Let’s Get Skyway Ready
When you have an emergency, first responders like our firefighters and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are there to answer your call. But what happens immediately after a major disaster, and the emergency is all around us? First responders may not be able to reach you and your neighbors right away. That’s why it’s important to equip yourself with information, learn new skills, and assemble the right supplies.
The best time to get prepared is right now. Because major storms, power outages, and earthquakes won’t wait for you to be ready.
The more we learn and the more we share, the stronger and more resilient our community becomes. Take some time today to learn some basic preparedness tips and become Skyway Ready.
After you make it to the bottom of this page, take the quiz for a chance to earn your very own customizable, printable Skyway Ready Certificate! Diving into the links in each section will increase your odds of success in both the quiz and in being prepared for disasters. Win-win!
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Get educated. Great job, you’ve already gotten started! Carve out some extra free time when you can to learn more about the disasters that can impact our region. Share information with friends and family (like this page!).
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Learn about the different kinds of hazards we face in King County, from extreme heat to cyberterrorism.
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Sign up for ALERT King County to receive important safety information during an emergency.
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Know what to do when an earthquake starts. You might know about “Drop, Cover, and Hold on”, but find out what to do if you’re driving, in bed, or somewhere outside your home with this infographic.
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Learn what to do before, during, and after a windstorm – including where not to use a generator or burn charcoal and why you should conduct a home safety evaluation to check nearby trees.
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Be sure you know how and when to shut off your water, gas, and electricity.
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Make a plan. Your family should all be on the same page. What are all of the possible ways to get out of the house? Where will you meet up if separated? Who do you know that lives further away and can relay messages to separated family members? Write down phone numbers in case you can’t access your smartphone’s address book.
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Download a family emergency plan template to print out and fill.
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If you have children or anyone with special needs in your household including mobility challenges and vision or hearing impairment, plan ahead with these resources.
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Build kits. Put together emergency supply kits for your home, workplace, and vehicle. Don’t forget to include items for your pets. Fill a backpack or other container that you can easily pick up and carry. Be sure to cover the basics: water, non-perishable food, first aid and hygiene items, flashlight with extra batteries, warm blanket, cash, and copies of personal documents.
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Get involved. Do you know your neighbors? If you haven’t yet, you should go say hi. In a crisis, it will be important to reach out and help each other. Find out who might need some extra help. Take some classes to grow your skills and attend neighborhood events to grow your local network.
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Learn CPR and basic first aid with online classes and training from American Red Cross.
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Host a National Night Out event in August.
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Check out virtual disaster skills training from King County Emergency Management.
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Even more resources:
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Need translated content? Find home emergency preparedness tips in Spanish, Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Somali, Ukrainian, Vietnamese. There are also lots of great fact sheets available on everything from flooding to power outages translated into multiple languages.
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Got kids? Make sure they’re prepared, not scared. Ready Kids has fun games and information geared toward younger folks.
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Prefer visuals? This infographic covers everything from making a disaster plan to building emergency kits.
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Inspired to do some projects around the house? Help protect your home from earthquakes with 19 easy do-it-yourself projects.