Get Tech Ready

Technology has made it easier than ever to prepare for emergencies, but it can be
unreliable in an emergency if you haven’t kept your gadgets protected and powered up.
Here are some tips to make sure you are tech ready:

Be Informed
 Download the FEMA app. Get weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to
five different locations anywhere in the United States.
 Sign up for FEMA text messages to get updates from FEMA (standard message and data
rates apply).

Here are basic commands to get started:

 To sign up to get preparedness tips: text PREPARE to 43362.

 To search for open shelters (for disaster survivors): text SHELTER and a ZIP
code to 43362.
 To get a list of all keywords you can subscribe to: text LIST to 43362.
 To unsubscribe (at any time): text STOP to 43362.
 Before a disaster, follow local government on social media to stay up-to-date with official
information before, during and after a disaster. Sign up for Twitter alerts from trusted
government agencies to get notified when critical information goes out.

Make A Plan
 Use text messages, social media and email to connect with friends and family during
emergencies.
o Mobile networks can become overwhelmed during emergencies, making it hard to
make and get phone calls. Text messages require less bandwidth, which means
they are able to be transmitted more reliably during situations when many people
are trying to use their mobile phones at the same time.
o Social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter can also be an effective way
to update family and friends during emergencies. Facebook’s Safety Check
feature allows users to easily post a status update indicating that they are safe
during a time of disaster.
 Register with American Red Cross’ Safe & Well site to let family and friends know
you’re okay. Concerned family and friends can search this list to find their loved one’s
name, an “as of” date and a message from you.
 Have an emergency charging option for your phone and other mobile
devices. Smartphones have become a vital tool to get emergency alerts and warnings so
it’s important to make sure you can keep them powered up in an emergency.
o At home: Prior to severe weather make sure that all of your electronic devices are
fully charged. If the power goes out save battery power by minimizing device use.
Keep a back-up power source on hand.
o In your car: Keep a portable phone charger in your car at all times and consider
purchasing a back-up power supply to keep in your car as well.
o Change the settings on your phone to low power mode or place it on airplane mode
to conserve energy.
 Store important documents on a secure, password-protected jump drive or in the
cloud.
 o There are several apps for mobile devices that let you use your phone’s camera as
a scanning device. This lets you capture electronic versions of important documents
such as insurance policies, identification documents and medical records. Don’t
forget to include your pet’s information.
o Back-up your computer to protect photos and other important electronic documents.
o Scan old photos to protect them from loss.
o Keep your contacts updated and synced across all of your channels, including
phone, email and social media. This will make it easy to reach out to the right
people quickly to get information and give updates. Consider creating a group
listserv of your top contacts.
o Create a group chat via a texting app or a thread for family/friends/coworkers to
communicate quickly during a disaster.
 Sign up for direct deposit and electronic banking through your financial institution
so you can access your paycheck and make electronic payments wherever you
are. Federal benefit recipients can sign up by calling 800-333-1795 or at GoDirect.org.

Financial Preparedness Tips

Americans at all income levels have experienced the challenges of rebuilding their lives
after a disaster or other emergency. In these stressful times, having access to personal
financial, insurance, medical and other records is crucial for starting the recovery process
quickly and efficiently.

1. Gather financial and critical personal, household and medical information.

2. Consider saving money in an emergency savings account that could be used in any crisis.
Keep a small amount of cash at home in a safe place. It is important to have small bills on
hand because ATMs and credit cards may not work during a disaster when you need to
purchase necessary supplies, fuel or food.
3. Obtain property (homeowners or renters), health and life insurance if you do not have
them. Not all insurance policies are the same. Review your policy to make sure the amount
and types of coverage you have meets the requirements for all possible
hazards. Homeowners insurance does not typically cover flooding, so you may need to
purchase flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program.
4. For more helpful financial preparedness tips, download the Emergency Financial First Aid
Kit (EFFAK) to get started planning today.

Regarding COVID-19:

 Be cautious about sharing personal financial information, such as your bank account
number, social security number, or credit card number.
 Do not click on links in texts or emails from people you don’t know. Scammers can create
fake links to websites. Visit government websites, like cdc.gov/coronavirus, directly in your
internet browser.
o Know that the government will not text or call you about “mandatory online COVID-
19 tests,” outbreaks “in your area,” mandatory vaccinations, or to sell you COVID-19
cures.
o Remember that the government will not call or text you about owing money or
receiving economic impact payments.
o Be aware that scammers may try to contact you via social media. The government
will not contact you through social media about owing money or receiving payments.
  If you have been exposed to COVID-19, a contact tracer from your local health department
might call you to let you know and ask you to self-quarantine at home away from others.
Discussions with health department staff are confidential. They will not ask for financial
information.
 Keep in mind that scammers may try to take advantages of financial fears by calling with
work-from-opportunities, debt consolidation offers, and student loan repayment plans.
 Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftc.gov/complaint if you receive messages
from anyone claiming to be a government agent or if you believe you’ve been a victim of a
COVID-19 related scam.

Emergency Financial First Aid Kit

The Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK), a joint publication from Operation
Hope and FEMA, can help you prepare financially and provides tips to reduce the
financial impact of disasters on you and your family.

For more information on the EFFAK visit the EFFAK Community Page.

For Organizations

Encourage people throughout your organization or workplace to prepare financially. Here

are some ideas to promote financial preparedness in your organization:

 Hold a brown bag meeting.

 Make a presentation at an existing staff meeting using Safeguard Critical Documents and
Valuables to support your discussion.
 Include financial preparedness information in the staff monthly newsletter.

At Home

Store important documents either in a safety deposit box, an external drive or on the cloud
to make it easy to access during a disaster.

Take time now to safeguard these critical documents. Be cautious about sharing personal
financial information, such as your bank account number, social security number, or credit
card number.

Household Identification

 Photo ID (to prove identity of household members)

 Birth certificate (to maintain or re-establish contact with family members)
 Social Security card (to apply for FEMA disaster assistance)
 Military service
 Pet ID tags

Financial and Legal Documentation

 Housing payments (to identify financial records and obligations)

o Some individuals and households may experience financial difficulty because of the
pandemic. If you do not think you can pay your loan payments on time, immediately
contact your bank and discuss your options before skipping any payments or taking
any other actions contrary to the terms of your loans.
 Insurance policies (to re-establish financial accounts)
 o Review your travel insurance and health insurance to see how your policies handle
pandemics and infectious disease outbreaks like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-
19).
 Sources of income (to maintain payments and credit)
 Tax statements (to provide contact information for financial and legal providers and to apply
for FEMA disaster assistance)

Medical Information

 Physician information (in case medical care is needed)

 Copies of health insurance information (to make sure existing care continues uninterrupted)
 Immunization records
 Medications

Insurance Information

Having insurance for your home or business property is the best way to make sure you will
have the necessary financial resources to help you repair, rebuild or replace whatever is
damaged. Document and insure your property now.

Household Contact Information

 Banking institutions
 Insurance agents
 Health professionals
 Service providers
 Place of worship

Get Your Benefits Electronically

A disaster can disrupt mail service for days or weeks. If you depend on Social Security or
other regular benefits, switching to electronic payments is a simple, significant way to
protect yourself financially before disaster strikes. It also eliminates the risk of stolen
checks. The U.S. Department of the Treasury recommends two safer ways to get federal
benefits:

 Direct deposit to a checking or savings account. If you get federal benefits you can sign up
by calling 800-333-1795 or sign up online.
 The Direct Express® prepaid debit card is designed as a safe and easy alternative to
paper.

Apply for government-funded unemployment, healthcare, and food and nutrition benefits to
supplement your income or savings.

 Visit https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments to determine if you are

eligible for an Economic Impact Payment (EIP).
 Visit https://faq.coronavirus.gov/financial-help/ and https://www.ssa.gov/coronavirus/ to
learn about additional financial resources that you may eligible for.

Consider using online and mobile banking services, if you are able. These services enable
you to practice social distancing and conduct banking transactions at the same time. For
more information visit https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/covid-19.html.
Associated Content
 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Worksheet (PDF)
 Financial Emergency Info Sheet (PDF)
 Financial Preparedness Toolkit
 Be Prepared for a Financial Emergency (PDF)
 Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) (PDF)
 Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) checklists and forms (PDF)
 Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) Large Print (PDF)
 Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) in Various Languages (PDF)
 Prepare your Finances for a Natural Disaster (Video)
 Safeguard Critical Documents and Valuables (PDF)
 Operation Hope
 Download the FEMA mobile app
 National Flood Insurance Program
 DisasterAssistance.gov
 Financial Literacy Education Commission
 MyMoney.gov
 ConsumerFinance.gov
 Get Tech Ready

Last Updated: 05/26/2021

Shelter
Sheltering is appropriate when conditions require that you seek protection in your home,
where you work or other location when other emergencies arise. The length of time you
are required to take shelter may be short, such as during a tornado warning, or during a
pandemic. In all cases, it is important that you stay informed and follow the instructions of
local authorities.

During extended periods of sheltering you will need to manage water and food supplies to
make sure you and your family have what you need to get by. Read more about managing
water and managing food.

Choosing to take shelter is necessary in many emergencies. This can mean: Stay-At-
Home, Going to a Mass Care Shelter, or Sheltering in Place. Here’s the distinction:

Stay-at-Home
 Remain indoors as much as possible and try to only leave your home when necessary. You
can still use outdoor spaces such as patios, porches and yards.
 Outdoor activities such as walking, jogging and exercise are fine if you practice social
distancing (maintaining six feet away from the next person).
 When outside, try not to touch anything (light signals, poles, signs, playground equipment,
benches, etc.) because the coronavirus can remain on certain surfaces for multiple hours.
 Essential services such as grocery shopping, the gas station, pharmacies and going to the
Post Office are still fine to do.
 Limit visitors if possible. Try to use video chatting. Call the people you would normally text.
 For the latest information on food safety tips related to COVID-19 visit the U.S. Food &
Drug Administration Consumer page.
Mass Care Shelter
Mass care shelters provide life sustaining services to disaster survivors. Even though
mass care shelters often provide water, food, medicine and basic sanitary facilities, you
should plan to take your emergency supply kit with you so you will have the supplies you
need. Mass care sheltering can involve living with many people in a confined space, which
can be difficult and unpleasant.

 Check with local officials about what shelter spaces are available. Coronavirus may have
altered your community’s plans.

 Be prepared to take cleaning items with you like cloth masks (for anyone ages 2 and
above), soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes or general household cleaning supplies
to disinfect surfaces.
 Maintain at least 6 feet of space between you and people who aren’t in your immediate
family.

Search for open shelters by texting SHELTER and a ZIP code to 43362. Example:
Shelter 01234 (standard rates apply).

Learn more by visiting: http://www.disasterassistance.gov/.

Sheltering in Place
Whether you are at home, work or anywhere else you frequent regularly, there may be
situations when it's best to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty outside.

Here are some indicators and steps to take if the situation arises:

 Use common sense and available information to assess the situation and determine if there
is immediate danger.
 If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is badly
contaminated you may want to take this kind of action.

Here are some tips for sheltering in place:

 Local authorities may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening
and what you should do.
 Watch TV and listen to the radio or check the Internet often for official news and
instructions as they become available.
 Bring your family and pets inside.
 Lock doors, close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers.
 Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced air heating systems.
 Take your emergency supply kit unless you have reason to believe it has been
contaminated.
 Go into an interior room with few windows if possible.
 Seal all windows, doors and air vents with thick plastic sheeting and duct tape. Consider
measuring and cutting the sheeting in advance to save time.
 Cut the plastic sheeting several inches wider than the openings and label each sheet.
 Duct tape plastic at corners first and then tape down all edges.
 Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to seal gaps so that you create a
barrier between yourself and any contamination.
“Sealing a room” is considered a temporary protective measure to create a barrier
between you and potentially contaminated air outside. This type of sheltering in place
requires pre-planning, by purchasing plastic sheeting and duct tape that you would keep in
your emergency supply kit.

Life Saving Skills Toolkit

How to Use this Toolkit

The Life Saving Skills Social Media Toolkit contains household safety, financial, and
emergency preparedness messaging. This toolkit promotes awareness about common
household hazards and encourages individuals, families, and communities to prepare for
and protect against disasters and severe weather events by learning essential Life Saving
Skills.

This Social Media Toolkit includes important information to share on your social media
channels. We encourage you to copy the content directly or customize the messages to
reach your community.

What You Should Know About Life Saving Skills

 Know basic preparedness skills to protect your family and home.
 Eliminate common electrical and fire hazards around your house and property.
 Install smoke, carbon monoxide, and natural gas alarms and test them monthly.
 Teach children what to do when they hear smoke, carbon monoxide, and natural gas
alarms.
 Place natural gas detectors on every level of your home and test them monthly.
 Know how to turn off utilities like natural gas in your home.
 Talk to your landlord or building manager about evacuation routes and fire safety.
 Develop and practice a family communication plan and discuss it with your family.
 Have emergency supplies in place at home, at work, and in the car.
 Pay attention to alerts and warnings.
 Know two ways out of your home in the event of a fire and practice evacuation plans.
 Set some money aside from your income in case of an emergency.

Graphics, Logo, & Related links

 For more engaging content, attach graphics to social media posts.
 Life Saving Skills Graphics
 #LifeSavingSkills

Fire Safety
 Do a fire drill with your children regularly. #LifeSavingSkills
 Make sure your family knows two ways out of your home. #LifeSavingSkills
 Identify two ways out of every room when making your fire escape plan. #LifeSavingSkills
 Meet with your landlord or building manager to learn about the fire safety features in your
apartment building. #LifeSavingSkills
 #DidYouKnow your apartment building should hold a fire drill with residents once a year?
You should participate. #LifeSavingSkills
 Know your apartment building’s evacuation plan, in case of a fire. #LifeSavingSkills