Now a good time to make emergency plan

Do you have a plan? The state of Wisconsin is reminding people of the importance of having an emergency preparedness plan in the event of a disaster. Governor Walker has declared September to be Preparedness Month to encourage people throughout the state to take time to prepare now, before disaster strikes. We have already seen severe storms and flash flooding in our part of the state which put people at risk. The State Homeland Security Advisor has a number of tips for developing a family emergency plan. But it is important that be done before an emergency happens. Among the suggestions is to identify family meeting places to make sure everyone is safe. They suggest that one be close to your home, and the other somewhere in the neighborhood. The sate says you should keep a contact list, both on paper and electronically that has current contact information for those who would likely be needed to be reached in the event of an emergency. And they say you should have alternative ways to communicate in the event phones are not working. Another suggestion is to have an out of town contact, as sometimes calling long distance may be easier than making a local call during emergencies. It is a good idea to take time now to make these preparations, in hopes you never have to use them.