Prepare for Back-to-School with an Emergency Kit

The start of a new school year is the perfect time to make sure you know your school’s plans for keeping students safe during an emergency and then talking to your child about those plans.

Right now, we are encouraging students and parents to get prepared for the start of their school year with 15% off our entire School Emergency Kit collection using code BTS2017.

Helpful emergency preparedness tips for parents:

• Prepare your children with an emergency kit.
• Find out where children will be taken in the event of an evacuation during school hours.
• Make sure your current emergency contact information is on file at your child’s school.
• Pre-authorize a friend or relative to pick up your children in an emergency and make sure the school knows who that designated person is.
• Teach children with cell phones about “Text First, Talk Later.” Short, simple text messages such as “RU OK?” and “I’m OK” are more likely to get through than a phone call if phone service is disrupted following an emergency. As phone congestion eases, you can follow up with a phone call to relay more information.

Students headed off to college also need to be prepared for emergencies. Many college campuses offer email and text messages to alert students of potential dangers, such as severe weather and other threats.

Encourage your college student to sign up for such alerts. Some colleges also provide alert messages for parents so they are also aware of potential dangers on campus. In addition, make sure your student knows the emergency plans for their dorm or apartment building.

Blog information courtesy of The Herald News, Joliet & Will County, IL. http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/08/10/include-emergency-preparedness-in-back-to-school-plans/aaaue58/