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In our society today, we must be prepared to survive when conditions worsen. Natural disasters, economic recession and (heaven forbid) a terrorist attack are situations we must be ready for.
I would like to begin slowly in discussing what is needed to prepare. I have read many articles that overwhelm the reader with too much information and information that is just not needed.
The basis of emergency preparation is to survive until you are rescued or relief is available. How long, how long is it necessary to be prepared for? Some say a month. Others 72 hrs and still others say one year. One year supply of food and water is great, something we should strive for but we must first focus on emergency situations and then expand to extended survival.
- First you must have an emergency contact. This person(s) must be easy to contact and responsible. In other words, they should be focused on your condition and needs. They should know your needs (including special medical needs, prescription medicine requirements, and if necessary mobility requirements).
- Tell your contact where your emergency supplies are located. These include medicine, food, water, first aid, etc.
- If you have mobility issues, they must be aware of wheelchair requirements, including extra batteries.
- Have a list of your doctors and important phone numbers in a handy location, such as on your refrigerator. I have provided a medical contact sheet:
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The first thing that you must decide in the event of an emergency is whether you'll stay or leave. What is the severity of the emergency, how long will it last, do you have the supplies to stay where you are? These questions need to be answered quickly to ensure your wellbeing. This is why a plan must be in place prior to the emergency. A few miles from my location a train derailed recently. It was carrying ethanol. Highly flamable fluid that burned for a long time. They evacuated homes and businesses a couple miles around the accident site. Had this been closer to my home, I would have had to leave, but I would have left with supplies in tow. See, sometimes we don't have choices. We must leave and it's important to be ready.
If you choose to say put, know the dangers present. Will the air be tainted with hazardous material, will there be flooding, will there be a chance of violence after the disaster? I think Katrina taught us all a lesson in preparedness. If you must stay in your home during an emergency that consists of hazardous air, follow these recommendations:
- * Bring your family and pets inside.
- * Lock doors, close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers.
- * Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced air heating systems.
- * Take your emergency supply kit unless you have reason to believe it has been contaminated.
- * Go into an interior room with few windows, if possible.
- * Seal all windows, doors and air vents with plastic sheeting and duct tape. Consider measuring and cutting the sheeting in advance to save time.
- * Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to seal gaps so that you create a barrier between yourself and any contamination.
- * Local authorities may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do. However, you should watch TV, listen to the radio or check the Internet often for official news and instructions as they become available.
- Water
In additon to the stored water, you should also have on hand a few bottles of Potassium iodide tablets for purifying water (found at camping supplies or from Preptek). Keep in mind that the tablets will slowly loose their purifying ability once the bottle is opened. The lid must be tightly secured when not in use. Check the expiration date of the bottle before buying. The expiration date on the bottle is for unopened tablets.
Boiling the water is still your safest option. Boil the water at a vigorous (hard) boil for no less than five minutes. Let the water cool and add 1/8 tsp of plain bleach for every gallon of water. Pouring the water back and forth between two containers will help put oxygen back into the water and give it a better taste. If you cannot boil the water you must treat it with the bleach or the potassium iodide tablets.
DO NOT drink tainted water or water you're unsure of it's quality without treating it first. You can survive weeks without food but only three days without water.
You must be prepared for this - NOW.
- Food
- 2 cans of meat
- 2 cans vegetables
- 2 cans fruit
- 2 cans Soup, read-to-eat variety
- Pkg cookies and crackers
- Dried Fruit
- Granola
- 4 Power Bars
- 3 packages of hot chocolate
- can opener
- Heat source
- Coleman Camp Stove
- Extra supplies
- Flashlight -battery run or hand generated
- Batteries -stored separately
- 6 Light sticks
- First Aid Kit
- Potassium iodide tablets for purifying water (found at department store/camping supplies)
- MEDICINE - have enough on hand at all times
- Small am/fm radio with batteries stored separately
- Food for pets for 3 days
- Storage
If you look at the items you have assembled for your in home 72 hr emergency kit, they are the same items which can be used for the mobile emergency kit. One exception though, you should pack some extra clothing, personal care items, and Emergency Water Packets.
A school size book bag works well for carrying clothes, shoes, and personal care items. If you want a lighter weight grab and run pack, they are available. The price isn't too much but the contents would not be useful for everyone or every situation. This is a decision you must make for your portable kit. Just don't forget the clothing and personal care items (travel size toothpaste, deodorant, a few personal size tissue packs, etc)
Emergency Organizations which will help you in time of disaster: Organizations