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How to craft an emergency action plan in Chicago

November 18, 2024
Illustration of a storm impacting a home and surrounding environment

Crisis situations like fires, tornados, and hurricanes are challenging enough, but they can be significantly worse if you don’t have a good idea of how to get through it. Being prepared and having essential supplies will help significantly in making a tough situation easier to handle. Read our tips for creating an emergency action plan in Chicago and discover how an advanced smart home can help.

Implement these steps to draft your emergency action plan

Instead of expecting an urgent event to bypass your area, it’s always best to be ready. But how do you get prepared? Follow these straightforward steps:

  • Determine the likely emergencies in your region. Do you have a home in a tornado alley, hurricane zone, or a blizzard-prone region? Knowing the threats you face will shape how you act.
  • Assign responsibilities. Every member of your household, including your kids, need to understand what to do if a crisis occurs. Review how you will work in unison to promote safety.
  • Designate meeting destinations. In crisis situations like fires, you’ll want to identify somewhere outside the house to gather. Where will you travel to if you must evacuate your property due to a severe storm? Family members who aren’t on site will need to know where they can find you.
  • Decide on where you will shelter. If you must leave, you’ll need to secure short-term lodging. Pick a spot likely to be protected, such as a relative’s house or hotel a reasonable distance from the crisis.
  • Assemble a survival kit. Stock the basics, such as water, non-perishable food, batteries, cell phone chargers, and flashlights. For a more complete list, explore the recommendations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

How can your Chicago smart home help during a crisis?

Modern smart homes may be furnished with different safety alarms like flood sensors, smoke detectors, and CO detectors to protect your family members during a crisis. In addition, these sensors are linked to 24/7 monitoring specialists. In addition to activating your alarm, these tools will notify you and your monitoring team whenever they are tripped|. But your smart home can provide so much more.

Sophisticated automation permits you to set up different responses when emergencies arise. For example, you may have your garage door go up or front door unlock when a fire alarm is triggered to hasten your exit. A smart thermostat can also shut off your HVAC fan to slow the spread of a fire.

Equip yourself for urgent events with a Vivint Smart Home in Chicago

A Vivint smart home in Chicago is an excellent addition to your emergency action plan. Monitored fire, flood, and CO sensors and custom-tailored automation will improve your home’s security. You’ll also appreciate the extra reassurance knowing experienced professionals are in place to assist you. Call (312) 626-4802 today to customize your new system.