Safety Tip – Bicycle safety for all ages

September is National Preparedness Month. Disasters do not plan ahead, but humans can. Being prepared as much as possible in advance of emergencies helps people endure them and recover more quickly.Here are 10 things that everyone can do to be better prepared for the unexpected:

• Make an emergency plan that includes evacuation, communications and pets/livestock. Ensure all family members know it, and then practice it.
• Learn lifesaving skills such as CPR and first aid.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of homes and test them monthly. Change batteries more than a year old. Replace smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.
• Have enough food, water and medications to last for at least 72 hours.
• Know how to shut off utilities like water and gas.
• Review insurance policies and coverage for hazards such as fire and floods.
• Create an emergency fund to cover expenses like lodging, food and gas after a disaster.
• Sign up for emergency alerts.
• Make copies of important documents and store them in a safe place.
• Create a home fire escape plan, and practice it.

For complete information and checklists to become better prepared, go to http://ready.gov.To sign up for emergency alerts in El Paso County, go to https://elpasoteller911.org/ and click on ìEmergency Notificationsî or ìEmergency Notification System.î

Stay connected with the FFPDWebsite: http://falconfirepd.orgFacebook: Falcon Fire DepartmentTwitter: @FalconFireDept