First Aid Kit Emergency Kit
Store your first aid supplies in a tool box or fishing Flashlight tackle box so they will be easy to carry and be protected from water. Inspect your kit regularly and Portable radio (Battery operated or wind- keep it freshly stocked. up) Tornado Preparedness Drugs and Medications First aid kit Information Guide Hydrogen peroxide to wash and disinfect Non perishable foods (canned, sealed) wounds Water Antibiotic ointment Individually wrapped alcohol swabs Nonelectric can opener Aspirin and non-aspirin tablets Cash and credit cards Prescriptions and any long-term medications (keep these current) Important documents Diarrhea medicine Spare batteries Eye drops
NOTE: Important medical information and most prescriptions can be stored in the refrigerator, which provides excellent protection from fires. Dressing Band-aids Clean sheets torn into strips Elastic bandages Rolled gauze Cotton-tipped swabs Adhesive tape roll
Other First Aid Supplies First aid book For more information on tornados, visit: Writing materials http://www.ready.gov/tornadoes Scissors http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/tornadoes/ Harford County Tweezers Thermometer Health Department Bar soap Tissues “Healthy People in a Healthy Environment” Sunscreen Paper clips Safety pins Needle and thread Instant cold packs Sanitary napkins 410-877-1026 Pocket knife 120 South Hays St. www.harfordcountyhealth.com Splinting material Bel Air, Maryland 21014 Create a Plan Watches vs. Warnings During & After a Tornado
TORNADO WATCHES AND IMPORTANT MEASURES TO TAKE WARNINGS At home: Pick a place in the home where the family Take a few minutes with your family to members can gather if a tornado is headed your develop a tornado emergency plan. Sketch A tornado watch is issued when weather way. One basic rule is AVOID WINDOWS. An a floor plan of where you live, or walk conditions favor the formation of tornadoes, for exploding window can injure or kill. through each room and discuss where and example during a severe thunderstorm. how to seek shelter. During a tornado watch, stay tuned to local radio The safest place in the home is the interior part of a basement. If there is no basement, go to an Show a second way to exit from each and TV stations for further weather conditions inside room, without windows, on the lowest room or area. If you need special A tornado warning is issued when a tornado floor. This could be a center hallway, bathroom equipment, such as a rope or ladder, mark funnel is sighted or indicated by weather radar. or closet. where it is located. You should take cover immediately For added protection, get under something Mark where your first-aid kit and fire sturdy such as a heavy table or workbench. If extinguishers are located. possible, cover your body with a blanket, Mark where the utility switches or valves DO NOT STAY IN A MOBILE HOME sleeping bag or mattress, and protect your head are located so they can be turned off—if DURING A TORNADO. with anything available—even your hands. time permits—in an emergency. Mobile homes can turn over during strong winds. Avoid taking shelter where there are heavy objects, such as pianos or refrigerators, on the Teach your family how to administer Even mobile homes with a tie-down system basic first aid, how to use a fire cannot withstand the force of tornado winds. area of floor that is directly above you. They could fall through the floor if the tornado strikes extinguisher, and how and when to turn Plan ahead, if you live in a mobile home, go to a your house. off water, gas, and electricity in your nearby building, preferably one with a basement. home. If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in the nearest ditch, ravine, or culvert and shield your head with Learn the emergency dismissal policy for After a Tornado: your child’s school. your hands. Be careful when entering any structure that Make sure your children know— has been damaged. What a tornado is Wear sturdy shoes or boots, long sleeves, What tornado watches and and gloves when handling or walking on or warnings are near debris.
What county or parish they live in Be aware of hazards from exposed nails and (warnings are issued by county or At work, school or other public buildings: broken glass. parish) Extra care is required in offices, schools, Do not touch downed power lines power How to take shelter, whether at hospitals, or any building where a large group of lines or objects in contact with downed lines. home or at school people is concentrated in a small area. The Report electrical hazards to the police and
exterior walls of such buildings often have large the utility company. PRACTICE YOUR PLAN! windows.