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The plan developed for your health center could be perfect but if your staff is not prepared to stay at or return to work, the plan is virtually worthless. Remember to incorporate personal and family preparedness support for your staff as you prepare your health center for emergencies. People are more likely to stay at or come in to work if they know that their families are safe and cared for.

Start with providing some basic information about personal preparedness and offer some easy to use templates for making family plans. You will find a number of links for more information and templates that you can share with your staff to get them started.

The first step to personal preparedness is developing a plan. Here are guides and templates to get you started.

• American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/prepare/makeaplan.html

• Ready. Gov: http://www.ready.gov/america/makeaplan/index.html

• Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response: http://yalenewhavenhealth.org/emergency/progsvcs/pdffiles/PEACE_Brochure_English.pdf

• Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities: http://www.disabilitypreparedness.gov/ppp/index.htm

Building a kit with food, water, medications, and more will help you get through the first few days following a disaster.

• American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/prepare/buildakit.html

• Ready.Gov: http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html

Personal planning for a Pandemic. These links will provide you with plans and checklists for getting your family ready for a pandemic:

• Pandemic Flu. Gov: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/tab3.html

• Fluwiki: http://www.newfluwiki2.com/upload/InSTEDD%20Influenza%20Manual%20v1-5%20Master-EDR.pdf

• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: http://www.jhsph.edu/flu/familyguide.html

• American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/panflu/planahead.html

Don’t forget Fido! Here are resources for planning for your pet:

• The Humane Society of the United States: http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/DIST_DisasterPetBrochure.pdf

• American Red Cross Animal Safety: http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_62_,00.html

• American Veterinary Medical Association: http://www.avma.org/disaster/saving_family_brochure.pdf