Basic Disaster Preparedness: Keeping You and Your Family Safe

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Basic Disaster Preparedness Keeping You and Your
Family Safe

• Nobody wants to think about the next big storm,
  flood, or the many emergency situations that
  could happen, leaving you and your family without
  power or trapped within your home for a
  considerable period of time. Thats why its so
  important to be prepared for anything and
  everything even the zombie apocalypse! Yes, we
  know the chances of the walking dead happening is
  pretty much zero, but when it comes to any
  disaster it never hurts to be over-prepared.
• Here are some tips to get started on prep kits
• Power Outages
• One of the most common issues during a bad storms
  or heat waves is a power outage. Consider
  investing in a portable generator.

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Portable generators can power most, if not all,
of your homes power needs and for people with
health issues that rely on electric powered
machinery, it could be a life saver. However, we
should mention that during a zombie apocalypse it
could be risky to run the generator, as the noise
may attract the walking dead. Learn more safety
tips for using a portable generator here.
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• If you dont have a generator, or your residence
  doesnt permit the use of one, there are other
  supplies that will aid you when the lights go
  out. Below is a list of the basic supplies you
  should have in your home in case of a power
  outage
• Flash Lights
• Emergency Lantern
• Candles
• Lighter/Matches
• AM/FM Radio
• Batteries
• Cooler
• Ice Packs
• Corded Phone
• Water Supply
• We know that losing power can be frustrating, but
  the more prepared you are the less stressful the
  situation can be. Learn more about how to prepare
  for a power outage here

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• First Aid/Medication
• Regardless of a disaster, its important to
  always have a well-stocked first aid kit. You may
  not always be able to get medical attention
  quickly and will need to address
  accidents/injuries on your own until you can
  access help. Minor injuries could become worse if
  not properly taken care of immediately. Below is
  a list of basic supplies that you should have in
  your first aid kit.
• Dressings and Bandages
• 25 adhesive bandages of various sizes
• 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 3 inches)
• Gauze roll
• Eye shield or pad
• Roll of adhesive tape
• Elastic bandage for wrapping wrist, elbow, ankle
  and knee injuries (3 to 4 inches wide)
• 2 triangular bandages for wrapping injuries and
  making arm slings
• Sterile cotton balls and cotton-tipped swabs

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• Equipment
• 2 pairs of latex or non-latex gloves
• Instant cold pack
• 5 safety pins to easily fasten splints and
  bandages
• Turkey baster or other suction device to flush
  out wounds
• Aluminum finger splint
• Syringe and medicine spoon for giving specific
  doses of medicine
• Thermometer
• Tweezers to remove ticks, insect stingers and
  small splinters
• Scissors for cutting gauze
• Breathing barrier for giving CPR
• Blanket
• Hand sanitizer (liquid and/or wipes)
• First aid manual
• List of emergency numbers
• Medicine for Treating Injuries
• Antiseptic solution or wipes, such as hydrogen
  peroxide, povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine
• Antibiotic ointment that contain ingredients such
  as bacitracin or mupirocin

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• Other Medicines
• Pain and fever medicines, such as aspirin or
  ibuprofen
• Antihistamine to treat allergies and/or swelling
• Decongestants to treat nasal congestion
• Anti-nausea medicine to treat motion sickness and
  other types of nausea
• Anti-diarrhea medicine
• Antacid to treat upset stomach
• Laxative to treat constipation
• Keep in mind the special needs in your household,
  such as children or an elderly person. Does
  anyone in your household have specific allergies
  or an illness? Add supplies specific to these
  conditions. Be sure to check your supply kit
  monthly, refill as needed and check expiration
  dates on medication.
• 72 Hour Packs or Kits
• A 72 hour pack/kit is a grab-and-go emergency
  pack if you and your family need to evacuate your
  home quickly. It is important to make sure that
  what you pack you can actually carry, especially
  if you need to be agile in a flood or run from
  zombies. Below is a list of what you will need to
  build your own 72 hour pack.

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• Quality Back Pack You need 1 for yourself and 1
  for each member of your household. Dont forget
  your pets! This is where you will store 72 hours
  worth of supplies for each individual.
• Water FEMA recommends 3 gallons to last 72
  hours, but that recommendation includes cleaning
  water as well as drinking and weighs 25 pounds,
  thats a lot to carry. Consider purchasing a 2
  gallon water carry bag, making it less weight and
  easier to store. You may also want to consider
  something with electrolytes and carbohydrates
  like Gatorade or Powerade to pack in your kits as
  well

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Food  You will want to pack items with lengthy
expiration dates such as peanut butter, whole
wheat crackers, nuts and trail mix, cereal,
granola bars and power bars, dried fruit, canned
tuna, salmon, chicken or turkey, canned
vegetables, and canned soups. Make adjustments to
the food you pack in these kits for each
individual. Maybe you have an infant that
requires formula, or a child that has specific
allergies to certain foods, or you are packing
food for your pet. Remember to check expiration
dates every 6 months on food you packed and
replace as needed. You may also want to consider
packing some multivitamins, as these supplements
will help replace the nutrients you would have
consumed on a normal diet. First Aid  All your
kits should have small individual first aid packs
that include the basic first aid supplies and a
first aid manual. Check out small camping first
aid kits for purchase or an idea of what you
should put in your small first aid kits if you
would like to assemble them yourself.  Remember
to think of the individuals in your household.
Does anyone require specific medications? Be sure
to add that to their kit. Equipment  Were
going to stick to the basics here, but know that
you can always add to your preparation later on.
 See more on 72 hour packs/kits here. o  
Flashlights small water resistant flashlight in
everyones pack o   AM/FM Radio Either battery
operated or hand cranked. You do not need to
store a radio in everyones pack, if you plan to
be together. For example its you and your spouse
and two children. Put a radio in your bag and
your spouses.
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o   Pocket Knife always good to have and once
again does not need to be stored in everyones
packs o   Can opener If you packed can food you
will need this. o   Pen and Paper o   Shelter
You want to invest in an instant pop up shelter
or tube tent, if not, at the very least
consider space blankets. Personal Supplies o  
Extra pair of clothing seasonal/rain
gear/sturdy shoes. Consider special items for
babies and elderly. o   Toiletries toilet paper
(remove the center tube to easily flatten into a
zip-lock bag), feminine hygiene, folding brush,
soap, mini hand sanitizer, tooth brush etc. Think
travel size. Miscellaneous o   Extra cash o  
Emergency numbers o   Map of local area o  
Garbage bag o   Important documents insurance,
medical records, bank account numbers, Social
Security card, etc. We hope this guide will help
you get started with preparing you and your
family for a possible disaster.
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In emergency situations local officials and
relief workers will be on the scene after a
disaster but they cannot reach everyone
immediately. You could get help in a few hours,
or it might take days and that is why it is so
important to be prepared. For more information
about being prepared and keeping your family safe
during an emergency check out the American Red
Cross Plan Prepare page and you can also
follow our board Emergency Preparedness and
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