DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Community Preparedness

Research on preparedness shows that people who believe themselves "prepared" for disasters often aren't as prepared as they think. Forty percent of survey respondents did not have household plans, 80 percent had not conducted home evacuation drills, and nearly 60 percent did not know their community's evacuation routes.

Nearly 20 percent of survey respondents reported having a disability that would affect their capacity to respond to an emergency situation, but shockingly only one out of four of them had made arrangements specific to their disability to help them respond safely in the event of an emergency.

Our nation's emergency managers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMT/paramedics, and other emergency responders do an incredible job of keeping us safe, but they can't do it alone. We must all embrace our individual responsibility to be prepared – in doing so, we contribute to the safety and security of the nation as well.

Becoming more prepared in case of an emergency is easier than you might think. Whether it's your home, your neighborhood, your place of business, or your school, you can take a few simple steps to prepare your community. This toolkit gives you the basics for getting started.

Being prepared for natural disasters and other emergencies is very important. Being prepared ahead of time can help you better able to respond once a disaster occurs. Essential to preparation is identifying the types of hazards that can affect the City of Schertz and the surrounding area, creating a "go kit" if you need to leave your home very quickly, and creating a plan and meeting place for your family in case you are separated.