Bioterrorism Preparedness Program

What can I do to prepare for a possible bioterrorist emergency?

The best thing you can do is to be prepared to check for instructions on local television and radio and in newspapers. In the event of a bioterrorism emergency, it might take time to determine exactly what the illness is, how it should be treated, and who is in danger. Officials will give you information about what to do as quickly as possible.During a declared biological attack, it is important to pay close attention to your family’s health but do not automatically assume that you should go to a hospital emergency room or that any illness is the result of the biological attack.Also, you can prepare as you would for any other emergency by:

• Make a kit of emergency supplies
• Make a plan of what you will do in a emergency 
• Be informed about might happen

For more information about developing a Family Disaster Plan, putting together a Family Disaster Supply Kit, and for preparing for all types of emergencies, go to:

• Public health emergencies: What you can do to prepare
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  www.ready.gov
• American Red Cross
  www.redcross.org
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
  http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/

Children

• For information about helping children cope with the issue of terrorism, go to the American Academy of Pediatrics at http://www.aap.org/terrorism/index.html.
• FEMA has a disaster preparedness web site for children at http://www.fema.gov/kids/

Pets

The Red Cross has information about safeguarding pets during a disaster.