a moment's notice. Or, you may be ordered to "shelter in place" within the confines of your own home. For your own safety, and the safety of your loved ones, it is vital to prepare yourself BEFORE a flood, fire, chemical spill, epidemic or other disaster strikes.

We urge you to get acquainted with the information in this brochure. Know it by heart so that you can respond calmly and quickly in an emergency, when minutes matter. Because every emergency situation has its own set of unique circumstances and challenges, you may need to alter these plans based upon the situation at hand.

One of the first steps in emergency planning is for your family to identify three separate relocation facilities. The first facility should be across the street or down the block, to be used when an emergency affects only your building, such as a fire or broken water pipe. The second site should be three to four miles away, to be used when there is an emergency affecting your neighborhood, such as flooding or the spill of a hazardous chemical. The third site should be about ten miles away, to be used when a large-scale emergency occurs. The most commonly thought-of situation like this is an incident at TMI, but many situations could require a large-scale evacuation.