What would you do in the event of a major flood, man-made disaster, power outage, toxic spill, or health-related quarantine?  Could you survive on your own for the first 72 hours after a major disaster or emergency? 

The 72 Crew Awareness and Preparedness campaign is dedicated to helping you and your family Be Prepared . . . Not Scared. Click on Get Involved to learn how your community can be 72 Crew Certified.

Power cuts can occur due to rolling blackouts, extreme weather conditions, or can accompany other disasters such as earthquakes. If there is no power in your neighborhood:

• Turn off and unplug appliances and computers. Leave one light on to indicate when power has been restored.
• Avoid using candles, as they are fire hazards.
• Do not use a gas stove for heating or operate generators indoors (including the garage.) Both could cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
• If a traffic signal is not working, treat it as a stop sign.
• See the Food section to learn about food safety when your refrigerator’s power is off.

Power outages are relatively common and can occur at anytime. Power outages can pose serious problems, particularly for those using life-sustaining equipment (LSE), or during extreme temperatures.

Power outage tips:

• Keep a flashlight and other emergency supplies handy in case of power outages.
• Check the fuse box to see if there is a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker.
• If you determine that a fuse or circuit breaker needs to be replaced, turn off all large appliances or unplug them before replacing a fuse or a breaker to avoid damage to the electrical system.
• Check your neighborhood to see if others are without power.
• Call to report the power outage. Call only once to keep the line open for other customers.
• Check refrigerator to ensure that food does not go bad and cause food bourne illnesses
• Discard any food in your freezer that is over 45 degrees.
• If you rely on electric medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, ventilators and oxygen compressors, plan ahead by talking to your medical supply company about getting batteries or a generator as a back up power source.