Recent storms and flooding serve as a reminder of the importance of reviewing your family's preparedness. Taking action to stock your home and car with emergency supplies and think through your family's disaster response plan now can provide peace of mind when the storm warnings begin.
Hospitals and our community's first responders regularly conduct drills to prepare for disasters, and individuals and families can benefit from the same idea. It's so much easier to think through the needed details while the weather is good so we're well-prepared long before we're in a storm's path.
Communications can be challenging during a weather crisis, so it's important to think ahead. Write down emergency phone numbers and keep them near every phone in your house, program them into your cell phone and have every family member keep a printed copy in their wallet. Establish an emergency point of contact in a different town such as a friend or relative in case phone lines are busy during an emergency.
Know your community so you're prepared to take action -- find out where the nearest shelter is and the different routes you can take to get there. For online materials such as contact lists or maps, take time to print them now. Power outages around a storm can make accessing data online difficult.
Home emergency supplies can help keep you and your family safe and healthy. While store inventories are high and it's easy to get to and from the store, make sure you have the following basics on hand:
Food and Medicine
• Water -- at least 5 gallons per person
• Food supply for 3 to 5 days (like granola bars and canned foods)
• Baby food or formula
• Prescription medicines
Safety Items
• First aid kit and instructions
• Fire extinguisher
• Battery-powered radio
• Flashlights
• Extra batteries
• Sleeping bags or extra blankets
• Supplies to make drinking water safe (like iodine tablets or chlorine bleach)
Personal Care Products
• Hand sanitizer
• Wet cleaning cloths (like baby wipes)
• Soap
• Toothpaste
• Diapers
Your car's emergency kit should include:
• Food that doesn't go bad (like canned food)
• Flares
• Jumper cables
• Maps and/or GPS in your car or on your smartphone
• Roadside emergency kit
• First aid kit
• Fire extinguisher
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Flashlight and extra batteries
About Siloam Springs Regional Hospital
Siloam Springs Regional Hospital is a 73 licensed-bed facility with 42 private patient rooms. It is accredited by the State of Arkansas Department of Health Services and The Joint Commission. Some services include inpatient and outpatient surgery, emergency medicine, medical, surgical and intensive care units, obstetrics, outpatient diagnostic services and inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation. With more than 30 physicians on the medical staff, Siloam Springs Regional Hospital provides compassionate, customer-focused care. The new facility, which opened April 2012, is located at 603 N. Progress Ave. in Siloam Springs, Ark. For more information, visit SSRH.net.
Editorial on 08/03/2016