Widespread flu or infectious disease outbreak, monsoon flooding, power outages, and fire are common types of major events that may affect your daily routine.

Did you know your neighborhood school may be a designated emergency shelter? It may also serve as a designated community disaster shelter or POD, point for dispensing emergency medicine or vaccines.

Schools are the heart of a neighborhood and emergency events may impact whether or not our children attend school. Do you have a plan for how to take care of your children, if their school or daycare operation is affected?

A few moments now, a few extra items you put aside at home and special discussions you have now with your family, neighbors, co-workers, and local community may make a big difference if the unexpected occurs here in our Valley.

Parent resources

• New Pandemic planning resources from HHS
• Tips about talking to children, based on their age about emergencies and disasters.
• Next step resource for recognizing signs of stress by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• Advice from the American Red Cross about how to prepare and respond to children who may be affected by an emergency or disaster.

School and care giver resources

• Disaster preparedness resources designed to address children's specific needs
• Handwashing stickers [PDF - 492 KB] Print on Avery #5160 labels
• Emergency planning tools, planning templates and aides to guide school emergency planning
• **FEMA and Discovery Channel launch new web resource for schools - Ready Classroom!

School resources for planning for Pandemic Flu or widespread infections disease outbreak

• School Planning
• Child Care and Preschool Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist
• School District (K-12) Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist
• Colleges and Universities Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist
• Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) Public Service Announcements (PSAs)