United For a Stronger America
Citizens' Preparedness Guide

Make a list of important local numbers. Make copies of the cards on page 24 of this guide and write down important local numbers, such as the non-emergency numbers for the police department, fire department, and FBI field office. Keep it by the phone and make copies for yourself and your family to keep in your wallets.

Write down phone numbers and contact information for your family. Keep one copy by the phone and provide others to family and friends.

Make a neighborhood directory and plan. Include emergency contact information and plans for children and seniors who may be home alone during emergency situations. Identify neighbors who need additional help, such as young children, seniors, and those with disabilities, and develop a plan to assist them in an emergency.

Make your house easy to find. Make sure your street address number is large and well lighted so that emergency personnel can find your home quickly.

Organize an emergency preparedness kit. Check batteries, change the stored water, and rotate the food supplies every six months. Your kit should contain the following supplies:

• A three-to-five-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day)
• Food that will not spoil and requires no cooking
• A first-aid kit and needed medicines (consult your physician or pharmacist about storing medications and keep copies of your prescriptions)
• Emergency tools like a battery-powered radio, cell phones, flashlight, and extra batteries
• Personal items like toilet paper and plastic garbage bags
• A portable emergency generator if possible.

Develop a home evacuation plan and practice it with your family and neighbors. Know what to do if you are instructed to evacuate your home or community.

• Every child and other member of your family should know exactly how to get out of your home in case of fire or other emergency.
• Find at least two ways out of each room in your home if possible.
• If you live in an apartment building, know the evacuation plan.
• Agree on a place nearby to meet once everyone gets out of the house or apartment.

Plan how to take care of pets. Remember that, with the exception of guide dogs, shelters usually do not allow pets.

Learn how to shut off utilities such as gas, electricity, and water.

Teach your family and friends to be aware when opening the mail. Signs of suspicious mail include the following:

• It is unexpected or from someone you don't know.
• It is addressed to someone no longer at your address.
• It is handwritten, has no return address, or bears a return address that you cannot confirm is legitimate.
• It is lopsided or lumpy in appearance.
• It has wires or other unusual contents that are protruding or can be felt through the envelope or wrapping.
• It is sealed with excessive amounts of tape.
• It is marked with restrictive endorsements such as “Personal” or “Confidential.”
• It has excessive postage.

What you should do with a suspicious piece of mail:

• Do not handle a letter or package that you suspect is contaminated.
• Stay away from the package and don't shake it, bump it, or sniff it.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling.
• Notify local law enforcement authorities immediately.

Teach your family about cyber safety and use of the Internet. Many Americans do not know that their computer systems are used to launch attacks against government and industry, often to steal or destroy information such as financial data or even personal identities. To protect yourself, do the following:

• Be wary of strangers.
• Report unusual activities to the authorities.
• Use passwords that cannot be easily guessed.
• Make regular backups of critical data.
• Use virus protection software.
• Use a firewall as a gatekeeper between your computer and the Internet.
• Disconnect computers from the Internet when they are not in use.
• Regularly download security patches from your software vendors.

GENERAL SAFETY TIPS

Make sure your streets and homes are well lighted.

Make sure every external door has a sturdy, well-installed deadbolt lock. Key-in-the-knob locks alone are not enough.

Keep your yard clean. Prune shrubbery so that it does not hide doors or windows. Cut tree limbs that could be used to climb to an upper-level window.

If you travel, create the illusion that you are at home by getting timers that will turn lights on and off in different areas of your house throughout the evening. Lights burning 24 hours a day signal an empty house.

Instead of hiding keys around the outside of your home, give an extra key to a neighbor you trust.

Preparing your family means making sure that your children know what to do during an emergency. Tell them what is important so that they feel confident about what to do.

Teach your children to stay in touch. Make it a house rule for your children to check in with a parent or guardian immediately when they get home from school or other activities.

Make sure your children know how to contact you at work.

Make sure your children know the address where they live, including nearby cross streets and landmarks. Be sure your children know their home phone number, including the area code.

Work with neighbors to find places that are safe for children and teens to go to in an emergency. These places might include a friend's house, fire station, police station, school, library, or place of worship. The best place for a child during a crisis may very well be the school where they will be supervised and protected from outside hazards. Ensure that your children know the phone numbers and addresses of these locations.

Explain 9-1-1. Talk to your children about how to call 9-1-1 and when calling it is appropriate.

Teach your children and teens how to be safe. Tell them to seek help immediately from a teacher, law enforcement officer, or other security personnel if they overhear classmates threatening to hurt themselves or others.

An emergency can happen at any time. You and your co-workers should know what to do if an emergency happens during the workday.

Learn about your company's emergency plans. Ensure that a plan is developed if one is not in place.

Practice your company's emergency plans, including evacuation plans. Evacuation plans need to be legible and posted prominently on each floor.

Know the exit routes and evacuation plans in your building. Know at least two exit routes from each room, if possible. Be able to escape in the dark by knowing how many desks or cubicles are between your workstation and two of the nearest exits.

Have a designated post-evacuation meeting location where appropriate personnel can take a headcount and identify missing workers. Every employee should be aware of this location.

Make special emergency plans for co-workers who are disabled or may require assistance during an emergency.

Know the location of fire extinguishers and medical kits. Periodically check extinguishers and alarm systems.

Make a list of important phone numbers. Keep a printed list at your desk and near other telephones. Do not rely on electronic lists, direct-dial phone numbers, or computer organizers that may not work in an emergency.

Gather personal emergency supplies in a desk drawer, including a flashlight, walking shoes, a water bottle, and nonperishable food.

Report damaged or malfunctioning safety systems to appropriate personnel for repair and maintenance.

Never lock fire exits or block doorways, halls, or stairways. However, keep fire doors closed to slow the spread of smoke and fire.

In the event of an emergency in a building with many floors:

• Leave the area quickly following your worksite's evacuation plan. In the event of fire, crawl under the smoke to breathe cleaner air. Test doors for heat before opening them. Never use an elevator when evacuating a burning building. Always go directly to the nearest fire- and smoke-free stairwell.
• If you are trapped in the building, stay calm and take steps to protect yourself. If possible, go to a room with an outside window and telephone for help.
• Provide any assistance you can to children, the elderly, the injured, coworkers with disabilities, and others who require special assistance.
• Stay where rescuers can see you and wave a light-colored cloth to attract attention.
• Open windows if possible, but be ready to shut them if smoke rushes in. Stuff clothing, towels, or newspapers around the cracks in doors to prevent smoke from entering your refuge.

Put together an office phone tree. In the event of an emergency, your office may need to get information to employees quickly. Develop a list of everyone's home phone numbers with instructions for who will call whom. Make sure everyone keeps a printed copy at their home.

Make plans to help each other. Determine how you will help each other in the event that public transportation is shut down or thoroughfares are impassable. Offer to temporarily house, transport, or feed your co-workers in case of emergency.

TO GET MORE INFORMATION

The Federal Emergency Management Agency works with state and local communities to develop emergency response plans. They also train citizens and emergency professionals how to respond if there is a crisis.

FEMA has materials on a number of preparedness topics:

• General Preparedness Information: 1-800-480-2520
• Community Emergency Response Teams
  training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/cert/
• Family Disaster Planning
  www.fema.gov/rrr/famplan.shtm
• Disaster Supplies Kit
  www.fema.gov/rrr/talkdiz/kit.shtm
• Emergency Management Guide for Business and Industry
  www.fema.gov/library/bizindex.shtm
• Finding Food and Water in an Emergency
  www.fema.gov/rrr/foodwtr.shtm

Being prepared means knowing what to do if an emergency occurs in your community when you are away from home.

Be alert. Get to know your neighbors. Be aware of unusual or abandoned packages or vehicles and of suspicious activities that should be reported to authorities.

Develop a list of emergency services and their phone numbers and addresses. Include shelters, food banks, and police and fire departments and distribute the list to neighbors.

Find out about community emergency plans. What plans do your children's schools have in place? What plans are in place where you work? Ask local officials to implement an emergency plan if one is not yet in place.

Make sure schools and workplaces have updated contact information for your family, including a cell phone number if you have one.

Do your part. Research organizations in your community, such as places of worship, schools, fire departments, police departments, and the Red Cross, that work on preparedness efforts. Find out what you can do and volunteer to do it.

Make a plan to meet up with family members if an emergency happens while your family is separated. Establish an out-of-town contact, such as a friend or a relative, to whom everyone can call and report. Make sure the contact agrees and that everyone has the number and knows how to dial it. Consider prepaid calling cards and emergency family contact lists for your children. Identify places to meet both close to home and some distance away.

Plan for what you may need if you are away from home during an emergency. Keep water, a blanket, and nonperishable food in your car. Always keep your car fuel tank at least half full. Remember that if electricity is interrupted, gas pumps won't work.

Be prepared to help others. Take a CPR and first-aid training course or get your neighborhood group to take it together.

Join or start a neighborhood group. Find out if your area has a Neighborhood Watch group or community association. If not, work with neighbors to start one. This is a great way to share the preparedness information you learn and to develop neighborhood plans. A new national effort to expand and improve Neighborhood Watch programs will be an important part of the Citizen Corps.

• If you participate in Neighborhood Watch, you may qualify to be a member of the Citizen Corps. Ask your local Neighborhood Watch representative for more details or go to www.usaonwatch.org if your area does not yet have a Neighborhood Watch.

Places of worship provide a valuable support network and an opportunity to share information about preparedness.

Learn about the evacuation plan and security measures at your place of worship. Select a place nearby to meet up with family members if you are separated during an emergency.

Find out if your place of worship could be used as a shelter in an emergency. If so, organize a group to collect blankets, pillows, water, food, first-aid supplies, and other emergency needs. Ensure that your congregation knows about the plan.

Organize relief efforts to help provide food, shelter, clothing, and medicine in an emergency. You can also make plans to help those outside of your congregation. Ask others to volunteer their skills in medical care, child care, cooking, construction, or organization, and bring them together to talk about where to report and what to do in an emergency.

Consider incorporating your place of worship into your Neighborhood Watch programs.

Share the information you learn. Hold meetings to discuss preparedness and distribute copies of this guide to your congregation.

Allow extra time

• The heightened security at airports requires more time to properly screen travelers. Travelers should contact their airline to find out how early they should arrive.
• Take public transportation to the airport if possible.
• Parking and curbside check-in may be controlled and restricted. Travelers should contact their airline to see if curbside check-in is in place at their airport.

Check-in

• A government-issued photo ID (federal, state, or local) is required.
• Have your IDs and boarding passes out and ready as you approach the checkpoint. Travelers may be asked to show this ID at subsequent points, such as at the gate, along with their boarding passes.
• E-ticket travelers should check with their airline to make sure they have proper documentation. Written confirmation from the airline, such as a letter, fax, or e-mail, may be required.

Screener checkpoints

• Only ticketed passengers are allowed beyond the screener checkpoints, except for those with specific medical or parental needs.
• Each traveler is limited to one carry-on bag and one personal bag such as a purse, laptop, or briefcase.
• All electronic items, such as laptops and cell phones, may be subjected to additional screening.
• Be prepared to remove your laptop from its travel case so that both can be X-rayed separately.
• Wear as few metal objects as possible and remove all metal objects before passing through the metal detectors to facilitate the screening.
• Most airports require passengers to put their coats and jackets through the X-ray conveyor. You'll save time in line if you have it off and ready as you approach.
• Do not gift-wrap carry-on items; they may need to be opened during security screening.
• You must transport the following items as checked baggage or risk their confiscation at the X-ray security checkpoint. When in doubt, transport the item in checked baggage.
• Knives of any length, composition, or description
• Cutting instruments of any kind and composition, including carpet knives, box cutters, and spare blades; any device with a folding or retractable blade; and ice picks, straight razors, double-edged razor blades, metal scissors, and metal nail files
• Corkscrews
• Baseball/softball bats
• Golf clubs
• Pool cues
• Ski poles
• Hockey sticks.
• The following items are permitted aboard the plane as carry-on items:
• Walking canes and umbrellas following inspection
• Nail clippers without an attached metal nail file
• Safety razors, including disposable razors
• Syringes with documented proof of medical need
• Tweezers
• Eyelash curlers.

At the gate

• Travelers must be prepared to present a valid photo identification card along with their boarding pass.
• Travelers and their bags may be subjected to additional screening, including random checks of travelers and their baggage. If you are asked to participate in a random check, please remain polite and cooperate with the requesting official.

At all times

• Be patient.
• Keep control of all bags and personal items.
• Do not bring anything on board for another person unknown to or not traveling with you, however innocent or small the package or item may appear.
• Report any unattended items in the airport or aircraft to the nearest airport or airline personnel.

On the plane

• Listen carefully to the safety briefing and follow any instructions from airline personnel.
• Be aware of your surroundings and report anything suspicious to airline personnel.
• Review the passenger safety card before takeoff and landing.
• Be able to locate emergency exits both in front and behind you. Count the rows between you and the nearest front and rear exits.
• Make a mental plan of action in case of emergency.

Many of these suggestions are applicable to other modes of transportation. The same vigilance to travel safety should be applied when using buses, trains, subways, cruise ships, and other forms of transportation.

Americans residing abroad or considering travel abroad should monitor current events and review the latest information on the countries they plan to visit. Most important are the bulletins on the Department of State's Web site at www.travel.state.gov. Travelers may also call the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate or the State Department's Overseas Citizens Services at 202-647-5225. Assistance is available at this number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

When traveling, dress conservatively.

Bring travelers checks and one or two major credit cards instead of cash. Leave a copy of the serial numbers of your travelers checks with a friend or relative at home. Carry your copy with you in a separate place and, as you cash the checks, cross them off the list.

Make two photocopies of your passport identification page, airline tickets, driver's license, and the credit cards. Leave one copy with family or friends at home; pack the other in a place separate from where you carry your valuables. Bring an extra set of passport photos.

To avoid problems when passing through customs, keep medicines in their original, labeled containers. Bring a copy of your prescriptions and the generic names for the drugs. If a medication is unusual or contains narcotics, carry a letter from your doctor attesting to your need to take the drug. If you have any doubt about the legality of carrying a prescription drug into a country, consult the embassy or consulate of that country first.

If you wear glasses or contact lenses, pack an extra pair.

List your name, address, and telephone numbers inside and outside of each piece of luggage. Use covered luggage tags to avoid casual observation of your identity.

Precautions to take while traveling

• Use the same common sense when traveling overseas that you would at home. Be especially cautious in or avoid areas where you are more likely to be victimized. These include crowded subways, train stations, elevators, market places, festivals, and marginal areas of cities. Do not use short cuts, alleys, or poorly lighted streets. Don't travel alone at night.
• Avoid public demonstrations and other civil disturbances.
• Keep a low profile and avoid loud conversations or arguments. Do not discuss travel plans or other personal matters with strangers.
• Try to seem purposeful when you move about, even if you are lost. When possible, ask directions only from individuals in authority.
• Consider registering with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, and continue to monitor the Department of State's Web site (www.travel.state.gov) for information about the country or region in which you are traveling.

Any threat or real risk that puts lives in immediate danger is an emergency and should be reported by calling 9-1-1. You can help save lives by calling 9-1-1 when

you see or hear about someone carrying a weapon in an unlawful manner, using verbal threats, or suspiciously exiting a secured, non-public area near a train or bus depot, airport, tunnel, bridge, government building, or tourist attraction.

you see or hear someone use or threaten to use a gun or other weapon, place a bomb, or release a poisonous substance into the air, water, or food supply.

you see fire, smell smoke or gas, or hear an explosion.

you see someone forcibly taken or being held by someone holding a weapon or threatening violence.

you see a suspicious package abandoned in a crowded public place like an office building, airport, school, or shopping center.

you see a suspicious letter or package in your mailbox. Stay away from the letter or package and don't shake, bump, or sniff it. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. See page 5 to learn how to identify suspicious mail.

you believe a life or property is in immediate danger.

Be prepared to provide the 911 operator with the following information:

Exact location of the threat or danger you observed.

As much detail as you can provide about the emergency. Try to stay calm and take note of the circumstances of the event, including physical descriptions of the perpetrators, license plate numbers, and directions of travel.

If a person is injured, tell the dispatcher as much as possible about how the injury happened and the person's condition.

You have a great asset to draw upon—your experience—when deciding what is suspicious. You know what is normal for your neighborhood, workplace, and daily routines. If a behavior or an event seems to be outside the norm or is frightening, let law enforcement authorities know. Just remember, it's your job to watch out and report. Let law enforcement authorities handle the investigation and take further action. That is what they are trained to do.

When reporting suspicious activity, it is helpful to give the most accurate description possible of the persons, situation, vehicles involved, what made you concerned, and where the suspicious persons have gone. Try to remember the exact time and place that you observed the suspicious activity.

Contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) immediately in the following situations:

You are told of or overhear someone discussing a future plan

• for a terrorist act
• to use a gun or other weapon in an unlawful manner
• to mail or deliver a dangerous package or letter
• to set off a bomb or an explosive
• to release a poisonous substance into the air, water, or food supply.

You hear or know of someone who has bragged or talked about killing or harming citizens in terrorist attacks or who claims membership in an organization that espouses killing innocent people.

You observe a pattern of suspicious activity, such as someone unfamiliar to you loitering in a parking lot, government building, or around a school or playground.

If you believe you have information that would help authorities, do not take any action other than to inform your local police department or the FBI as soon as possible. You can contact the FBI by

calling your local FBI field office. To find your local office go to https://www.fbi.gov/contact/ fo/info.htm or check inside the front cover of your local phone book.

reporting online at www.ifccfbi.gov/complaint/ terrorist.asp. To report tips about suspicious mail, visit www.fbi.gov/majcases/anthrax/tips/form.htm.

American Red Cross
National Headquarters
430 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
202-639-3500
www.redcross.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30333
800-311-3435
www.cdc.gov

Federal Emergency Management Agency
500 C Street, SW
Washington, DC 20472
202-646-4600
www.fema.gov
www.fema.gov/kids

American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
202-336-5500
www.apa.org

National Association of School Psychologists
4340 East West Highway, Suite 402
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-657-0270
www.nasponline.org

National Center for Children Exposed to Violence
Child Study Center
Yale University School of Medicine
230 South Frontage Road
PO Box 207900
New Haven, CT 06520-7900
877-49-NCCEV
www.nccev.org

National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard
RM 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
301-443-4513
www.nimh.nih.gov

United Way of America
701 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2045
703-836-7100
national.unitedway.org

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201
877-696-6775
www.hhs.gov

American Society for Industrial Security
1625 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2813
703-519-6200
www.asisonline.org

Crime Stoppers International
PO Box 614
Arlington, TX 76004-0614
800-245-0009
www.c-s-i.org

Federal Bureau of Investigation
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20535
202-324-3000
www.fbi.gov

International Association of Chiefs of Police
515 North Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
800-THE-IACP
www.theiacp.org

McGruff House Program
66 East Cleveland Avenue
Salt Lake City, UT 84115-5328
801-486-8768
www.mcgruffhouse-truck.org

National Sheriffs' Association
1450 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-3490
703-836-7827
www.sheriffs.org and www.usaonwatch.org

Operation Safe America
2480 Sandy Plains Road
Marietta, GA 30066
770-218-0071
www.safeamerica.org

Security Industry Association
635 Slaters Lane, Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22314-1177
703-683-0392
www.securitygateway.com

Afterschool Alliance
PO Box 65166
Washington, DC 20035-5166
202-296-9378
www.afterschoolalliance.org

Beacon Program
121 Sixth Avenue, Sixth Floor
New York, NY 10013
212-925-6675
www.fcny.org/html/youth

Center for the Prevention of School Violence
313 Chapanoke Road, Suite 140
Raleigh, NC 27603
800-299-6054
www.ncsu.edu/cpsv

National School Safety Center
141 Duesenberg Drive, Suite 11
Westlake Village, CA 91362
805-373-9977
www.nssc1.org

U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202
800-USA-LEARN
www.ed.gov

National Center for Victims of Crime
2000 M Street, Suite 480
Washington, DC 20036
202-467-8700
www.ncvc.org

National Organization for Victims Assistance
1730 Park Road, NW
Washington, DC 20010
800-879-6682
www.try-nova.org

U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
810 7th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20431
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc