Chris Panos has compiled emergency checklists, lists of emergency supplies, and extensive how-to information from numerous government sources, including the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, the Department of Diplomatic Security, the CDC, and other government agencies, and included them in Part III—How to Protect Your Family from Weapons of Mass Destruction and Other Disasters.  Below are some examples of the information Panos provides in his book:

 

1.      Create a plan before the attack occurs: Do a hazard and risk assessment for yourself and your family.

• Learn the emergency response plans of your family’s schools and employers.  If an evacuation should be necessary, where would they take their students or employees? What roads or highways are emergency escape routes?
• Prepare a list of emergency names and phone numbers on a small card to be carried by every family member.  At a minimum it should include:
  • Emergency contact name and phone number
  • Out-of-state contact name & phone number
  • Neighborhood meeting place & meeting place phone number
  • “Dial 9-1-1 for Emergencies!” (include this to be sure children have this number)
• Find out what plans, procedures, and guidelines are used by the response agencies and organizations in your community. Examples include:
  • All-hazards emergency operations plan
  • Incident-specific c annexes**
  • Volunteer coordination guidelines
  • Health department staff assignments
  • Communication plans
  • Individual/family care plans
  • Command and management systems and authorities
  • Continuity of operations plan (COOP)^[i]
• Make copies of all your important documents, records and photos and arrange to have them stored by a friend or relative in a geographically distant location.  Be sure to include copies of your:
  • Driver’s licenses
  • Social security cards
  • Passports (if you have them)
  • Deeds
  • Wills
  • Insurance policies
  • Prescription information: doctor, medication, dosage, pharmacy name, prescription number
  • Photos of family members (including pets) for ID purposes
• Make copies of the same information and put it and some cash in a waterproof container.
• Many shelters will not allow pets; others will allow pets only if they are in carriers.  Have a plan (and carriers) for your pets.
• Identify a meeting place near home where your family can assemble, plus another away from your neighborhood in case your neighborhood is unreachable.

Oddly enough, the various government sources Chris Panos investigated left out any mention of NBC-rated gas masks and protective clothing—in his opinion the single most important piece of equipment you can have on hand in case of terrorist attack.  He writes:

Gas Masks

For some reason, the Ready.gov website doesn’t mention gas masks, which are respirators worn over the nose and mouth—or sometimes the entire face—to protect the wearer from toxic airborne gasses (like the chlorine gas of WWI) or particulates (such as many biologic agents that spread by inhalation).  The gas mask removes the toxic material and returns clean air to the wearer.  Gas masks, gas mask filters, and other emergency supplies are readily available over the internet at this point in time.  It would be wise to buy enough masks for your family now, because once another terrorist attack occurs on U.S. soil, there will be a run on these items.

It is my opinion, and the opinion of many security experts, that having the right gas mask for every member of your family will be the single most effective piece of equipment you can have, whether you evacuate or shelter in place.  Be sure you get an “NBC” (Nuclear-Biological-Chemical) gas mask, and make sure it is newly manufactured—not just “new” as in “never used.”  Some “new” gas masks sold on the Internet are actually decades old and will only give you a false sense of security.  In addition to NBC-rated gas masks for adults, NBC infant wraps and NBC pet protection systems are also available.

Other Safety Equipment

An NBC-rated protective suit offers body protection against chemical, biological, and nuclear contaminants.