During an emergency, the more you have planned ahead of time, the calmer and more assured you and your family will be. These six steps will help you through the process:

• Talk
• Plan
• Learn
• Check Supplies
• Tell
• Practice

Disasters can occur quickly and without warning. And when an emergency strikes, it can force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. If a destructive storm cut off your power, phone and other basic services for several days, or if a chemical spill or other hazard forced you to stay in your home, what would you do?
Your family will cope best by preparing for disaster before it strikes. Assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit now — once disaster hits, you won't have time to shop or search for supplies. Be prepared — build a kit!

To prepare your kit
You should keep enough supplies in your home to meet your needs for at least three days. Build a Disaster Supplies Kit to take with you in an evacuation.

The basics you should stock in your portable kit include: water, food, first aid supplies, a change of clothing and blanket or sleeping bag, emergency tools (like flashlights, radio, batteries), and special items for infants, elderly or disabled. Keep these items in an easy-to carry container-such as a covered trash container, a large backpack, or a duffle bag.

Your local Red Cross chapter offers courses to help you and your family prepare for emergencies. Your local Red Cross chapter is aware of the hazards that can happen in the area where you live and work, and can provide you with presentations and information that will help you learn how to keep your family and co-workers safe when disaster strikes. Contact your local Red Cross chapter to find out about disaster preparedness presentations available for your community or workplace.
In the event of a disaster, emergency medical response may be delayed because of the remoteness of your home or by adverse conditions, such as roads blocked by floodwater or debris. While precious minutes slip by, your emergency training could mean the difference between life and death. Properly administered first aid or CPR can help stabilize an injured or ailing family member until help arrives. Make sure at least one family member is trained in first aid and CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator. It could save a life.

Every day, the American Red Cross helps people in emergencies . . . whether it's half a million disaster victims or one sick child who needs blood.
Our vital work is made possible by people who know how good it can feel to lend a helping hand. Red Cross "everyday heroes" come from all walks of life. Everyone has something special to offer . . . including you.

Last year more than one million Americans helped their communities prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies as Red Cross volunteers. And the demand for vital American Red Cross services and the committed volunteers to deliver them continues to grow. You can help your community be prepared.

America needs a safe and secure blood supply. It is critical to public health. In times of crises, the American Red Cross can quickly ship blood from one area of the country to another-wherever it is needed most. But regular donations of blood are essential to ensure that all needs are met, all of the time.
Every two seconds someone in America needs a blood transfusion-cancer patients, accident victims, premature infants, people with chronic diseases. Blood donation means so much to individuals struggling to survive their own personal crisis, and it's something you can do to make a difference.

Giving blood doesn't take much time, and each donation has the power to save as many as three lives. Because whole blood has a shelf life of only 42 days, it is important to be a regular and frequent donor.

Please call 1-800-GIVELIFE (1-800-448-3543) or log on to www.givelife.org and make an appointment to donate blood today. Give the gift of life — give blood.