While there are warnings for many types of potential disasters, many emergencies and disasters occur without any warning. Since you cannot predict where you will be for disasters, it is important to have plans and supplies for the locations you and your household go to regularly.  Planning ahead will ensure that you and your household will know what to do and have the supplies you need to be safe wherever you are.

Individuals and households should consider the locations they frequent; find out what plans are available for these locations, and customize their personal and household plans based on what household members would do if an emergency occurred while they were at that location.  Examples of locations to consider and plan for include:

• Home
• Workplace
• Vehicles: Have a plan for traveling between work and home, and other commonly visited locations, in case of an emergency.
• Regular methods of transportation such as trains, urban commuter transit
• School
• Places of Worship
• Entertainment locations such as theatres
• Shopping areas such as malls and retail centers
• Tourist and travel locations such as hotels

Developing plans for different locations will require getting key information about the organization or building managers plans for the locations. In some cases if plans are not available, this may involve working with the building manager or other members of the organization to develop or expand plans. Information that should be considered includes:

• How you and other occupants will get local alert or warnings while you are there
• Building location alarm or alert systems
• Building occupant evacuation plans including alternate exits
• Building or organization plans for sheltering occupants in an emergency
• Key Supplies you/household members and others would need for temporary sheltering

Planning should also consider how the type of structure or the environments around the structure or location may impact alerts and warnings, shelter and evacuation, and the need for supplies. Examples of considerations for the type of structure or the environment around the location include:

• Single story vs multi story or high rise buildings have different types of alarm systems, shelter and evacuation considerations.
• Urban and rural locations may have different local assumptions and plans for evacuation if large areas are impacted.
• Buildings like schools, sports arenas, and malls may have different plans for evacuation and shelter depending on the specific building structure and likely safe methods for evacuation or safe locations for shelter for different types of emergencies e.g. tornadoes
• Outdoor locations likes sports fields or golf courses need specific plans for rapid short-term shelter e.g. for thunderstorms and lightening or tornadoes
• Geography may be critical for some hazards, e.g. if the area is low and vulnerable to flash flooding
• Mobile homes, modular structures and other buildings not attached to permanent foundations require planning for evacuation and alternate shelter locations

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School and Workplace

Like individuals and families, schools, daycare providers, workplaces, neighborhoods and apartment buildings should all have site specific emergency plans.

Ask about plans at the places where your family spends the most time: work, school and other places you frequent. If none exist, consider volunteering to help develop one. You will be better prepared to safely reunite your family and loved ones during an emergency if you think ahead, and communicate with others in advance.

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Neighborhoods

• Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together during an emergency.
• Find out if anyone has specialized equipment like a power generator, or expertise such as medical knowledge, that might help in a crisis.
• Decide who will check on elderly or disabled neighbors.
• Make back-up plans for children in case you cannot get home in an emergency.
• Sharing plans and communicating in advance is a good strategy.

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Vehicles

• If there is an explosion or other factor that makes it difficult to control the vehicle, pull over, stop the car and set the parking brake.
• If the emergency could impact the physical stability of the roadway, avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, signs and other hazards.
• If a power line falls on your car you are at risk of electrical shock, stay inside until a trained person removes the wire.
• Listen to the radio for information and instructions as they become available.