In Your Home
Be Able to Shelter in Place for Up to Three Days.

Sheltering in Place is an effective way to protect yourself and your family in many emergencies involving contaminated air. For some emergencies, officials may instruct you to stay where you are.  This could be as simple as remaining at home while emergency personnel clear hazards from the area.

• Stay calm and go indoors immediately. Act quickly and follow instructions.
• Listen to KYW 1060 AM radio for updates.
• Close and lock all windows and doors, and close fireplace dampers. 
• Keep your pets with you.
• If instructed, turn off all heating and cooling systems, such as air conditioners and window exhaust fans.
• Identify a room with few doors or windows as your Shelter in Place space. Ideally, the room should be above street level, allow room for everyone in your family, have access to water and bathroom facilities, and have a phone jack.
• Only seal doors and windows when told to do so by emergency officials. If instructed, cover cracks along doors and windows with tape, wet rags or towels.
• Use the supplies in your Shelter in Place Kit.
• If you have a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.
• As part of your emergency preparedness plan, you can register with the Philadelphia Police Department if you have a disability.  Call 215-685-3940 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and ask the Police Department to mail you a registration form.
• Keep the phone line available for emergency calls. 

Officials will notify you on KYW 1060 AM when the emergency is over. Only then should you open all doors and windows to let fresh air into your home.

Make a Shelter in Place Kit 

Keep enough supplies in your home for at least three days, in case you cannot leave. Keep your kit in a special place in your home, where you can get to it easily.

Tell everyone in your house that these supplies are for emergencies only.

Check the expiration dates of food and batteries in your Shelter in Place Kit when you change the time on your clocks twice a year.

Items for Your Shelter in Place Kit

• One gallon of drinking water per person per day
• Food that will not easily perish; ready-to-eat foods
• Manual can opener and eating utensils (forks, spoons, knives, plates, cups)
• First-aid kit
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Battery-operated AM/FM radio and extra batteries (You can also buy wind-up radios that do not require batteries.)
• Phone that does not rely on electricity (just plugs into a phone jack)
• A whistle to signal for help
• Iodine tablets or one quart of unscented bleach and an eyedropper (Disinfect water ONLY if directed to do so by health officials. To disinfect water with bleach, add 8 drops of bleach per gallon of water.)
• Personal hygiene items, such as hand sanitizer, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper and wipes
• Child care supplies or other special care items
• Plastic sheeting, scissors, duct tape
• Trash bags and other tools
• A copy of your Emergency Plan Card

Also consider other supplies and equipment based on your special needs. These items may include:

• Back-up medical equipment, such as oxygen, scooter battery, mobility aids, hearing aids and batteries, and glasses
• Supplies for pets and service animals.