The Basics of an Emergency Supply Kit
EVERYONE should have a basic emergency supply kit. I know this may sound ridiculous to some, like overkill to others and to some of us it will sound like a very good idea.
WHY should you have an emergency supply kit? Let's look at some reasons. First, if you're going away from home you pack a bag containing clothing, maybe some games and snacks for the kids (you too) and perhaps prescription medications, along with the essential toiletries. If you're like some folks you may even bring along the pillow from your bed!
So why not have an emergency kit just in case you are not at home when an emergency strikes. You can define an emergency anyway you like. It could be nothing more than being stuck in a traffic jam caused by an accident. You may not being going anywhere for awhile, so you may as well be comfortable. Maybe you ran out of gas along a dark stretch of road, or your car died. I'm sure you'd like to have a few things with you, so get prepared for an "emergency" by putting together a road side emergency kit to keep in the car. We'll talk about what should be in it and what to put it all in later.
How about this scenario. January 5, 2005 ---- Midwest gets buried in ice and snow and you lose power. The power may not be off for long but what if? What would you need in this case? I'll bet you can think of several things you might like to have to keep you warm, or out of the dark, or occupied. At the end of this section I'll post a list of things to have on hand.
What if you are out of town on business or vacation or visiting an area you are not completely familiar with? There are a few essentials that you should consider having with you while traveling and may even make your stay more enjoyable.
OK, I hope this gives you a little food for thought as to why you might need to consider having not one but several emergency kits available.
So, here we go.........In the car.
Supplies should go in sealed plastic bags (I use Ziploc Freeze Guard bags because they're heavy duty), and then in a covered container such as an under-the-bed storage bin or whatever might fit your particular needs. Target, WalMart and other retail outlets have a large selection to fit your need. You might also consider a back pack or a duffle bag just in case you can't stay with your car. That way you'll be able to pack things up and move.
What to Put in the Car Kit
A portable, battery-powered radio or television and extra batteries. (Grundig has a portable AM/FM/Weather/SW radio for about $30.00)
Flashlight and extra batteries.First aid kit and first aid manual.
Supply of prescription medications.
A few bottles of water (I buy Nestle Pure Life from Sam's Club in a 35 bottle case)
Something to snack on (I keep Snickers Marathon Bars in my kit)
Blankets or sleeping bag for each family member (Obviously weather dependent)
Credit card and cash.
Personal identification.
Matches in a waterproof container.
Signal flare.
Map of the area and phone numbers of places you could go. (this is essential when you are traveling to areas you may not be familiar with. You could end up needing to evacuate and without this information you may go into harms way)
Special needs, for example, diapers or formula, prescription medicines and copies of prescriptions, hearing aid batteries, spare wheelchair battery, spare eyeglasses, or other physical needs.
I also keep some small games in my car kit to keep the kids occupied.
What to put in the Emergency Evacuation KitDisaster Supplies Kit basics (as listed above, THIS BECOMES A MOBILE KIT, YOU MAY NOT BE IN YOUR CAR)
Three gallons of water per person.
Three-day supply of nonperishable food.
Kitchen accessories: manual can opener; mess kits or paper cups, plates, and plastic/disposable utensils; utility knife; a can of cooking fuel if food must be cooked; household liquid bleach to treat drinking water; sugar, salt, pepper; aluminum foil; plastic resealable bags.
One complete change of clothing and footwear for each family member, sturdy shoes or workboots, raingear, hat and gloves, thermal underwear, sunglasses.
Blankets or sleeping bag for each family member.
Tools and other accessories: paper, pencil; needles and thread; pliers, shut-off wrench, shovels, and other useful tools; tape; medicine dropper; whistle; plastic sheeting; small canister, A-B-C-type fire extinguisher; emergency preparedness manual; tube tent; compass.
Sanitation and hygiene items: toilet paper, towelettes; soap, hand sanitizer, liquid detergent; feminine supplies; personal items such as shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, comb and brush, lip balm; plastic garbage bags (heavy-duty) and ties (for personal sanitation uses); medium-sized plastic bucket with tight lid; disinfectant; household chlorine bleach; small shovel for digging an expedient latrine.
This may not sound important, but it will be if you'd like to avoid illness brought on by unsanitary conditions.
Entertainment, such as games and books.
What to put in the Home disaster Supply Kit.
In addition to your Disaster Supplies Kit basics and Evacuation Supplies Kit, gathering the following items will help your family endure home confinement, which often happens following disasters and may include the loss of utilities.
Wrench to turn off household gas and water. Keep it near the shut-off valves. (ACE Hardware Stores sell a wrench for about $9.00)
A week's supply of food and water.
Additional blankets and sleeping bags.
Also, consider using a NOAA Weather Radio with the tone-alert feature in your home. NOAA Weather Radio is the best means for receiving warnings from the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service continuously broadcasts updated weather warnings and forecasts that can be received by NOAA Weather Radios sold in many stores. (LL Bean sells the Grundig 350 which has a hand crank in case you don't have batteries) NOAA Weather Radio now broadcasts warning and postevent information for all types of hazards--both natural (such as earthquakes and volcanic activity) and technological (such as chemical releases or oil spills). Working with other federal agencies and the Federal communications Commission's new Emergency Alert System, NOAA Weather Radio is an "all hazards" radio network, making it the single source for the most comprehensive weather and emergency information available to the public. Your National Weather Service recommends purchasing a radio that has both a battery backup and a Specific Area Message Encoder (SAME) feature, which automatically alerts you when a watch or warning is issued for your county, giving you immediate information about a life-threatening situation. The average range is 40 miles, depending on topography; the National Weather Radio signal is a line-of-sight signal, which does not bore through hills or mountains.For more information on disaster supplies and other helpful information you can visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency's web site at http://www.fema.gov/rrr/talkdiz/kit.shtm
posted by vjpfire @ 5:59 PM
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