Summertime is travel time for a lot of people, and it’s important to remember to stay safe while you’re out adventuring. Courtney Arroyo, community engagement manager for the Fairfax County Department of Emergency Management and Security, offers travel tips geared toward older travelers.
Her first travel tip is to know your zone. You probably know pretty well how to leave your own neighborhood in the event of an emergency, but you might not be as familiar with your vacation destination. Hurricane season starts June 1.
“We always want to make sure that we are looking at weather forecasts, that we know the area we’re in if we’re in an evacuation zone,” Arroyo says.
She suggests signing up for the local emergency alert system for your travel destination to find out the evacuation protocols and any location-specific information. Usually, you can put in the address of where you’re staying to get the most precise geo-located information. It’s good advice for any traveler, but especially for someone who might not move as fast as they used to.
Arroyo also counsels travelers, especially senior citizens, to keep one bag with them that’s dedicated to an emergency kit. That would be your carry-on bag if you’re flying. She refers to a well-stocked carry-on bag as “like a diaper bag for yourself,” adding, “This is what you’re going to use for the next couple days if you get stuck in the airport or you don’t make your connecting flight.”
Your kit should have a week’s worth of any medications you take, plus documentation of your prescriptions, including your doctors and pharmacy.
“Most pharmacies can transfer prescriptions if you get stuck somewhere. So having that all written down ahead of time is super helpful, especially if you experience some kind of emergency while you’re there, and you end up being there for longer,” she says.
You’ll want some healthy snacks with you for long waits, and while you can’t really bring water through security, an empty water bottle is fine. You can fill it when you’re through the line.
A carry-on bag also should include a change of clothes, including sneakers.
“A lot of people love to travel in sandals because they’re usually going somewhere warm,” Arroyo says. “But having a pair of sneakers in case you are stuck in an emergency not only protects your feet, but can keep you dry instead of stepping in puddles.”
Arroyo also cautions tourists of all ages who are headed abroad to learn the emergency number for the country they’re heading to. It’s not always 911. As part of that travel tip, learn a few words such as “help” and “emergency” in the language of your destination.
She also advises seniors: Don’t post about the vacation on social media, at least not until you return. You don’t want to advertise that your home is empty.
Feature image by Fractal Pictures/stock.adobe.com
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