Emergency Planning

At one time or another many families in Lincolnshire will experience an emergency. These emergencies can be small or large, i.e. broken water pipe, toilet or faucet leak, furnace breakdown, flood, fire or a variety of other emergencies. It is even possible that the entire Village could experience an emergency.

Having a family plan and practicing that plan are keys to getting through a major crisis. Here are some steps you and your family should take to prepare for a disaster.

1. Inventory Your Life - Make a list of all of your possessions and important personal documents. This list should include photographs of the items, receipts, and other helpful information to document what you own. This list will be helpful if you need to file an insurance claim. Remember to store this list in a secure location away from your home, such as at a safe-deposit box or with someone you can trust.

2. Records - Gather important personal papers such as bank accounts, tax returns, prescriptions, family records, and other important documents. Store them in a fire-proof box that can be readily moved in the case of an evacuation.

3. Family Plan - If you had to evacuate, where would you go? Remember, you may not always be able to meet at the same location due to changing conditions, so make sure that you have alternative meeting locations. Also, consider that your family may not all be together when an evacuation occurs. Therefore, your plan should include a meeting place known to all family members.

4. Supplies - Prepare a small box that you can grab as you evacuate your home. You should include your life inventory, important personal documents, baby supplies, pet supplies, medications, and other items to help you survive away from your home. What do you need to get by if you have to evacuate your home? Medications, pet supplies, baby supplies, if applicable, supplies, computer hard-drive, batteries, food, water, and other items should be stored together in boxes so that they can be gathered quickly.

5. Test It - Finally, planning is not good unless it is tested. Take 10 minutes to "evacuate" you home. Afterwards, decide if you took the right things. Refine your plan and practice it again.

For more information on planning for an emergency, visit www.fema.gov/areyouready.

If there is a Village-wide emergency, the Village will be focused on issues that affect the entire Village and will probably not have the manpower to help individual homeowners. That is why it is very important that you take the initiative to do what you can to prepare yourself and your family for an emergency – whether it is an individual emergency or one that is community wide.

Each family member should know the following. In addition, this information should be posted in locations where each family member can see it for quick reference in the event of an emergency.

• Emergency phone numbers, i.e.
  • 911
  • Poison Control
  • Gas Company
  • Electric Company
  • Family friend who lives close by
  • Family or friend who does not live close by
  • Mom and/or Dad’s office/cell phone numbers
  • Other numbers that are important to you and your family
• Meeting location if you have to evacuate your home. (Practice an evacuation plan.)
• Where to go in the event of a tornado.
• Route above high water areas for flood evacuation.
• Ropes or ladders for 2nd story evacuation.
• Location to shut off:
  • Furnace or air conditioning
  • Natural gas shut off with location of wrench if necessary
  • Water shut off

Finally, the Lincolnshire Riverwoods Fire Protection District has information cards that should be completed for each member of your family. These cards should be posted on your refrigerator. In the event of an emergency the Fire Department knows to look in this location and can quickly assess your health and history prior to treating in an emergency. If you do not have these cards, you can contact the Fire Protection District at 847.634.2512.