School bells are ringing for many students across the nation. As your child heads back to class, are they ready for emergency situations that can arise? Prepare yourself and your children now, to be disaster-ready throughout the school year. In addition to keeping your emergency contact information up-to-date at your child’s school, follow these simple steps:

• Find out where children will be taken if they have to evacuate the school.
• Ask if they store enough food, water and other supplies in case they have to “shelter-in-place.”
• Designate a friend or relative to pick up your children in an emergency and make sure the school knows who that person is.
• Ask how they will communicate with families during a crisis.

Remember, back-to-school preparedness means more than buying notebooks and pencils! Have an emergency plan ready and share it with your children.