Preview Topic 7. Emergency Contacts
Whether you live in a rural or urban area there are resources that you should have contact information for readily available. This will be discussed in detail in Lesson 8 – Communications, but you may want to start your research into the following contact suggestions to know what support is available in your region as you proceed through this course. Emergency contacts should be stored in your cell phone or contacts database with an ICE associated with their name. Standing for In Case of Emergency, searching for ICE will bring up all of your emergency contacts. It is also critical that you keep a printed copy of key emergency contacts in your kits and distributed to your tribe.
Resources to consider include the following:
- Police, Sheriff, or other law enforcement agency
- Fire Department
- Ambulance service [if not part of the Fire Department]
- Local, state, and regional Emergency Management Agency
- Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] nearest office
- American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and other support services
- Community Emergency Response Team [CERT]
- Relatives, friends, neighbors, and others with whom you need to keep in touch
- At least one contact that lives out of town to be used as a messenger for your tribe to communicate with and relay message through
- Preparedness peers who you have previously been in touch with regarding emergency preparedness situations and response
- Your doctor’s office and emergency exchange
- Your veterinarian or local animal hospital. Also consider the humane society, stray rescue, wildlife rescue, or other animal support services