Is your family ready for an emergency? Planning ahead can keep you safe if a flood, fire, flu pandemic, terrorist attack, or other public health emergency strikes. The Peoria City/County Health Department is encouraging community members to make sure our families and homes are protected.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that each family get an emergency kit, make a family emergency plan, and be informed of the emergency resources available in their community. Plan ahead. Here are a few simple items you can gather today to prepare for an emergency:

• At least 3 gallons of water for each member of your family
• Food for at least 3 days—choose foods that don’t need a refrigerator, like canned fruit, energy bars, peanut butter, and crackers
• Prescription medicines that you take every day, like heart or diabetes medicine
• A first aid kit to treat cuts, burns, and other injuries

Budget friendly plans are available to families to help build a disaster supply kit by acquiring just a few items a week. Check out the Weekly Steps for Emergency Preparedness plan on our website at www.pcchd.org.

For more information about public health issues, follow us on facebook and twitter or visit our website at www.pcchd.org.