Are You Prepared?   
 

If your city’s alarm system went off right now, warning you of immediate danger and requiring the evacuation of your family, would you be ready? If you haven’t thought about that, maybe it’s time that you do. In today’s world there are so many disasters that could strike in a moment’s notice. From natural disasters to a terrorist attack, we should be ready to protect our families by being prepared for these emergencies. 

In an immediate emergency, what do you need to survive? Experts tell us that we should have a “Go-bag” or “72-Hour Kit” ready for each member of our family in case of emergency. Something we can take with us right at the moment, that’s packed with essentials and ready to go. It’s a great idea to set aside a backpack for each member of your family for this purpose. 

There are many different options with regards to what to put in your go-bags. These are some of the basics. First of all, make sure each family member has an I.D. tag in their bag. You would also want to have a card listing their allergies (medication, food, stings) and copies of your insurance cards. If you have members of your family who wear glasses, try to have a back up pair in the bag. Emergency cash, in fairly small quantities is good; especially quarters for phone calls. 

Also in each bag you should include: A flashlight, extra batteries, a whistle, a pocket knife, a local map, a permanent marker and paper, a bit of twine, list of emergency phone numbers, toothbrush and toothpaste, an extra key to your home and vehicle, and some basic food and water. You can purchase food bars that have 2400-3600 calories per bar. They have a shelf-life of 5 years, and are specifically formulated to not cause thirst when eating them. A smart way to pack water easily is to purchase water pouches. They also have a 5 year shelf life, and you can pack one per meal. They are 4.227 ounces of water each, which is exactly the amount the Red Cross recommends you should drink per meal in an emergency. 

Don’t forget to put your go-bags in an easily accessible location. Do not hide them away under all the other junk in your garage. Make sure each family member knows where they are stored, and knows what is inside of them. Go over a family emergency plan. Pick a location to meet at in case you are not all together when the emergency first occurs. There are many other things you can do to prepare your family for an emergency, but this is a great start to help give you peace of mind in these turbulent times.  

The 4 Step Paper Process

One of the questions I hear a lot is “Where do I start?”  Think about starting your emergency preparedness and food storage on paper before you start buying things you don’t need or already have.  There is a 4 step way to get prepared.

1. Know where you are.  What do you have and what do you need?  Maybe you set up your emergency preparedness supplies when you were single and now you are married with 2 kids.  Your needs change as your circumstances change.
2. Decide what your priorities are.  Do you want to be done and prepared as quickly as possible or do you want to prepare as you can afford it?  Do you have a pet, an infant, or special medical needs?  Your individual needs and priorities will shape your preparedness program.
3. Establish a budget.  Work food storage and emergency preparedness into your monthly budget.  Set aside a specific amount of money each month for freeze-dried food, sanitation supplies, battery-operated lantern, or water containers.  By establishing a budget, you create a path to making your preparedness a reality.
4. Keep a record.  Some of us may think emergency preparedness is important, but when our products arrive, we put the boxes in the basement and forget about it.  You need to keep track of what you have and what you receive so that you can know where you are still lacking.

By taking a few minutes to do this 4 step paper system, you can rest assured that you are getting what you need to prepare yourself and your family members and making every dollar count for what you truly need.

I often ask parents what their child’s school emergency plan is and I am shocked that most parents don’t know if the school has one, never mind what the safety plan actually is.  The same goes for the workplace.  Do you have a safety plan at your place of employment?  If your school or work doesn’t have a plan, volunteer to help set one up.

Does your city have an emergency plan based in scenarios most likely to occur in your area?  If not, go to a city council meeting and bring it to the attention of the mayor and city council.  Coordinate with the police and fire chiefs to help your city develop a realistic plan to help all its citizens.  You will need to take into account the various businesses such as nursing homes and preschools to make sure that everyone is accounted for and assisted to the level they need.

Talk to your neighbors about their plans and what assistance they may need.  Partner with a friend so that if you aren’t home when a situation occurs that she will care for your children and commit to do the same for her children.  You can lessen the impact the disasters will have on you by taking the tine to get involved in planning for the inevitable.

If you lived in Colorado last year or in Eastern Washington this year, then you know what a good idea it is to be prepared and have a year supply of food and essential materials. Most recently the small town of Pullman, Washington has had snow storm after snow storm. They are experiencing the most snow that the town has seen in over two decades. Washington State University actually closed for the first time in over twenty years. It has gotten to the point where semi trucks are unable to bring in food supplies to the stores and the selections of bread and milk are pretty slim. So you can see where a year supply of food would save you a lot of stress and give you the assurance that your family would not go hungry.

Starting to build a year supply can seem overwhelming, but as with any other project, you just need to start with one thing at a time. Just like putting a little money in savings each week, over time it will build up. Even spending as little as $10.00 each week will help prepare you in times of disaster, unemployment, or economic depression. It is very important that you buy food that you will eat. It wouldn’t make much sense to store a large supply of Spam if you can’t stand the taste. It would be great if you never had the need to use your food supply, but you will still need to rotate out the food so that it does not spoil. So make sure you’ll eat what you buy.

Most canned foods only have a two to three year shelf life. A good long-term food storage alternative to canned foods is freeze dried food. If stored in a cool dry area (Normal house temperatures) freeze dried food offers a thirty year shelf life.

In addition to food supplies it is a good idea to keep a supply of non-food items that you will need. Some of these items are toilet paper, first aid supplies, a camping stove with fuel, candles, diapers, hygiene supplies, flashlight and batteries, blankets and clothing, money in a waterproof container, a shovel, an ax, a can opener, utensils, and cookware.

Overall, if you are willing to spend a little time and money each week, you will be able to prepare your family for any situation that may arise that may prevent you from going to the store. You will be self sufficient and need not fear that you and your children will go hungry.