Your Home

Home is where the heart is. It’s a place we like to think is secure from all harm, but too often our houses are not free from hazards and we are not prepared to respond to emergencies as they occur. Sometimes the emergency is really a disaster we can’t control. We can, however, take time to prepare before a disaster hits. We can also prevent many accidents.

The Alabama Department of Insurance provides information for consumers and insurance agents on disaster preparedness.

American Red Cross provides a wealth of information and links to services.

Prepare.Org, a Web site produced by the American Red Cross, includes disaster preparedness materials for people with disabilities. The site itself is primarily text in large print.

CSREES, Family Development and Resource Management provides this page for families.

The Federal Communications Commission's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau wants you and your family to be able to communicate in a disaster. Tips for communicating in an emergency include recommendations for all users and additional tips for people with disabilities and for communications providers.

Federal Emergency Management Agency has developed an extensive guide for disaster preparedness. Are You Ready? provides a step-by-step outline on how to prepare a disaster supply kit, emergency planning for people with disabilities, how to locate and evacuate to a shelter and even contingency planning for family pets. Man-made threats from hazardous materials and terrorism are also treated in detail.

Emergency Financial First Aid Kit is a tool created in partnership with U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Citizen Corp and Operation HOPE. The publication lists five tips for preparing for emergencies and provides forms for families to complete. The forms are useful for keeping financial records in order to help maintain stability in the event of an emergency.

The National Safety Council provides dozens of fact sheets on topics that focus on driving, safety inside and outside the home and other issues in its Fact Sheet Library.