Tornadoes,
floods,
pandemic influenza,
SARS . . . emergencies can strike at any time. Preparedness is everyone's job. Not just government agencies, but all sectors of society -- schools, service organizations, businesses, volunteer groups, neighborhood associations -- and every individual citizen should plan ahead for an emergency. People must be ready to act on their own. Start today to prepare for an emergency -- there are four key steps:
Make an emergency plan
- Plan in advance what you will do. Think about the places where your family spends time: school, work and other places you visit frequently. Ask about their emergency plans.
- Discuss with your family the types of emergencies that may occur. Plan what to do in each case. Discuss what to do if you need to evacuate.
- Identify two places to meet: one right outside your home in case of a fire; one outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home.
- Ask a relative or friend who lives out of the area to be your family’s contact person. In an emergency, all family members should call this person and tell them where they are.
- Create a list of important family information and share it with all family members.
- Put your cell phone on "ICE" (In Case of Emergency).
- Learn how to turn off utilities such as water, gas and electricity. Keep necessary tools near shut-off valves.
- Consider the special needs of your family members, relatives or neighbors.
- Make plans for taking care of pets in an emergency.
Get an emergency kit 
- Keep enough supplies in your home to meet your needs for at least three days.
- Store the emergency kit in a backpack or sturdy bag that you can grab if you need to leave your home quickly.
- Keep a checklist in your emergency kit and check it every six months and replace water and food.
Be informed about what to do in an emergency
- Listen to the radio and television for current information and instructions.
- Sign up for the Dakota Communications Center’s CodeRED notification system to receive alerts about Dakota County emergencies on your mobile device (or TDD/TTY).
- Learn about disasters and how to be prepared by visiting Ready.gov or other websites listed above in Quick Links.
Get involved - help your community prepare and respond
- After you have prepared yourself and your family to cope with disasters, consider volunteering your time and talents to help your community prepare for and respond to disasters.