Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Spring 2007)
TOPIC: Make a plan to be prepared for any crisis
 

This is the third in an occasional series of articles regarding local planning efforts for a possible pandemic flu. To read previous stories, visit www.healthdistrict.org and click on the “Health & Wellness Library” link.

Larimer County won’t be ready to face a flu pandemic until you are. In fact, you can do more to protect yourself during a flu pandemic than your federal, state or local government can do for you.

Below are some tips to help you plan and prepare. They come from a new brochure about pandemic flu created by the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment in partnership with the City of Fort Collins and the City of Loveland. To read or download the brochure in its entirety, or to learn more about other local pandemic flu planning efforts, visit www.LarimerFlu.org.

Be Prepared
• Prepare your household. During a pandemic you may have to stay at home for many days or several weeks. Now is the time to store enough household and medical supplies, food and water for at least two weeks in case you are homebound or businesses are closed. For helpful lists of emergency supplies, see www.ReadyColorado.com

• Prepare your family. Now is the time to create a family response plan and contact list.  Include children in the planning so they understand what can possibly happen and how to stay safe.

• Prepare your neighborhood. Work with neighbors and community groups to create a plan to communicate with each other during a pandemic or any community emergency. Create a plan to check on neighbors who are the elderly, disabled or others who might need help.
Put aside NOW

Food: Long shelf-life food and beverages, especially foods that don’t require cooking or water
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Water: At least 1 gallon per person per day for drinking, cooking and cleaning. Change stored water at least every six months.

Supplies: Your prescription drugs, common medicines, first-aid supplies, power-failure supplies, hygiene supplies

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Special Needs:  Food and supplies for babies, elderly, disabled, pets, etc.       
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Gather and update NOW

Information Sources:  Emergency radio/TV channels, web sites, e-mail addresses, phone numbers
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Your Info Network:  Healthcare phone numbers/web/e-mail info; friends, neighbors, family phone numbers/e-mail, workplace info
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Important Paperwork:  Checkbooks, credit/debit cards, cash, family Social Security numbers, personal IDs, birth certificates and wills
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Other: Additional supplies and info for your household
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Make a Plan
Being prepared means having a solid plan and knowing how to access resources in case of an emergency. The crisis could be a snowstorm, flood, pandemic flu or other situation.

The information at right provides a start to developing plans for taking care of yourself and your family in an emergency. 

For more detailed checklists and tips on developing a plan, visit www.ReadyColorado.com, www.Ready.gov or www.RedCross.org, where you can download comprehensive checklists for you, your family, your business and your neighborhood.