In the peak of the Hurricane Season and at the start of National Preparedness Month (September), the American Red Cross of the Virgin Islands (ARC-VI) encourages everyone to take the first step by creating a disaster plan for their homes that can help keep people safe during an emergency.
Since everyone may not be together at home when a disaster happens, the plan should include ways to contact one another and two places to meet: one near the home in case of a sudden emergency like a fire and one outside the neighborhood in case circumstances prevent people from returning home.
“Now is the perfect moment for all family members to meet and discuss the steps they have to take to be better prepared in case of a possible disaster,” said Lee Vanessa Feliciano, regional executive for the American Red Cross Caribbean Region.
Any emergency plan should also include decisions about where to go if ordered to evacuate and what route to take to get there. Also, the Red Cross’s latest app, called “Emergency,” provides information on what to do before, during and after emergencies, including a “Make a Plan” feature on how to develop an emergency plan.
The Emergency app can be downloaded at no charge from the Apple App Store for IPhone and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross. To learn more about the American Red Cross or if interested in learning about volunteer opportunities, call 74-0375 or 778-5104.
