Address urgent personal needs
Tell responders about anyone missing or needing help. Seek emergency medical care for urgent symptoms or injuries. Ask about local assistance for shelter and immediate necessities. Pets should stay out of the damaged building.
Make the first calls from safety
- Contact your insurer and provide a working phone number and temporary address.
- Notify the property manager or landlord if applicable.
- Ask responders who controls access and how to obtain the incident information.
Leave the building decisions to the response team
Do not restore disconnected electricity, gas, or water yourself. Ask how to arrange authorized property protection after the scene is released. Save receipts and write down contacts; a detailed inventory and reconstruction scope can follow when access and assessment are arranged.