Emergency preparedness kits are one of the most essential items that should be in every household. But when you buy these kits, make sure to buy either a family pack – or individual emergency preparedness kits for every member of the family.
We live in a world where everything is so uncertain. We can almost never sleep in peace, being assured that we will wake up peacefully the following day. So much could happen within a matter of minutes to destroy our lifestyle and everything we’ve built up. So that is why you need to supply yourself with emergency preparedness kits that will provide you and your family (including pets) with the bare minimal necessities in the event of an emergency, or disaster.
We can never predict when the next earthquake could happen or when the next tsunami might hit. Most typhoons, currents, floods, heat waves and even terrorist attacks do not come with pre-warnings. So every household should have a mechanism to face such disasters and one such easy method is to have emergency preparedness kits handy.
When you buy emergency preparedness kits, make sure that essential items such as food, emergency water, food, lighting, matches (in a waterproof container), sanitation, prescription medications, pet supplies, rescue items, emergency radio (one that receives important weather and news updates) and other communication devices are included in your kit.
Buying emergency preparedness kits and storing them in the far corner of your basement will not do any good. Be sure that you have sufficient supplies for at least 3 days – a week would be even better.
Always store the emergency preparedness kits at a convenient and readily accessible point where every family member can reach them. Make note of your kids’ heights when storing these emergency preparedness kits. They should be able to reach the storage place without climbing on a ladder or having to go through too much hassle.
Most importantly, make sure that everyone living in your house knows where to look for the emergency preparedness kits.
There may be certain devices in these emergency preparedness kits that need to be operated a certain way. An emergency is not a good time to figure out how things operate. Therefore, get trained on using emergency preparedness equipment, before you ever need them.
Once you have made preparations for your family, encourage your neighbors and loved ones to keep emergency preparedness kits handy as well. Talk to them about the possible ramifications of a disaster, or other emergency.
If you live in an area that has a history of being victim to natural disasters, make sure that your emergency preparedness kits are customized to face the situation, be it floods, typhoons or tsunamis.
As a footnote, I survived Hurricane Ike last year, in Texas, and while my neighborhood didn’t get devastated like the Galveston area did, we were still without power for nearly two weeks – a very long two weeks.
That meant no TV news or entertainment, no internet, no cell phone service, no lights, no electricity for cooking (my entire refrigerator/freezer of food spoiled), no air conditioning (it is extremely hot and humid in my area in September), no hot baths (some areas didn’t even have water), no restaurants, and not even any open gas stations or grocery stores for several days.
Just a few days ago, an associate of mine had to take his family and evacuate his home because of the tsunami in Asia.
Last year, it took FEMA several days, to more than a week – depending upon where you lived, to provide even the basics of ice and food – so figure that you might need to be entirely self-sufficient for several days, a week – or even more.
Check with your local Red Cross, FEMA, or other emergency providers for guidance regarding all the things you might want/need to include in your emergency pack.
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Tags: disaster preparedness, emergency preparedness, emergency preparedness plans, family, FEMA, home, homelessness, hurricane, Hurricane Ike, Red Cross, safety, Security & Disaster Prep, Security & Disaster Prep, survival skills, tsunami
