12-Month Emergency Preparedness Plan
The 2026 goal for Canyon Rim is to build resilience step by step. Each month focuses on a new preparedness topic to help individuals and families become better equipped for emergencies. We recommend budgeting $50–$100 per month for supplies (some months may require little or no spending) and spending 2–4 hours on monthly tasks. By the end of the year, our community will be better prepared—and ready to support others in times of need.
January — Family Emergency Plan
- Create a family emergency plan (See an example at RedCross.org)
- Be mindful of children, seniors, and pets
- Choose local and out-of-area meeting places
- Assign an out-of-state emergency contact
- Create an emergency contact list (family, doctors, employer, out-of-state contact)
- Memorize the phone number of a family member and your out-of-state contact
- Ensure everyone knows how to reach each other
- Map evacuation routes from home and community
- Assign responsibilities for each household member (including pets)
Making an Emergency Preparedness Plan
Published by the City of Abbotsford, this video helps you create a family emergency plan. Take action to prepare yourself, your family, and your community for emergencies.
Prioritized Evacuation Grab List
Published by Be Ready Utah, this video helps you prepare an evacuation “grab list” of important items and emergency tools that do not go in your disaster supply kit. Prioritize the list so most important items are grabbed first.
Prepare for Natural Disasters
Published by Logan City Council, this video demonstrates how natural disasters may impact your home, family and the many things you can do to lessen the impacts.
February — Water Preparedness
- Store 1 gallon of water per person per day (3–7 days minimum)
- Add purification supplies (filters, tablets, bleach)
- Label and rotate stored water annually
- Secure water heater with an earthquake strap if needed
Be Ready Utah PrepCast Episode 2: Water, Part 1 (Importance of Water in an Emergency)
Be Ready Utah PrepCast Episode 2: Water, Part 2 (Water Storage)
Be Ready Utah PrepCast Episode 2: Water, Part 3 (Water Treatment)
Storing Water for an Emergency
This page explains how to prepare for disruptions to your water supply by storing a recommended minimum of one gallon of clean drinking water per person per day and maintaining at least a three-day, ideally two-week, supply using food-grade containers that are properly cleaned and sanitized. It also covers safe treatment methods for stored and emergency water, tips on container selection and storage conditions, and suggestions for sourcing additional water during emergencies.
March — Food Preparedness
- Build a 30-day supply of shelf-stable food
- Focus on familiar foods your family eats
- Create a rotation system (“eat what you store”)
- Add comfort foods for morale
- Include proteins, carbs, vitamins; note dietary needs
- Test a no-cook meal
- Plan and prepare to plant a garden or any type of backyard food production as your yard allows
Food Storage and Nutrition
Be Ready Utah emphasizes the importance of having an emergency food supply to maintain health and energy during disasters, recommending families store at least a one-month supply, work toward three months or more, and include a variety of nutritious foods tailored to dietary needs. It advises creating a dedicated storage area, rotating food to prevent waste, and learning food preparation and preservation skills. The guidance also outlines nutrition basics and examples of foods to include, and stresses flexibility—doing the best you can within your budget and space while continually improving your preparedness.
Canned Food: The Ultimate Long Term Storage Food For Beginners
Gettin’ Ready
10 Prepper Pantry Tips for Beginners
Frugal Fit Mom
Food Storage: 25 Foods You Can Package in Mylar Bags for Long-Term Storage
The Provident Prepper
What Size Oxygen Absorber Should You Use in a Glass Jar?
The Provident Prepper
April: First Aid and Medical Preparedness
- Upgrade or assemble a comprehensive first aid kit: beready.utah.gov/library/
- Maintain a 1-2 week supply of medications (more if possible)
- Make and keep copies of prescriptions and medical histories
- Take a CPR/first aid class.
First Aid Steps
The American Red Cross outlines first aid as a simple three-step process: check, call, and care. First, check the scene for safety and assess the injured person to understand what’s happening; next, call 911 (or your local emergency number) and get help or necessary equipment; finally, provide appropriate care—such as stopping bleeding, helping with breathing, or giving CPR—until professional responders arrive. These steps are designed to keep you safe, quickly involve emergency services, and stabilize the person to prevent their condition from worsening.
How to Prepare an Emergency Kit
May: Financial Preparedness/Important Documents
- Make a plan to build or grow an emergency savings fund
- Store a minimum of 5 days worth of cash in small bills for fuel, food, lodging etc.
- Make digital and physical copies of important documents (current photos of each family member, birth certificates, marriage certificate, driver’s license, passport, military ID, social security cards, photos of your house with the address visible, mortgage document, photos of vehicles with license plates visible, VINs for each vehicle, vehicle registration and title, will or trust documents, guardianship, power of attorney, living will, checking, savings, credit card accounts, home utilities account numbers)
- Create a document “grab-and-go” folder, copy the digital document file onto a jump drive
Important Documents
June: Home Insurance Preparedness
- Review insurance policies; add earthquake/flood if possible
- Make hard and digital copies of insurance policy documents with the agent’s name and contact information
- Document the contents of your home. Walk room-to-room and take photos or record a video of everything, capture model and serial numbers. Include tools, outdoor equipment, garage contents, and appliances
- Document renovations or expensive upgrades
- Know your claim filing process. Ask your agent if necessary. Keep claim instructions in your emergency binder.
- More insurance information can be found at https://uphelp.org/
The Value of a Reputable Insurance Agent in Today’s Market
United Policy Holders
July: Sanitation Preparedness
- Collect sanitation supplies: hand soap, hand sanitizer, unscented household bleach, disposable gloves, antibacterial wipes, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, baby wipes, feminine hygiene supplies, diapers (consider cloth diapers with pins)
- Create a plan for emergency toileting, either a 5-gallon bucket with a seat lid, camping toilet, or double-bag home toilet
- Purchase heavy-duty trash bags (10-20 mil contractor bags are ideal)
- Purchase absorbent material (kitty litter, sawdust, wood shavings)
- Purchase 2 month supply of toilet paper
- Learn how to safely dispose of waste (youtube.com/@firstrespondermom6414)
- Create plan in the event your home is habitable after a disaster, but the sewer system is not intact. See youtube.com/@firstrespondermom6414 for more information
Sanitation in a Disaster Part I
First Responder Mom
Human waste is one of the deadliest substances on earth. Where sanitation is poor, death & disease are rampant. Our current systems for disposing of waste can be affected by many situations. If we lose water, we lose sewer. If we lose power for an extended time, we also lose sewer.
This video series will educate you on all aspects of sanitation. You’ll learn how to prevent hydrogen sulfide from entering your home, how to set up a sanitary temporary bathroom as well as how to dispose of the waste. It is relevant to families, first responders, neighborhoods and communities. Sanitation in a Disaster promises to be eye-opening to even the most seasoned of emergency preparedness individuals.
Sanitation in a Disaster Part II
First Responder Mom
Part II in the Sanitation in a Disasterseries. First Resosponder Mom continues to provide instruction.
Sanitation in a Disaster Part III
First Responder Mom
In Part III of this Series, we discuss how to protect your home from toxic fumes as well as vermin, insects and more during a large scale disaster or water/wastewater outage.
Sanitation in a Disaster Part IV
First Responder Mom
In Part 4 we discuss how to set up a sanitary bathroom in your home when water and wastewater is not available.
Sanitation in a Disaster Part V
First Responder Mom
In Part 5 we discuss how to dispose of the waste in the event of a large scale disaster and water/wastewater outage.
August: Communication and Community Connections
- Sign up for local emergency alerts through reverse 911 at slvecc.com/registration
- Program emergency contacts into phones.
- Memorize phone number of nearest relative and out-of-state contact
- Purchase a battery/solar radio Purchase a solar charger for your phone along with an extra charging cord
- Meet your neighbors. Plan a neighborhood block party
- Explore CERT training through Millcreek Emergency Management
5 Ways to Communicate With Your Family in Emergencies
PrepHERedness
Don’t get caught without a way to communicate to your family and friends. Learn 5 quick ways to stay in touch no matter what’s going on around you.
Emergency Communication for Families (What Actually Works)
MuthaPrepper
What happens if your phone suddenly stops working? From recent cellular outages to power failures, storms, and everyday disruptions, many families rely on smartphones as their only way to communicate — until they can’t. In this video, we break down simple, practical emergency communication options that families can realistically layer into their emergency plans without getting technical or overwhelmed.
Join with others to prepare for emergencies and participate in
America’s PrepareAthon!
Ready.gov
What happens if your phone suddenly stops working? From recent cellular outages to power failures, storms, and everyday disruptions, many families rely on smartphones as their only way to communicate — until they can’t. In this video, we break down simple, practical emergency communication options that families can realistically layer into their emergency plans without getting technical or overwhelmed.
5 STEPS TO NEIGHBORHOOD PREPAREDNESS
Ready Fairfax
We never think a disaster will strike our neighborhood or at least we hope it won’t! However, it is not a question of if one will happen, but when. Find out what you can do to help make your neighborhood better able to meet disasters head on and bounce back afterwards. Use this Guide and accompanying Toolkit to build a disaster plan for your neighborhood.
September: School and Workplace Emergency Preparedness
- Review emergency procedures at your children’s schools and your place of work
- Ensure emergency contacts are up to date
- Discuss reunification plans with your family
- Know how the school or workplace will communicate during a major incident
- Prepare personal go-kits to be kept in your child’s school locker, your work desk, or your car. Include: small water bottle, snack, family photo and contact card, comfort item for younger children, lightweight flashlight, extra medication, phone charger and power bank, sturdy shoes if you normally wear dress shoes to work, emergency blanket
Children and School Preparedness
CDC.gov
The CDC’s **Children and School Preparedness** page highlights the importance of planning for emergencies to protect children’s health, safety, and well-being. It provides guidance for families and schools on emergency preparedness, recovery, and supporting children’s unique needs during disasters.
The Be Ready Buzz 16 Build Your Disaster Supply Kit Today
Be Ready Utah
#Prepare your disaster supply kit: Building an emergency kit doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. Start with the basics of survival from around home.
20 to Ready: Coordinate Plans
KBYUEleven
Does your family know where to go or what to do when disaster strikes?
Workplace Safety
American Red Cross
Training your staff in lifesaving skills and ensuring your work site is prepared for emergencies are two vital steps to establishing a safe business environment. Commit to preparedness with the Red Cross. Explore opportunities to train and certify your teams via OSHA-compliant health and safety courses that are flexible to your business needs. And, discover how the Red Cross provides ways for you to evaluate and improve your business to withstand a disaster, maintain operations, and protect lives and property.
October: Home Safety and Utilities
- Secure heavy furniture and items on walls and shelves
- Secure water heater with an earthquake strap
- Check smoke/CO detectors and replace batteries. Replace unit if older than 7 years
- Install or confirm fire extinguishers on every level of your home
- Learn how to shut off water, gas, and electricity
- Practice home fire drill
- Clear flammable materials from around your home
How to Strap a Water Heater by GGASHI
GoldenGateASHI
This video shows how to properly install seismic water heater strapping. It was written and filmed by home inspectors who are certified members of The Golden Gate Chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors (GGASHI).
Emergency Utility Shut Off
How to Life
A major life skill is learning how to shut off utilities to your home in case of an emergency! These utilities would be gas, electric, and water. No need to panic – this is NOT a common occurrence, but it is important to know where these structures are, what they look like, and how to shut them off in case you ever have to do it. This Mominar will explain when you would ever have to do this, why you would do it, where these magical boxes are, and how to shut them down.
Utilities Preparedness
California State University San Marcos
Natural gas leaks can cause an explosive and flammable atmosphere inside a building. This page provides instructions on how to shut off your natural gas.
Utilities 101 – The Importance of Shutting Off and Unplugging
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
Emergency service providers and utility employees will be overwhelmed after a disaster, so it’s important to know how and where to control the utilities.
November: Power Outage Preparedness
- Purchase backup batteries and portable chargers
- Identify alternate lighting sources (flashlights, battery lanterns, candles)
- Learn how to open your garage door manually
- Store extra blankets and warm clothing
- Ensure that propane tanks for outdoor grills are full
- Acquire safe emergency cooking options (camp stove, fire pit)
- Consider purchasing a generator or solar backup
Be Prepared for a Power Outage
FEMA
Power outages are more likely to occur during severe weather events, such as strong thunderstorms, hurricanes and winter storms, or other natural disasters, such as wildfires.
December: Review and Refresh
- Replace expired food, water, meds, and batteries in emergency kits
- Inventory all supplies and replace expired items
- Update emergency plan, contacts, and documents
- Conduct a full household emergency drill
- Discuss lessons learned and make improvements
- Celebrate your preparedness progress and make goals for next year
