Emergency call ……………911

AMES encourages its customers / patients to have their own Emergency Plan.  This plan should be in place throughout the year.  Emergency Management officials suggest having sufficient food, water, medicine and other necessary supplies to last at least three (3) days.  Family and friends can take part in formulating your emergency plan.  

Remember, the best way to make you, your family and home safer is to be prepared before a disaster happens.

Oxygen Patient Emergency Preparedness

Remember the special needs of your family. Infants, seniors, and those with disabilities need additional planning. Here are a few helpful things to think about when planning for your family.

• Formula
• Diapers
• Bottles
• Powdered milk
• Medications
• Baby wipes
• Diaper rash ointment
• Vaccination records
• List of allergic reactions

Emergency plans can be a scary thing for kids. One way to involve your children is to make your plan a fun family project. FEMA offers a great web site for kids to help you teach them about emergencies in a way that's fun for the whole family. For more information, visit FEMA's Ready Kids.

Pack all your medical and health management supplies. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the storing of your prescription medicines like heart and high blood pressure medicine and diabetes management medications.

• Prescriptions
• Dentures and supplies
• Contact lenses and supplies
• Spare eyeglasses

Seniors may have health conditions that need special attention. Make sure you plan for them.

• Make an evacuation plan or decide how to signal for help.
• Plan emergency procedures with caregivers like healthcare agencies or private nurses.
• Tell others where you keep your emergency supplies.
• Teach others how to operate any special equipment that you need day-to-day
• Label any equipment (wheelchairs, canes, and walkers) with your name and contact information.
• Make a list of prescription medications (with your dosage) for your supply kit.
• Have a list of your allergies in your supply kit.
• Pack an extra pair of eyeglasses and hearing aid batteries.
• Have extra special equipment (like wheelchair batteries, etc.) in your kit.
• Make a list of serial numbers for any medical devices for your kit.
• Make copies of all medical insurance and Medicare cards.
• Keep a list of doctors and emergency contacts.

People with disabilities may need special planning. Here are some tips to help plan for their safety.

• Create a support network to help in case of an emergency.
• Tell your support network where you keep your emergency supplies.
• Give one member of your support network a key to your house or apartment.
• Wear any medical alert tags or bracelets to help identify your disability.
• Dialysis patients should know the location and availability of multiple facilities.
• Teach others how to work your wheelchair.
• Know the size and weight of your wheelchair and if/how it collapses for travel.
• Label any equipment (wheelchairs, canes, and walkers) with your name and contact information.
• Make a list of prescription medications including your dosage for your supply kit.
• Have a list of your allergies in your supply kit.
• Pack an extra pair of eyeglasses and additional hearing aid batteries.
• Have extra special equipment (like wheelchair batteries, etc.) in your kit.
• Make a list of serial numbers for any medical devices for your kit.
• Keep a list of doctors and emergency contacts.
• Register with your city or county emergency information management office so they may quickly locate you in an emergency situation.

For more information on supplies, see "Your Family Disaster Supply Kit" from the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

For more information on special needs, see "Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities" from FEMA, and "Disaster Preparedness for Seniors by Seniors" from the Red Cross.

For information and tools related to emergency preparedness for people with disabilities see the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness for Individuals with Disabilities Resource Center. To teach your children about Emergency Preparedness, visit Ready Kids from FEMA.  

APS Medical Care Preparedness Program 

APS Medical Care Preparedness program is an outage notification and preparedness program that helps APS customers who are dependent on life sustaining medical equipment make plans when an outage occurs. Medical Care customers are notified in advance of all planned outages in their area.

If you have questions, you can reach a Medical Care Preparedness Representative by phone at 602-258-5483 or at (800-253-9408)

The qualifying life support devices include, but are not limited to:

• Kidney, Hemodialysis and Peritoneal dialysis equipment
• Ventilators
• Feeding or infusion pumps
• Suction machines
• Oxygen concentrators - continuous use only