The Cambridge Advanced Practice Center for Emergency Preparedness (MA) developed materials for local health departments to promote personal preparedness planning and working with service agencies to reach at-risk populations. They are designed to be simple, clear, and effective at reaching a variety of audiences, and represent an accessible way to initiate or further personal preparedness discussion and activities.
The materials included in this tool are from a Compact Disc developed by the APC called "Emergency Preparedness Begins at Home." They include an introduction to the organization's approach (personal preparedness as a health intervention), a checklist, a worksheet, a survey, a slide show, a presenter's guide, a clip, and an evaluation.
The Personal Preparedness Survey asks recipients to describe stockpiled materials and basic preparedness information for their homes. This simple, one-page survey was used in health fairs and other community settings (with service providers to at-risk populations) to identify need for behavior change.
The Personal Preparedness Checklist and Worksheet communicate personal preparedness using universal design concepts (simple messages that are reinforced by pictorial representations and distributed through trusted sources of information). The checklist is a one-page text document that highlights key points. The two-page worksheet lists basic items needed in an emergency, with colorful pictures accompanying each item. The worksheet is used in conjunction with the survey to focus the intervention on those areas where improvement is needed (any area where survey respondent has checked "no").
