Step 1: Be informed

Be Ready Utah

What does it mean to “be informed?”

Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to emergency survival. Being informed with truthful and accurate knowledge allows you to make better decisions when it really matters.

Take the time before an emergency to learn about the risks you might face, and what you need to do to prepare.

Be informed action list

  1. Identify the predominant disasters and hazards where you live.
  2. Identify what impacts those disasters and hazards could cause.
  3. Learn, teach, and practice the protective actions to survive those hazards.
  4. Learn different sources of emergency information where you live. Sign up for your local warning system.

BONUS: Get a NOAA emergency alert radio.

Young woman reading an electronic tablet full of emergency preparedness information.

Identify hazards where you live

Utah's varying climate and terrain create a wide range of hazards. Every Utahn should know which hazards are present in their area, both natural and human-caused.

Click on the button below for more information on some of the hazards in Utah. Then contact your local emergency manager and do an online search to see if there are any other hazards unique to your local area.

Learn about Utah hazards
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A collage showing various natural disasters and environmental events including a dam, avalanche, drought, earthquake damage, earthquake aftermath with debris, wildfire, flooding, snowy traffic, and power lines at sunset.

Identify impacts from hazards

Hazards themselves are only part of the picture. What you're really preparing for are the downstream impacts: the disruptions to everyday life that follow. Remember that large disasters like earthquakes can cause cascading events that turn into additional disasters. 
Think through each one and plan accordingly. Then go through the disasters and hazards again and see if there are any impacts that you may have missed.
The more you learn, do, plan, and gather now, the more likely you will be able to get through a difficult situation with dignity, comfort, health, and peace of mind intact.

Power outage: Shaking ground topples power poles, breaks lines, and can trigger transformer fires. Keep devices charged, have power backups, and plan for the possibility of no power for extended periods.
Water and sewer disruption: You can only survive three to four days without clean drinking water. Sanitation failures cause rapid spread of disease spread. Store drinking water, have sanitation supplies, and plan accordingly.
Natural gas disruption: Underground pipes can break or leak. Plan for the loss of gas for heating and cooking. Know how and when to safely shut off your gas supply.
Transportation disruption: Blocked roads, collapsed bridges, or inoperable vehicles may limit your ability to move. Plan routes and alternatives before you need them.
Communication breakdown: Phone lines and mobile towers could be broken, knocked out, or jammed. Radio and television stations could be offline. Plan for how you will communicate with family if standard methods fail.
Loss of shelter: You may need to evacuate an unsafe home, or at the least, your HVAC system may fail. Plan where you would go and have alternate shelter arrangements.
Economic downturn: When supply chains and no one can buy, it’s inevitable that the personal and community economy suffers. Having savings and essential supplies can help bridge difficult periods.
Mental and emotional strain: Disasters push families and communities to their limits. People will be experiencing very difficult loss. Plan ways for your household to cope with stress. This is a real and legitimate preparedness need.
Supply chain disruption: When roads are impassible, store shelves empty quickly, and crowds become desperate. Have home emergency supplies and prepare emergency kits well before a disaster.
Limited health and medical services: Medical services will be overwhelmed. Plan for the possibility of limited outside medical help. Ensure your household has basic first aid supplies and training.
Reduced safety and security: Law enforcement and fire/rescue will be overwhelmed. New hazards like broken glass, toppled furniture, and debris may exist in your own home. Stay situationally aware.
Disruption of government services: If you rely on government services for financial or other support, those services may be temporarily disrupted. Plan for self-sufficiency for at least 72 hours or longer.

Learn protective actions

“If you don’t know how to survive the disaster,
then the rest of your plans don’t really matter.”

Protective actions are the immediate actions you take to protect yourself and others from the initial impact of a hazardous event.
As you learn the protective actions for different hazards, it is important to teach them to those you care about.
Remember that only talking about a protective action is not as effective as physically demonstrating and then practicing the action together. The point is to remember these protective actions quickly and to act on them immediately when it matters most.

Review them every few months.

Protective actions link
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An adult woman crouches and gestures while teaching two children to practice the protective action for earthquake which is drop, cover, and hold on. The children are under a wooden table in a cozy living room.

Learn sources of information

Knowing how you will receive emergency information is as important as knowing what hazards you face. Learn how you can receive alerts, instructions, and other public information in the event of an emergency in your area.
Sign up for your local emergency alerts and create text groups for family and other important contacts so they are ready in the event of an emergency.

Warning systems vary by jurisdiction. Contact your local emergency manager to find out what's available in your area.

Emergency information sources link
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A man in a blue suit is looking at a smartphone with graphics around him promoting wireless emergency alerts, NOAA weather radio, and the emergency alert system.

What's next? Step 2: Make a plan

The next preparedness principle is "make a plan." Learn about and create communication and reunification plans, shelter and evacuation plans, important information and documents.
You'll also learn about making plans for older adults, children, infants, those with access and functional needs, and your pets.
Finally, you'll learn about hazard insurance.

Make a plan link
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Be Ready Utah patch with an outlined clipboard and checklist

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