Emergency Kits

Today, more than ever, it is important to be prepared for the worst. You never know when you may face a disaster and need to find a way to survive a few days without access necessary supplies. Because of this, one way that many people prepare themselves and their family is by purchasing or putting together emergency kits.

 

The first thing you need to consider is where the kit will be located. A kit for your car will contain different supplies than one for your home. If you are creating a kit for your car, make certain that you include some necessary tools to help you on the road. This means that you may consider road flares, a jack, and jumper cables — in addition to the more generic supplies.

 

A kit for your home can be larger than one that you take with you on the road. Emergency kits for the home may actually include basic household supplies that you keep replenished. For instance, you may want to have bottled water on hand; however, you will want to replace it regularly so that it remains fresh and delicious.

 

Some ideas for things to include in your emergency kit include:

Water — Each person will drink around a gallon a day, so you may need more than you think.

Nonperishable food- also include a can opener if necessary

Flashlight with batteries

Battery powered radio

Additional batteries

Well-stocked first aid kit

A knife, preferably a multipurpose tool

Personal Hygiene Items

Copies of necessary personal documents

Cell Phone with Charger

Contact information

Cash

Emergency Blanket

Having these items on hand will make any emergency a bit easier. However, depending on your personal and family needs you may need additional items. Keep in mind any specific medical needs or if you need special supplies for family pets.

 

Emergency kits are a very important tool to help you in times of need. Don’t wait, determine exactly what you need to survive during an emergency and purchase or put together the supplies today — you never know when it could come in handy.

 

Friday Roundup – Zombies, Philippines and Pledge to Prepare.

As we move deeper into September, we come across those pesky Zombies again.  Schools in the Philippines are getting disaster awareness curriculum  in the classroom and “Pledge to Prepare” activities for National Preparedness Month in Tennessee.

From ABC News comes this gem about the upcoming Zombie Awareness Month in October.   The zombie apocalypse is spreading according to FEMA’s monthly webinar which attracted almost 400 emergency management professionals from around the nation.   The CDC’s Zombie campaign  continues to roll along unabated.   My take on the whole matter is that whatever works to raise and heighten the need to be prepared for any emergency either man made or natural is good whether you like Zombies or not.

Disaster preparedness is to be taught in the secondary and tertiary level schools in the Philippines.  As a region of the world that regularly gets its fair share of natural disasters, the Department of Education wants the youth to participate more in risk reduction and management activities.  There is a need for involvement in organizing quick-response groups particularly in the disaster prone areas.  The youth are our future leaders, so this is definitely on the right track.

Finally,  the headline “Will you ‘Pledge to Prepare'”? sure catches the eye doesn’t it?  The Northwest Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross is encouraging residents to be Red Cross ready with an 8.5 x 14 inch poster encouraging residents to take three basic actions:  Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed.   The Red Cross also has the smartphones covered with a First Aid app that can be downloaded.  It includes basic emergencies videos, how to give first aid and action plans for droughts, earthquakes, tornadoes and everyday emergencies.  The Red Cross certainly is a leader in innovation.

Motivation to Get Your Earthquake Emergency Kit

We have all witnessed innocent people on TV who woke up on a fine day without any idea that their entire world would be turned upside down by lunchtime. An earthquake is actually one of the easier calamities to plan for even though they can strike during any season or time of the day, making some of us feel even more uncertain about how to best prepare an earthquake kit.

Most of us have a lot of supplies in our homes already, including bandages, canned food and enough bottles stored way to start. Once you start gathering up a selection of needed items and place them in a good duffle bag or back pack it will become much easier to visualize what else we will want to have if we found ourselves staying out of the house. For some people this emergency kit preparation process will become downright fun at this point, while considering which items will give us comfort during a time of stress and uncertainty. Whether that might include a favorite author’s new book, a shortwave radio and lots of batteries or comfort food, this is where we start to envision the fulfillment our personal needs.

Many checklists already exist and are readily available to help us remember the most important items. However just starting the process at whatever point you find yourself in preparation, will do the most to ensure its completion than some of our best laid plans. Starting to create a kit is personally engaging, and we envision being comforted rather than being distressed which assists in our continued work to meet the goal of having a completed kit for each person. It will also be beneficial for those of us with children or other dependents to help guide each person in our care through their own process of considering how to meet their own person needs in the case of an emergency. This is a life skill that will empower them to perform again in the future and potentially show their own children someday. Motivation is personal in nature but it is natural for us all to want to feel safe, so this is a wonderful way to help combat our fears and ensure that we will have comfort if that time of calamity does arrive.

 

Friday Roundup – The Onion, boomers & weddings

Greetings on a sunny Friday in July!  As much as Emergency Preparedness is a subject that requires a sober, balanced, well thought out approach, there are also humourous ways to look at it.  Our first link is to an audio click from The Onion, from there we move on to Emergency Preparedness for Boomers and we conclude with another humorous bit called the  Wedding Day Survival Guide

The Onion is a satirical humourous look at the world through print, audio and video.  The latest one titled “Roommate Eats Emergency Preparedness Kit” is a fine example of their tongue in cheek humour.  It does exemplify that emergency preparedness supplies can be had from what is available in your home.  Long term planning and food storage is of course the preferable course of action. 🙂  You can stay on top of their humour straight from the twitter feed @TheOnion

The baby boomers are moving into the “older” category and resources are opening up specific to emergency preparedness for older adults.  The website is ThirdAge.com Health for Boomers and Beyond.   There is a link to resources from the Center for Disease Control  for the aging population.  On this website you can find downloadable PDF’s from the Red Cross and other articles for Caregivers in emergency situations.  You may be in this category or may have loved ones at this ripe “young” age.  It is worth checking out and getting informed and prepared.

Speaking of being informed and prepared… your Wedding Day is one of the biggest days you prepare for in your life. From the good folks at Examiner.com we have this: The CDC have released a guide titled “Wedding Day Survival” to it’s disaster preparedness plans.  It is a tongue and cheek approach much like the Zombie Survival Guide released last year.  Following the principles of Get a Kit, Make a Plan and Be Informed, they suggest a brides kit should include a few sedatives and and extra band aid or two for that clumsy flower girl who may get injured.   Making a plan should include emergency phone numbers and a plan for contacting guests in the event of an emergency.  Finally, stay informed by checking the weather report and keeping an eye on those out of town relatives who visit the open bar a little too frequently.

That’s a wrap for this week.  Stay informed and be prepared!

 

Essential Items for Your Emergency Survival Kits

You never know when an emergency is going to strike, but keeping emergency survival kits on hand is essential to making sure you encounter no problems during disasters. You need to be completely prepared ahead of time so that you don’t have to run around at the last minute, trying to figure out how you’re going to cope with a situation. An emergency survival kit is especially essential during the winter months. It’s harder to find what you need at the last minute when the entire town knows that a major snowstorm or blizzard is due to fall.

One of the most important items to include in your emergency survival kit is water. You want to store enough water in containers to have at least a one week supply. You’ll also want to have water purification tablets on hand, in case something happens to your water storage containers. Rotate your water supply every few months to keep it fresh.

Food is the next item that should be in your emergency survival kits. You want food that doesn’t take up a lot of space, does not need to be refrigerated or cooked, and is calorically dense. MREs are a common choice, as are canned goods. You also have the option of including meal bars or candy bars in your supplies. Keep as much on hand as you can store, since you don’t want to attempt to go to a grocery store during a disaster.

Beyond food and water, you want to have blankets and pillows available. This is especially important in winter, as you need to stay as warm as possible if the power goes out and you don’t have any access to heat. The tools that go in to your survival kit vary, depending on your specific needs. Flashlights are an essential part of the kit, as is a Swiss army knife or a can opener.

Other useful tools include flares, rope, matches, radio, pen and paper, lighters, camp stoves, a compass, local trail maps, and other items that work in specific circumstances. When a disaster happens, the most important thing you can do is to get your emergency kit and get to a safe place. The type of safe place depends on the disaster that you’re running into. Some situations make it much safer to stay at your home, while others may require you to evacuate.