Visit this site for a wealth of knowledge on emergency preparedness and helpful links for parents and teachers.  Follow the links!

http://www.ready.gov/parents-teachers

Here are some ideas for things to include in a 72-hour emergency kit for a child's use:

This is a great way to test your preparedness.Take the online test here.  Brought to you by the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management.

This is a GREAT website by the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District called BE READY SAN RAMON VALLEY.  Visit http://bereadysrv.org to check it out.  Organized into Four easy to remember areas:

Be Prepared

Be Trained

Be Informed

Be Supplied

And some ways for children to get involved:

Coloring Sheet

Family Escape Plan Activity Sheet

FEMA Ready Kids Fun Site

The Town of Danville has some good ideas for an emergency kit on their website.  Click here to visit the website and download the checklist.

The new year is a great time check your preparedness status.  Do you have a family emergency plan?  A household emergency supply kit?  Make preparedness a goal in 2012 and let The Growing Room help!  Ask your Growing Room Teacher about our emergency preparedness procedures and what we have on hand in each location to survive an emergency.  

A 72-hour kit is the most important way to be prepared.  Check out this useful website: http://72hours.org for more information.

Does your family have an Emergency Plan?  Has your family practiced what to do in a variety of situations?  If not, consult one of the many resources below in order to prepare your entire family to react in an emergency, like an earthquake.

www.earthquakecountry.org/roots/seven_steps.html

www.fema.gov

www.ready.gov

www.72hours.org

Some really good ideas from Ready America: 

• Identify an out-of town contact.  It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contactmay be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.

• Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone,coins, or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. If you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) in your phone. If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts.
• Teach family members how to use text messaging (also knows as SMS or Short Message Service). Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.
• Subscribe to alert services. Many communities now have systems that will send instant text alerts or e-mails to let you know about bad weather, road closings, local emergencies, etc. Sign up by visiting your local Office of Emergency Management web site.

Planning To Stay Or Go

Depending on your circumstances and the nature of the emergency, the first important decision is whether you stay where you are or evacuate. You should understand and plan for both possibilities. Use common sense and available information, including what you are learning here, to determine if there is an immediate danger. In any emergency, local authorities may or may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do. However, you should watch TV, listen to the radio or check the Internet often for information or official instruction as it becomes available. Further information on staying put or sheltering in place.

Emergency Information

Find out what kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, are most likely to occur in your area and how you will be notified. Methods of getting your attention vary from community to community. One common method is to broadcast viaemergency radio and TV broadcasts. You might hear a special siren, or get a telephone call, or emergency workers may go door-to-door.