Gov. Mitch Daniels has proclaimed this week as Indiana Preparedness Week.

To mark the occasion, state officials are urging residents to take four steps to be prepared in case of an emergency: make a plan, get a kit, be informed, and get involved.

“Every family needs to know what to do in an emergency, whether it is a terrorist attack, a natural disaster, or even a house fire,” Joe Wainscott, executive director, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, said. “Sit down with your family today and make a plan. Be sure to include the needs of all family members, including pets.”

Wainscott says the recent storm damage in Indiana shows the urgent need for families and communities to make plans before a disaster hits. An emergency plan should include meeting as a family to discuss what to do before and after a disaster, identifying an out-of-state contact and a family meeting location, determining what to do with pets, and coming up with an escape route.

“Emergency preparedness is not just a task for state and local governments,” State Health Commissioner Judy Monroe, M.D., said. “All Hoosiers need to think about what to do if they or their family are involved in an emergency or natural disaster. A little advanced planning, including having a disaster kit, can make the difference between tragedy and survival during events like an influenza pandemic.”

According to Dr. Monroe, a disaster kit should contain at least a three-day supply of the following nine essential items:

n Battery-powered or hand-crank radio;

n Bottled water (one gallon per person per day);

n Canned and packaged food (enough for each member of the family);

n Clothes;

n Essential prescription medications;

n First aid kit;

n Flashlight with extra batteries or a hand-crank flashlight;

n Hygiene items, such as toothbrush, soap, and toilet paper; and

n Manual can opener.