When a devastating tornado strikes your house leaving you and your family stranded in a dark basement for days, will you have enough food and water to last?
Make a Plan Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as purchasing a Survival kit and making an emergency plan are universal, regardless of the type of emergency. However, it s important to be informed about what types of emergencies are likely to affect your community. Creating a plan that fits your needs before, during, and after a disaster will help you be more self-reliant in an emergency and find your family if you become separated. Be sure to share your plan with others and include a copy of it in your kit.
When a stage 5 hurricane blasts your town leaving it ravished and empty of supplies will your family be able to count on you to survive?
Preparation Family Meetings: At least once a year have a meeting with your family to discuss and update your plan and determine what training, equipment and supplies are needed. Occasional drills will assure quick reaction and avoid injury and panic in an emergency. Share your plans with neighbors, friends, relatives and co-workers.
When the San Andrea s fault decides to wake from its slumber and cause the most horrific earthquake in California history, will you have the life-saving tools necessary to adapt to the situation?
Be Informed Contact your American Red Cross chapter or local emergency management office. Ask what types of disasters are most likely to happen. Request information on how to prepare for each. Learn about your community s warning signals: what they sound like and what you should do when you hear them. Find out about the disaster plans at your workplace and your children s school or day-care center. Find out how to help people with disabilities, if needed. Ask about animal care after a disaster. Animals other than service animals may not be allowed inside emergency shelters. If you undergo routine treatments at a clinic or hospital or if you receive regular services such as home health care or transportation, talk to your service providers about their emergency plans. Work with them to identify backup services in your area and the areas you might evacuate to. If you use medical equipment in your home that requires electricity, ask your health care provider about what you can do to prepare for a power outage.
And when a wildfire takes the hillsides by storm forcing your family to evacuate, will you have the resources to keep them safe for the next 72 hours?
Make a Communication Plan Have an out-of-town contact that every member of your family will call after a disaster. Make sure everyone in your family knows this contact s phone number. Use e-mail notification via a family distribution list. Register on the American Red Cross Safe and Well List (https://disastersafe.redcross.org). Use the toll-free Contact Loved Ones voice message service (866/78-CONTACT). Additional Considerations If you re dependent on dialysis or other life-sustaining treatment, know the location of more than one facility. Teach members of your support network how to operate necessary equipment. Practice clear, specific and concise instructions that you would give to rescue workers about your needs. Don t expect assistance at the height of an emergency. First responders may be unable to enter an area immediately.
That Won t Happen To Me Syndrome Disasters happen. And it s not a question of IF they will, it s WHEN they will. Year after year we see it on the news. Storms that leave thousands without water and power disasters that wipe out neighborhoods leaving families homeless. The funny thing is, most people think it won t happen to them. Oh not in my town, That wouldn t happen here. Do you really want to explain to your family why you thought their safety and well being wasn t a priority?
Make an Evacuation Plan Contact your fire department for help in evacuation planning; make sure the advice fits your needs. Identify accessible primary and secondary evacuation routes in buildings you frequent. Know the location of a building s designated areas of refuge to await rescue, as it may not be possible to evacuate with everyone else. Identify family meeting places; choose a location close to your home and another outside your neighborhood. Ask support network members to help you create a plan if you must evacuate a building by stairway. If you have a car, keep at least a half tank of gas in it in case you need to evacuate. Become familiar with alternate routes and other means of transportation out of your area. If you don t have a car, identify public and private resources with accessible transportation that can help in evacuation. When evacuating, take your emergency supply kit with you. Lock the door behind you and leave a note telling others when you left and where you re going.
Thinking Isn t Preparing. Doing Is. You might be thinking We have supplies already. Yeah, sure you do. Can you remember where that old flashlight is when the power goes out and an earthquake has already dismembered every room of the house? Does your water supply come from the sink or the fridge? If so, that s gone too. Quick, someones bleeding. Do you have medical supplies on hand? The kids are scared and panicking. Are their toys and activities close by to comfort them? These are the situations that arise in disasters, and ones that you must be prepared for.
Food and Water Safety Having an ample supply of clean water is a top priority in an emergency. A normally active person needs to drink at least 1 gallon of water per day. You will also need water for food preparation and hygiene. Store at least an additional gallon per person, per day for this. When the power goes out, water purification systems may not be functioning fully. Safe water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene includes bottled, boiled or treated water. Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, prepare food, make ice, make baby formula (if possible, use baby formula that doesn t need to have water added), brush your teeth or wash your hands. You can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to wash your hands.
The Sad Truth It makes no sense that there wouldn t be a survival kit in every home and car in the country. Is there something inside of us that just wants to assume that everything will be ok? That we ll live perfect lives without the threat of violence and terror from nature? That type of thinking is ridiculous and could get you and your family killed. Over the past two years, 700 natural disasters were registered worldwide affecting more than 450 million people. This whole prepping thing isn t a joke. It s REALITY. During hurricane Sandy, over 3 Million people we re without power for 4 days, some for up to a week! This isn t just a handful of people, these are millions of people. The odds of something happening are high, and without careful preparation your chances of surviving could be low.
The Fix During an emergency or disaster you will have little time to act. This is why it is so important to prepare. To start, have a family meeting and outline the steps that will need to be taken during and before this type of event. Having everyone on the same page can save lives. SurvivalKit.Com has helped prepare thousands with our All-in-one bags because we include the items that people need the most to stay safe in a devastating situation. When it comes down to it, you ll need food, water, tools, and first aid.
FamilyEmergency Plan Keep a copy of this plan in your survival kit or another safe place where you can access it in the event of a disaster. Mobile Neighborhood Meeting Out-of-Neighborhood Meeting Out-of-Town Meeting Fill out the following information for each family member and keep it up to date Name: Date of Birth: Important Medical Information: Blood Type: Write down where your family spends the most time: work, school and other places you frequent. Schools, day-care providers, workplaces and apartment buildings should all have site-specific emergency plans that you and your family need to know about. Work/School Location (1) Work/School Location (2) Work/School Location (3)
Name: Date of Birth: Important Medical Information: Blood Type: Write down where your family spends the most time: work, school and other places you frequent. Schools, day-care providers, workplaces and apartment buildings should all have site-specific emergency plans that you and your family need to know about. Work/School Location (1) Work/School Location (2) Work/School Location (3) Name: Date of Birth: Important Medical Information: Blood Type: Write down where your family spends the most time: work, school and other places you frequent. Schools, daycare providers, workplaces and apartment buildings should all have site-specific emergency plans that you and your family need to know about. Work/School Location (1) Work/School Location (2) Work/School Location (3)
Other Important things to think about: In a complete readiness plan, one would have survival kits available for all possible situations: at home at work at play in the car / truck traveling by boat / bus / plane / train at school / college when on vacation / hotel / overnight A most important aspect of an emergency survival kit is that it be able to keep you alive and well when you are confronted with a neutral emergency or disaster survival situation. Personal Supplies and Medication Personal Documents and Money Insurance Card Infant Needs (if applicable)small, Lightweight toys and games for Children (For calming effect, comfort, and entertainment) Wear heavy shoes to protect your feet (if possible) Prepare for Pets food carrier water
What To Remember Once you receive your pre-assembled bags from SurvivalKit.com store them in a safe, easily accessible area that is known to all family members. Always keep an additional version of your Survival Kit in the trunk of your car for auto emergencies and evacuation situations. Assemble an additional bag that may contain extra food, water, clothing, and medications to last you at least 72 hours. You will need enough supplies for each family member.
Discuss what disasters are most likely for your region and what impact they could have on your family s safety. A tornado is unlikely to strike in Los Angeles, but an earthquake is. Know what you re dealing with, and make sure your family does too. Train your loved ones to be self-sufficient in an emergency. Take first aid and CPR classes. Learn how to use a fire extinguisher and how to shut off the utilities. Don t take the chance that only you know how to shut off the gas line. Teach these responsibilities to all family members.
Information Resources Administration on Aging Disaster Preparation and Assistance www.aoa.dhhs.gov/prof/preparedness/preparedness.asp American Association on Health and Disability 301/545-6140 www.aahd.us American Red Cross Missing Persons Hot Line 713/313-1628 Safe and Well List http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/school/preparedness-education Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness www.fema.gov/areyouready Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions www.cdihp.org/evacuation/toc.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.bt.cdc.gov Contact Loved Ones 866/78-CONTACT www.contactlovedones.org Project Disaster www.projectdisaster.com Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Help Line 800/621-3362 Hotline For Evacuees To Find Shelter 888/312-4567 www.fema.gov Ready 202/282-8000 www.ready.gov U.S. Department of Health & Human Services www.hhs.gov/aspr/opeo/ndms U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) www.dhs.gov/xprepresp U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) www.usfa.fema.gov USFA Kid s Page www.usfa.fema.gov/kids
Identify the names and numbers of local and out-of-state emergency contacts. Provide this list to each family member and include a copy in all of your kits. Review your disaster preparedness plan with your family at least once a year and check your supplies to identify what needs to be added or replaced. Lastly, take comfort in knowing your family is prepared. For a complete list of survival supplies go to SurvivalKit.com
www.survivalkit.com 800-265-2465