First locate all of your home's electrical panels. Note: There may be more than one.

Your house may be equipped with fuses or circuit breakers. If your house has fuses, you will find a knife switch handle or pullout fuse that should be marked "MAIN." If your house has circuit breakers, you may need to open the metal door of the breaker box to reveal the circuit breakers (never remove the metal cover). The main circuit breaker should be clearly marked showing on and off positions.

Remove all the small fuses or turn off all the small breakers first, then shut off the "main." If you have any sub-panels adjacent to the main fuse or breaker panel or in other parts of the house, in an emergency be safe and shut them off too. Shorts can sometimes develop that cause a circuit to bypass the breaker or fuse.

Locate the main water service pipe into your house (probably in the front at the basement level). You will see a gate valve on the pipe. If you know you have leaks after an earthquake, you can shut off all water in your house with this valve. You may wish to paint the valve so it is easy to find in an emergency.

You can shut off all water to your property by finding the water meter box (usually at the street or sidewalk). Open the cover with a long screwdriver or specialty tool. If this box is inaccessible or you cannot find it, call your local water department. Be sure to identify this box and the water valve inside before the need to use them arises.

Inside the water meter box you will see a valve that is similar to the valve on your gas meter. Turn it just the same as your gas valve.

Note: All responsible family members should be shown how to turn off utilities in case of emergency. They need to know what the utilities look like in both on and off positions.

Turn your gas off at the gas meter under the following conditions:

• If you smell, hear, or even suspect gas is escaping in your damaged or undamaged building(s).
  
  
• If your gas water heater or any other gas appliance has been knocked over and/or pulled free from its wall connection.
  
  
• If your building has suffered extensive damage, such as large cracks in the walls or in the concrete slab floors, etc. AND you suspect the gas lines may have been damaged.
  
  
• If you smell smoke and/or see or suspect fire.
  
  
• NOTE: If you have none of the above you are probably OK leaving your utilities on.
  
  
• NOTE: Many gas companies have training programs to teach you how to turn your gas back on. Contact your local company for information.
  
  
• WARNING . . . If you smell gas don't turn on or off any switches. Don't use any open flame to check for leaks. Don't turn on any battery operated flashlights, unless they are a safety/waterproof light.
  
  
• Chemical light sticks are a safe source of light in the event of gas leak.
  
  
• WARNING . . . It is very dangerous and therefore not recommended that you go searching for gas leaks inside any damaged building.
  
  
• BE AWARE: After an earthquake, aftershocks will continue to occur, possibly causing additional damage (or even first damage) to your building(s).
  
  
• REMEMBER: Do not turn the gas valve back on after an earthquake, unless a qualified person has checked extensively for gas leaks.
  
  
• REMEMBER: A qualified person (plumber, contractor, or trained homeowner) or gas company employee will have to relight all the pilot lights.