Action Plans: Home

For your home to be truly prepared, you need to go through your house and check for potential problems. After reading below, do a home hazard hunt. Then make sure you have the right food, water, and supplies stockpiled, and that you know how to purify your water should it be required.

Home Safety

Remove heavy objects from top shelves.
Secure water heater, install flexible gas piping (See Securing Your Water Heater)
Fasten hanging mirrors, pictures, frames.
Keep bed and favorite chairs away from windows, bookcases, and other heavy objects that could fall on you.
Secure cabinets, bookcases, & shelves to the wall.
Place a security light in your bedroom and hallway. They plug into any outlet and light up automatically if there is a loss of electricity.
Store flashlight and batteries by your bed.
Store shoes under your bed.
Structure: have your house inspected for unsafe construction, un-reinforced masonry, non-ductile concrete, and check to see if it is located on a landfill or unstable soil.

Fire Safety

Know the location of the electrical box, and gas and water shut-off valves.
Keep 10-inch crescent wrench near gas valve. Know how to use it. Turn off valve only when you are sure there is a leak. Do not turn gas back on; Puget Sound Energy must do that. (It may take 2 or 3 weeks to turn back on so be certain it needs to be turned off.)
Keep fire extinguisher in any place that has combustible materials, like the kitchen, workshop, and garage (see Red Cross).
Install smoke detector; test and change batteries twice a year. Change your clock, change your batteries.
Remove toxic and flammable materials from home.
Repair or replace unsafe appliances and faulty wiring.
Building Structure:


 

 

Current Emergency Information