Emergency Preparedness
- PREPARING WITH KIDS
- PREPARING WITH PETS
- EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS
- EMERGENCY SHELTERS
Make a Plan
Step 1: Put a plan together by discussing the questions below with your family, friends or household to start your emergency plan.
- How will I receive emergency alerts and warnings?
- What is my shelter plan?
- What is my evacuation route?
- What is my family/household communication plan?
- Do I need to update my emergency preparedness kit?
Step 2: Consider specific needs in your household.
As you prepare your plan tailor your plans and supplies to your specific daily living needs and responsibilities. Discuss your needs and responsibilities and how people in the network can assist each other with communication, care of children, business, pets or specific needs like operating medical equipment. Create your own personal network for specific areas where you need assistance. Keep in mind some these factors when developing your plan:
- Different ages of members within your household
- Responsibilities for assisting others
- Locations frequented
- Dietary needs
- Medical needs including prescriptions and equipment
- Disabilities or access and functional needs including devices and equipment
- Languages spoken
- Cultural and religious considerations
- Pets or service animals
- Households with school-aged children
Step 3: Create a Family Emergency Plan
Make a Family Emergency Plan quickly and easily with FEMA’s fillable form.
Make a Family Emergency Plan
Step 4: Practice your plan with your family/household
Build a Kit
To assemble your kit store items in airtight plastic bags and put your entire disaster supplies kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag.
A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:
Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation)
Food (at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food)
Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
Flashlight
First aid kit
Extra batteries
Whistle (to signal for help)
Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)
Plastic sheeting and duct tape (to shelter in place)
Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)
Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities)
Manual can opener (for food)
Local maps
Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery
Emergency Supply Checklist
Supporting Documents
Family Preparedness Guide (PDF)
An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness (PDF)
Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic (PDF)
Emergency Preparedness for Pet Owners (PDF)
Business Continuity and Disaster Preparedness Plan (PDF)
Earthquake Preparedness Plan (PDF)
PREPARING WITH KIDS
Prepare with Pedro is a free youth preparedness program created by the American Red Cross. Pedro is a penguin who loves learning about how he can be prepared and take action during an emergency to help stay safe. He visits friends all over the United States and learns about hazards local to their area like earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and many others!
Visit the Prepare with Pedro YouTube Channel
Visita el canal de YouTube Prepárate con Pedro
Supporting Documents
Prepare with Pedro Disaster Preparedness Activity Book (PDF)
Prepárate con Pedro – Libro de actividades de preparación para casos de desastre (PDF)
Our Emergency Contact Cards (PDF)
Nuestras tarjetas de contacto en caso de emergencia (PDF)
Prepare With Pedro Resilience and Coping Skills (PDF)
Prepárate con Pedro – Libro de actividades para habilidades de resiliencia y respuesta (PDF)
Pet Preparedness
Your pets are an important member of your family, so they need to be included in your family’s emergency plan. To prepare for the unexpected follow these tips with your pets in mind:
- Make a plan.
- Build an emergency kit.
- Stay informed.
Have an evacuation plan for your pet. Many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets inside. Know a safe place where you can take your pets before disasters and emergencies happen.
Develop a buddy system. Plan with neighbors, friends or relatives to make sure that someone is available to care for or evacuate your pets if you are unable to do so.
Have your pet microchipped. Make sure to keep your address and phone number up-to-date and include contact information for an emergency contact outside of your immediate area.
Contact your local emergency management office, animal shelter or animal control office to get additional advice and information if you’re unsure how to care for your pet in case of an emergency.
Food. Keep several days’ supply of food in an airtight, waterproof container.
Water. Store a water bowl and several days’ supply of water.
Medicine. Keep an extra supply of the medicine your pet takes on a regular basis in a waterproof container.
First aid kit. Talk to your veterinarian about what is most appropriate for your pet’s emergency medical needs.
Collar with ID tag and a harness or leash. Include a backup leash, collar and ID tag. Have copies of your pet’s registration information and other relevant documents in a waterproof container and available electronically.
Traveling bag, crate or sturdy carrier, ideally one for each pet.
Grooming items. Pet shampoo, conditioner and other items, in case your pet needs some cleaning up.
Sanitation needs. Include pet litter and litter box (if appropriate), newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags and household chlorine bleach to provide for your pet’s sanitation needs.
A picture of you and your pet together. If you become separated from your pet during an emergency, a picture of you and your pet together will help you document ownership and allow others to assist you in identifying your pet.
Familiar items. Put favorite toys, treats or bedding in your kit. Familiar items can help reduce stress for your pet.
Tips for Large Animals
If you have pets such as horses, goats or pigs on your property, be sure to prepare before a disaster.
In addition to the tips above:
Ensure all animals have some form of identification.
Evacuate animals earlier, whenever possible. Map out primary and secondary routes in advance.
Make available vehicles and trailers needed for transporting and supporting each type of animal. Also make available experienced handlers and drivers.
Ensure destinations have food, water, veterinary care and handling equipment.
If evacuation is not possible, animal owners must decide whether to move large animals to a barn or turn them loose outside.
Being prepared and staying informed of current conditions. Here are some ways you can stay informed:
Pay attention to wireless emergency alerts for local alerts and warnings sent by state and local public safety officials.
Listen to local officials when told to evacuate or shelter in place.
Download the FEMA app and get weather alerts from the National Weather Service.
Sign up for Public Alerts & Flash Alerts under the Emergency Notifications tab.
Always bring pets indoors at the first sign or warning of a storm or disaster.
City Information
Did you know you can receive information about City closures or emergencies from your home email or phone? You can. The City has teamed up with Flash Alert which can send you instant email or text notifications of City emergencies or closures.
Public Alerts
Don’t have a landline? You can register your cell phone with Public Alerts, and subscribers to this system will receive emergency alerts via e-mail, phone, or text/SMS messages when the associated address will be impacted by an emergency.
Connect with Local Resources
Disaster Resource Centers (DRCs)
A Disaster Resource Center, or DRC, is a physical location that is activated to respond to the needs of people in the community who are affected by disaster or an incident.
DRC Essential Services:
The availability of services will vary based on event timeline and accessibility.
Food Services – Snacks and water will always be included in DRC operations. Efforts will be made to accommodate infants, children, older adults and individuals with special dietary food allergies, cultural and religious requirements. Meals will be provided if the DRC will be operations 4 hours beyond any of the given meal times (7am, 12pm, 6pm)
Safety – The DRC will be a safe environment for guests and staff. A low-barrier system for tracking the number of guests who enter and depart from the DRC will be implemented by staff; staff are required to sign in and out.
Translation and Interpretation Services – On demand translation services will always be available at a DRC through in person translators or interpreters or through Virtual Remote Interpretation (VRI).
Pet Services – Pets and service animals are always welcome at the DRC. The provision of services like crates, veterinary care, boarding, and transportation will vary based on incident needs. Livestock will be managed separately.
Disaster Behavioral Health (DBH) Services – The provision of mental health, substance abuse, and stress management services to disaster survivors and responders at a DRC. DBH interventions are designed to address incident-specific stress reactions, rather than ongoing or developmental behavioral health needs.
Assessment & Referral Services – Continuous assessment of the needs of guests to determine if additional services need to be activated in the DRC or whether the guest will be referred to existing services outside the DRC.
Accessible Information Services – Keep guests informed of current Joint Information Center (JIC) approved incident specific information via formal briefings, information boards, or by simply answering questions as they arise.
Severe Weather Shelters
If you are in need of emergency shelter, use the Find Shelter button to find winter and severe weather resources in Multnomah County.
Stay up-to-date on shelter openings and news at Care for When It’s Cold or Help for When It’s Hot.
Transportation
If you need transportation to a warming shelter during a cold weather emergency, call 2-1-1 or TriMet for assistance. TriMet will not turn away anyone traveling to or from a warm place who cannot afford to pay fare. TriMet asks riders to let their driver know they are headed to a warm place.
