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Get Prepared

Unique Situations and Special Needs

If you live or work in a high-rise building, it's important to know what to do in an emergency. Become familiar with evacuation routes and other emergency plans. Then, during an emergency:
  • Take cover under heavy furniture, such as a desk or table, if there's falling debris.
  • Stay away from file cabinets, bookshelves or other objects that could fall over.
  • Keep your back to windows and glass.
  • Move away from exterior walls.
  • Decide whether you should stay, "shelter-in-place" or evacuate. Follow instructions by emergency personnel.
If you evacuate:
  • Do not use elevators.
  • Stay to the right when going down stairwells to allow emergency personnel to come up.
In a moving vehicle, you'll need to respond quickly to emergency situations on the road. Here are some guidelines:
  • If there's an explosion or other incident that makes it hard for you to control your vehicle, pull over to the side of the road, stop your car and set your parking brake.
  • If the emergency is having an effect on the road, avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines and signs; all of these could become hazardous to you and your vehicle.
  • Listen to your radio for information and instructions.
  • If a power line strikes your car, you are at risk for electrical shock. Stay inside your car until emergency personnel remove the line. Try to avoid touching metal car parts until then.
  • Keep an Emergency Car Kit in your vehicle.
  • If you're approaching a dust storm, pull your vehicle off the road until the storm passes and you can clearly see the road.
  • If a hazardous material incident happens while you're in your vehicle, keep all car windows and air vents closed, turn off the air conditioner, vent and heater and stay tuned to your local radio channels for more instructions and information.
For persons who are disabled or have special needs:
  • Check that they have medical alert tags that identify disability or special need.
  • Teach other household members to operate any special medical equipment.
  • Label any equipment (wheelchairs, canes, and walkers) with name and contact information.
  • Create a support network to help in case of an emergency
  • Help disabled persons create their own codeReady Plan and build a codeReady kit if they're not included in yours.