How to I prepare for a power outage if my child uses medical equipment?

• Find out whether your child’s device has any manual operation until you can restore power. For example, can you use a gravity feed or syringe bolus? Make sure to have these supplies on hand.
• Ask your electric company whether they keep a “Priority Reconnection” list to restore power after an outage.
• Also ask your electric company whether they will provide you with a backup battery. Make sure it is fully charged and ready.
• Take a photo on your phone of your child’s equipment settings because losing power may cause the settings to reset.
• Don’t forget to include equipment chargers on your emergency kit checklist!
• Have a backup power supply, if possible, to power medical equipment. For example, external power banks, a generator, etc. Remember to have oxygen tanks to back up an oxygen concentrator.

This booklet from the FDA has a checklist to help you prepare for a loss of power.

For more tips, see our full article Emergency Prep Tips for Medically Complex Children.