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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | MARCH 2024 | 15 Most disasters happen in the blink of an eye. This is why we should always be prepared. It is so important to take the appropriate measures to have everything in order and ready to go in a moment's notice … especially if an evacuation has been ordered. Being prepared means having your "go bag" packed with essential items, placed where it is easily assessable and ready to go when you are told to leave. This preparation is very important, but equally important is having your vital documents ready to go in a moment's notice. Most of us have filing cabinets full of important papers and documents but we know we can't take it with us or just grab files out at a moment's notice. So, what is considered the most necessary? The following information should help you with other important aspects of being prepared. LET'S TAKE A LOOK… Personal Identification Sheet: This paperwork should include your full legal name, date of birth, home address, cell/home phone number, blood type, hair, and eye color, identifying marks. This information should be in your go bag as well. Important Documents: Birth certificate, Social Security card, marriage certificate, property titles, wills and/or trust, bank account information, insurance policies, and medical and medication information. These documents should be duplicates or copies, not the originals. Originals should be kept in a separate safe location, such as a bank deposit box, with a trusted person, or with your attorney. Other Documents: Ownership records for cars, motorcycles, RVs, boat, pet information (medical, prescription, and vaccination records, along with current photos and ID chip numbers, in case you're separated). The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has put together some helpful tips. While there are many options in how to keep your documents secure, here are some suggestions: • For security reasons, don't use cloud storage to keep digital copies of your birth certificate, Social Security card and other identifying information. • Store thumb/external hard drives separately from originals document. • Email may be the simplest method of electronic storage, but it is not often secure. • Filing systems act as another layer in document storage but can be bulky and destroyed in a fire or flood. • If you have a safety deposit box, add someone you know and trust as a co-signer. • You should keep your important papers and/or documents in a secure container which you can easily take with you in an emergency, such as a fireproof and waterproof document box or bag or an ammo box. This step in your Emergency Preparedness is vital to your survival. BEING PREPARED WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE. ~ Janis Rice, EPAP PIO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS GO BAG: IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS I sincerely hope everyone made it safely through the recent storms. I wanted to share some tips with you to prepare for the upcoming storms: Determine if your home, business, schools, or necessary travel routes are in at- risk areas. Know all your local access roads and understand that some may be blocked by debris or water. Please prepare an alternative route. Stay informed on road and highway conditions by visiting the Riverside County Transportation Department's website at rctlma.org/trans and Caltrans' website at quickmap.dot.ca.gov. Flood insurance: Most homeowners insurance does not cover floods or flows from natural disasters. Make sure your home is protected. Refer to the National Flood Insurance Program website, www. fema.gov/flood-insurance. Most flood insurance policies take up to 30 days to go into effect. Have an emergency plan and a disaster kit ready to go. ~ Yxstian Gutierrez County Supervisor ere are lots of fireproof storage options - find which one is right for your needs ASAP

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