There are multiple emergency situations we may encounter throughout our lives in which we need to keep our family safe.

It's important to know how to handle those situations, especially if you have a family with little ones counting on you.

Perhaps you will face a natural emergency, like flooding or a tornado.

Many of us at some point or other face a transportation emergency, such as a tire blowing or a wreck.

Unfortunately, there are other emergencies we hope we never face, like a terrorist threat.

How can you be prepared for life's emergencies? And how can you prepare your family?

There are many ways you can prepare for an emergency before it happens. We’ll list four in this blog.

Step #1: Prepare in Advance To Keep Family Safe

It's not wise to assume you'll never face an emergency. The best thing you can do is prepare in advance to keep your family safe.

Think about the situation you want to be prepared for and start taking steps today.

For vehicle emergencies, there are simple things you can do, like storing a first aid kit in your car, keeping blankets and emergency water in your trunk, or checking the air in your spare tire.

For national or weather emergencies, plan in advance in case you need to stay close to home. Purchase storable foods and a water barrel.

Run safety drills for your family in the event of a house fire, intruder, or tornado. This way everyone is prepared for what to do in those situations.

There are many ways you can start preparing in advance for a disaster today.

Step #2: Keep an Inventory of Supplies

As you start collecting your supplies, keep an inventory of what you have.

Do you have enough batteries, flashlights, matches, band-aids, etc?

Here's a complete list of emergency supplies you may need.

In addition, it's a good idea to keep the supplies together. You may want to designate one of your closets as an "emergency storage closet."

You really can't be too organized or prepared. When an emergency happens, you’ll be glad you were.

Step #3: Stay Informed About Threats

Sometimes this is easy; sometimes it's not. Weather emergencies are usually the easiest to follow in advance.

If dangerous weather is approaching your area, come up with a plan early.

Don't wait until the last minute to run to the store. If you need to leave town, make arrangements to do that early. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

If you're planning to stay home, have a family plan. How will you prepare your home and family for the disaster to come?

For other threats, keep up on current events. You need to know if there's a national emergency, a terrorist threat, or even just a loose criminal in your neighborhood.

Other ways to avoid emergencies is to travel on safer roads, avoid traffic accidents, and don’t drive through dangerous areas.

These are all common sense tips, but easy ways to avoid emergency situations.

Step #4: Remain Calm at all Times

No matter the emergency, it's very important to remain calm. If you have a family, it's especially vital to be focused and take control of the situation.

Following the first three steps will help you keep calm, as you'll be prepared already.

Remaining calm in all emergency situations can actually save your life or the lives of your family. That's how important this step is.

Emergencies and Keeping Family Safe

Whatever emergency you face in the future, there are things you can do now to prepare your family.

Most of all, remember the key life essentials necessary during any emergency.

Your family needs food and clean water for survival. Always make sure you have those two things handy and available.

But now is the time to begin collecting other supplies. Hopefully you'll never need them, but in the event of an emergency to keep your family safe, you'll be glad they're there.