LANSING, MI (WSYM) -- Like the old saying goes... better safe than sorry. Michigan State Police are working to make sure everyone knows what to do to help keep themselves and their families safe during disasters. State police say it's important to be on the alert.
"Familiarize yourself with the community like signals like tornadoes. Your communities have the tornado alarm," State Trooper Rachel Ramey said.
Ramey said the more you know the area, the better of you'll be.
"Coming up with a plan of a point of where to meet, and if a disaster does occur like whether it be inside your house or outside, just have a point of where you can meet at, " she added.
Part of your plan should be what you keep on hand.
"Making sure that you have the essential things that you need like a first aid kit, water, medications. People forget about their pets, but you want to make sure you have the stuff you need for your pets," she continued.
She also said the most common thing people often forget to do is pack an emergency bag of clothing or changing their cell phone devices, which usually end up being the only form of communication at that time.
If it gets life threatening and you can't make it to the hospital, she recommends learning life saving techniques like CPR, and how to apply pressure to an open wound because even injuries are unpredictable.
It's also a good idea to keep money in an emergency savings account that you can use in any crisis.
Take the time now to gather financial and other important personal, household, and medical information.
