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New Year’s resolutions are a great way to start fresh with hope and enthusiasm. Along with that diet or other self-improvement, consider making safety a resolution for 2002. The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) offers this list of five suggestions, as you resolve to better protect your home or business from natural disaster. 1) Plan for emergencies. Disasters can hit without warning. Know your community’s preparedness plans, and determine evacuation routes. Plan where your family will reunite and designate a contact person to communicate with concerned relatives.
2) Stock an emergency kit. Include a 3-day supply of drinking water, non-perishable food, a portable NOAA weather radio, first aid supplies, medications, tools and a flashlight.
3) Increase your home’s protection. Know which natural perils could strike your community and protect against them. In a wooded area, eliminate brush that could fuel wildfires. Install shutters or impact-resistant windows and doors in hurricane regions, and eliminate potential wind-borne debris from your yard. If you live where earthquakes occur, anchor tall bookcases or other furniture that could tip over and cause damage or injury. If a new roof is in your plans, consider roofing products that are rated to withstand high wind and hail damage.
4) Build sensibly. If you’re considering building a new home, where you build should determine how you build. Work with your contractor or builder to use materials and techniques that will protect you from potential hazards in your area.
5) Protect your business. A disaster-preparedness and recovery plan can increase the chance your business will survive. Copy all records and store them off-site, to help you make a fast recovery from an unexpected disaster. IBHS can help you achieve your resolutions by explaining how to make your home and business more secure from tornadoes, hail damage, flooding, freezing weather, hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfire.
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