Who's Up for a CHALLENGE??

Yes, it's National Emergency Preparedness Month!  And if you've been paying attention to sites like  READY.gov, then you'll know that there's a LOT going on to help you get prepared for any disaster that comes your way!

To celebrate along with everyone else, we'll be having a 'mock' emergency run sometime this month! Yep, it's a surprise -- aren't most emergencies?  I'll give you a scenario in which you'll need to use your emergency supply kits.  You decide to what lengths you take to see if you're prepared (some people might want to take inventory of the supplies they'll need; the brave ones will take their emergency kits on an overnighter and put their supplies to the test to find out what they REALLY need!)  When it's all said and done, I'd love to hear from anyone who participated what worked and what didn't.

SO -- WHO'S WITH ME??? (yes, I'll be doing this too!)  By the way, this weekend might be a good time to take out and review what you have and what you need.

Online Resources

Here are some online resources for emergency information & preparedness:

• FEMA: Plan and Prepare

• Ready.gov:  Prepare, Plan, Stay Informed

• American Red Cross

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention

• National Weather Service

• Arizona Division of Emergency Management

• Emergency Preparedness for KIDS (games & activities)

• Preparedness Resources for teachers & classrooms

• Dept. of Ed: Emergency Planning for Schools

What's in YOUR PANTRY?

A few years ago, the Washington D.C. metro area was haunted by a man who was driving from town to town killing people at random.  These innocent victims were just doing the everyday things like filling up their cars at gas stations, waiting for the bus, coming out of the store from shopping at Wal-mart and Home Depot.

With 9-11 still fresh in their minds, the panic that plagued the people in this area was surreal.  I know, because I lived there.  My husband had filled up his car at the same gas station that someone had been shot and killed the very next day.  It was as if people were being hunted.  No one knew when or where this person would hit next.  News reporters began giving lessons on how to avoid sniper attack.  In public, people were always looking over their shoulders, hiding next to the gas pumps "just in case", walking in zig-zag, indirect lines to their car in the parking lot.

Eventually, many people stayed home entirely just to avoid the possibility that they could be the next victim.  No one wanted to admit it, but there was a lot of panic going on.  During that time, I too wouldn't go anywhere unless I absolutely HAD to.  This included the grocery store -- thankfully, we had a good enough supply of food in our pantry that this wasn't really an issue for us.

It occurred to me, that we never can fully predict what will keep us from having access to food.  It might be as simple as an illness or a car needing to be repaired that would keep you home for a few days.  But when emergencies come up that prevent you from buying food at the store for weeks (weather, electricity, transportation strike or other food shortages to name a few), it's ALWAYS wise to have several meals on the shelf that could be made without a trip to the store.  In fact, the recommendation is to have about 3 months' "regular" food (that you typically eat, canned or packaged) available at any time.

WATER

Just some thoughts as we head full blast into summer.  Did you know that the minimum suggested amount of water you should have stored for two weeks is 14 gallons per person? If you live in a hot, dry climate you'll need to store more.  A typical person needs about 1/2-gal of water per day for drinking alone.

This is just eating/drinking water -- add bathing/laundry water on top of that and you'll need a whole lot more. 

Here's a visual of how much water you'll need:  4 of these equals 2 weeks of water for 1 person.

A few years back we a bought a 55 gal., 30 gal. & 20 gal. barrel.  They came in handy last winter when our pipes froze.  They take up a large amount of space in our garage, but we put a large board over them and use it as another (lightweight) shelf.   We also have some 5 gal. barrels that can be lifted into the car (excellent for campouts, day trips, or in case of an emergency).   Think how well my 100+ gallons of water would fit in the garage if I had these water bricks (each holds 3.5 gal & stackable!)

A few more suggestions:  Rotate water every 6 months.  Be sure to use the heavy duty food grade blue barrels that allow minimal light to enter (bacterial growth thrives on light).  Don't use the milk jugs or the large bottled water containers you buy from the grocery store -- THEY WILL CRACK.  For non-drinking water (ie. laundry), store water in an empty laundry detergent container.

For more details on HOW to store water, go to the FEMA website:

Click below to see examples of containters & filters sold by Shelf Reliance:

Water filter & container products

You can search for all products at: myfamilythrives.shelfreliance.com/home/

Getting Started!!

Being prepared for any emergency or crisis can be overwhelming if you're just getting started -- and when the next crisis or disaster comes, the time for preparedness is over.  If you're not sure where to start or what to do next, pick an item below and focus on it for a week or a month, until you feel adequately prepared in that field.


DO YOU HAVE:

• Home & Vehicle First Aid Kits?
• 3-months worth of income in Savings?
• Credit card, vehicle, and other debt paid off?
• An emergency escape Plan? (from the house, city, etc.)
• A list of Emergency Contact Names & Numbers
• 3-day Emergency Kit (ready to take with you if you have to leave)?
• 3-month Food Supply (shelf food you regularly eat)?
• Long-term Food Supply (6-12 months or more) stored in a cool place?
• Tools and other household items (shovel, garbage bags, bleach, etc.) in the event you can't get to the store.
• 2-weeks worth of water (minimum 1 gal. per person per day)?

DO YOU KNOW:

• Which disasters are likely to occur in your area and how to prepare for them?
• Who your family "contact person" is (in the event of a disaster)?
• Where you will meet family members should you become separated?
• How to treat for Shock? (emotional and physical)
• Basic First Aid?
• How to communicate with out of town Family Members?
• How to protect yourself from the elements (heat/cold)?
• How to prepare food without electricity?

This is just a list to get you started -- feel free to add topics of your own.  I'll be visiting these topics over the next several weeks.