Family Emergency Manual Book

When most people think of emergencies, they think of the typical kinds: accidents, medical conditions, power outages, and the like. There are, of course, many other kinds. Most individuals seldom consider the possibility of a financial emergency, the terror of being caught in a killer storm or flood, or the horror of a terrorist bombing. For most of us, the emergencies we experience are relatively common to the overall population. Most of us never experience a major disaster. Indeed the closest most of us ever come to a widespread catastrophe is the news reported by the media. It makes fundamental sense to prepare for emergencies. Intelligent people plan for their retirements well in advance. They don't want unhappy surprises in their golden years. Yet, many of these same individuals have no clear investment strategy. They may have put "all their investment eggs in one basket," because that seems to be the easiest way to manage their accounts. Most individuals have no plan should a killer storm strike tomorrow. Even when they do, it is likely to be terribly inadequate. Most people would not know what to do if a family member suddenly suffered a stroke. Many would not even be able to recognize the symptoms and they would lose precious time in getting the victim the proper care. Ask people if they believe emergency planning is important, and most will answer without hesitation that it is. Yet, most of these individuals will have done very little preparation. It is the purpose of this manual to provide the basics for managing emergencies. The manual is divided into three parts: Part I, "Coping with Financial Emergencies" Part II, "Coping with Natural Emergencies" Part III, "Coping with Human-Caused Emergencies" While federal, state, and local governments maintain emergency plans to alleviate the effects of disasters, such plans hardly ever are adequate. Moreover, they are unlikely to address the needs of all the people affected by a catastrophe. It therefore remains the responsibility of the individual to plan effectively for any emergency that might threaten him or his family in any way. This includes financial, natural, and human-caused threats.