PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – As you make your New Year’s resolutions, remember to make sure your family is safe and ready for any emergencies in 2011.

Knowing what to do in an emergency could safe your life, your family or your home, according to Donna Palmieri, interim CEO of the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter. She suggests you make a plan so everyone know where to go if an evacuation is ordered or if there’s a fire.

“If you don’t know where your family members are, you may be lingering around an area that might be not safe for you,” she said. “So know where your family members are going to be if an emergency happens in our area, know where they’re going to be if the roads are closed.”

Put a waterproof first aid kit together with prescription medicines, water, pet food, blankets and important information. And be informed. Make sure you know what disasters could happen — do you live in a flood plain or a hurricane zone.

Reported by Lynne Adkins, KYW Newsradio