Military Families and Personnel

Among the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard are over 300,000 military personnel stationed in Hawai'i, making the State of Hawai'i home to 20% of the U.S. military’s total strength. As part of our nation's military, if you are on active duty, in the reserves, a civilian employee, or a family member, you play an important role in ensuring the welfare of our homeland. It is also important to prepare yourself and your family for all types of emergencies so you can increase your personal sense of security and peace of mind.

Each installation has a Readiness and emergency management organiztion that provides emergency management education materials and briefings to the military and family members. It coordinates and integrates all activities to build, sustain, and improve the installation's ability to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from threatened or actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters.  Every military unit on the installation has an emergency management representative assigned to ensure that military members and their family members are informed of these actions.

Considerations for All Military Personnel and Families

• Every time you relocate, learn the types of emergencies likely to affect the area, update your emergency kit, and plan with new materials if necessary.
• Be aware that mass warning systems differ at different locations. It could be a "Giant Voice" outside speaker, siren, telephone alert, or some other system or procedure.
• You may not have extended family nearby, so a rendezvous point or call-in contact after an emergency may require more ingenuity. Establish an emergency plan with an out-of-town contact you can all reach. Keep in mind that one or more family members may be deployed when disaster strikes.
• If you live off base, threat levels or other circumstances may keep you from getting back on base for day-to-day activities following an emergency. Know alternative places to shop or obtain things you normally get on base.
• Collecting and recording important personal and financial documents is already a part of preparing for deployment. Be sure to include these documents in your family's emergency kit.
• During or after an emergency, you need to report to your command. Learn and follow the established procedures.

If you are Stationed Abroad:

• The emergency number is probably not 9-1-1 and may differ on and off the installation. You and your family should know the operable numbers.
• Your emergency kit should include some additional items, such as passports, birth abroad certificates for children born overseas, cash in the local currency, a card with local translations of basic terms and an electrical current converter.
• If you live off base, learn a few key phrases in the host nation language and get to know neighbors who could alert you about an ongoing emergency.
• For an emergency that occurs "outside the fence," response (evacuations, shelter instructions, etc.) will be led by the local government. Cooperate with the host-nation responders and follow their instructions.

Additional Resources: 

https://adpaas.army.mil/

https://www.navyfamily.navy.mil/

https://afpaas.af.mil/

http://www.militaryonesource.mil/

http://www.uscg.mil/legal/la/Personal_Readiness_Plan.asp