The first link in the chain of survival during a public health disaster is people taking responsibility for their own family’s safety.  Being prepared at home is the first line of defense.  Families that have family members with special needs sometimes need to have more detailed plans to ensure that their needs will be met during those critical first hours after a public health emergency. 

Recognizing the need for a more detailed toolkit for special needs families was needed, the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council,  Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council, our Bureau of Emergency Preparedness & Response partnered to put together an Emergency Preparedness Manual to provide a step-by-step planning guide to help folks become more prepared.  Special thanks go out to Ray Morris, the CEO and Founder of Dads4SpecialKids for his work- which served as a foundation for the new Emergency Preparedness Manual.  Check it out and put the Manual on your to-do- list for 2014.