Go Bag
If you need to leave your home, be ready to go as quickly as possible. Having a Go Bag in an accessible place ensures that you and your family are prepared for whatever situation arises.
Go Bag Guidelines
- Each member of your household should have his or her own Go Bag.
- Go Bags should be easy to carry and sturdy.
- Go Bags should be stored in an easily accessible location.
- Ideally, you should keep a Go Bag at your home, in your car, and at work.
- Go Bags should be prepared for any time of year.
- Go Bags should be updated every six months.
Go Bag List
- Bottled water
- Non-perishable food
- Manual can opener
- Flashlight
- Battery-operated AM/FM Radio
- Extra batteries (necessary types)
- Pocketknife
- Whistle
- Extra house and car keys
- Blanket
- Raingear
- Hat
- Comfortable, sturdy shoes
- Warm clothes
- Prescription medication for a week, with copies of your prescriptions
- List of doctor(s) and phone numbers
- Small first-aid kit
- Extra pair of glasses or contact lenses
- Extra hearing aid(s) and batteries
- Toilet paper
- Plastic garbage bags
- Soap
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Feminine hygiene products
- Copy of your communications plan
- Regional map
- Paper, pens, and tape - in case you need to leave a message somewhere
- Dust mask
- Cash - preferably in small amounts
- Coins for pay phones
- Credit and debit cards
- Copies of important documents in a waterproof container (IDs, insurance information, proof of address, passports, etc.)
- Recent family photo for identification purposes - make sure everyone's face can be seen clearly
- Items for members of your family, especially children, seniors or people with functional needs, and pets.
Also visit the Emergency Management homepage for tips on making a backpack survival kit from the Blizzard Wizards of Kennedy Elementary.
Emergency management content on the Butte-Silver Bow website was developed drawing heavily from and updating the excellent resources offered on the Ready Illinois website produced by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and partner organizations.