The following are things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your property in the event of an explosion.

• Build an Emergency Supply Kit, which includes items like non-perishable food, water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights and batteries. You may want to prepare a kit for your workplace and a portable kit to keep in your car in case you are told to evacuate. This kit should include:
  • Copies of prescription medications and medical supplies.
  • Bedding and clothing, including sleeping bags and pillows.
  • Copies of important documents: driver's license, Social Security card, proof of residence, insurance policies, wills, deeds, birth and marriage certificates, tax records, etc.
• Make a Family Emergency Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency.
  • Plan places where your family will meet, both within and outside of your immediate neighborhood.
  • It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
  • You may also want to inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time: work, daycare and school. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one.
  • Knowing your community's warning systems and disaster plans, including evacuation routes.
  • Notify caregivers and babysitters about your plan.
  • Make plans for your pets

Bomb Threats

If you receive a telephoned bomb threat, you should do the following:

• Get as much information from the caller as possible. Try to ask the following questions:
  • When is the bomb going to explode?
  • Where is it right now?
  • What does it look like?
  • What kind of bomb is it?
  • What will cause it to explode?
  • Did you place the bomb?
• Keep the caller on the line and record everything that is said.
• Notify the police and building management immediately.

Suspicious Packages and Letters

Be wary of suspicious packages and letters. They can contain explosives, chemical or biological agents. Be particularly cautious at your place of employment.

Some typical characteristics postal inspectors have detected over the years, which ought to trigger suspicion, include parcels that:

• Are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you.
• Have no return address or a return address that can't be verified as legitimate.
• Are marked with restrictive endorsements such as "Personal," "Confidential," or "Do not X-ray."
• Have protruding wires or aluminum foil, strange odors or stains.
• Show a city or state in the postmark that doesn't match the return address.
• Are of unusual weight given their size or are lopsided or oddly shaped.
• Are marked with threatening language.
• Have inappropriate or unusual labeling.
• Have excessive postage or packaging material, such as masking tape and string.
• Have misspellings of common words.
• Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or are otherwise outdated.
• Have incorrect titles or titles without a name.
• Are not addressed to a specific person.
• Have hand-written or poorly typed addresses.

With suspicious envelopes and packages other than those that might contain explosives, take these additional steps against possible biological and chemical agents.

• Refrain from eating or drinking in a designated mail handling area.
• Place suspicious envelopes or packages in a plastic bag or some other type of container to prevent leakage of contents. Never sniff or smell suspect mail.
• If you do not have a container, then cover the envelope or package with anything available (e.g., clothing, paper, trash can, etc.) and do not remove the cover.
• Leave the room and close the door or section off the area to prevent others from entering.
• Wash your hands with soap and water to prevent spreading any powder to your face.
• If you are at work, report the incident to your building security official or an available supervisor, who should notify police and other authorities without delay.
• List all people who were in the room or area when this suspicious letter or package was recognized. Give a copy of this list to both the local public health authorities and law enforcement officials for follow-up investigations and advice.
• If you are at home, report the incident to local police.