What are some tips to prepare for an emergency?

What should I consider in a family preparedness plan?

What should I have in a disaster kit?

How will my family stay in touch when disaster strikes?

What Are some tips to prepare for an emergency? 

Here at Your Personal Security Store our goal is to create a community of safety information to help get people prepared for the unexpected. We are not trying to promote fear  on the contrary  we want to make sure that everyone has the tools necessary to deal with emergency situations. The Human tendency is to believe, “it will never happen to me”, but it is our responsibility as parents, friends, and neighbors to be prepared. At Your Personal Security Store we strongly believe in the 3 main steps to getting prepared:

1. Get a Kit
2. Make a Plan
3. Stay Informed

• Make sure you have enough food and water to sustain every member of your household for a minimum of 72 hours.
• Rations should be certified by the coast guard, and should have a 5 year shelf life. This is because it’s easy to forget about your emergency kit, and if you’re stocking canned food and bottled water, they must be changed out once per year to avoid spoilage and contamination that could make your family ill at a time when medical assistance is not available.
• Canned food is also heavy to carry, and high in sodium – this will make you thirsty and cause you to drink your water rations too quickly.

• A sealed First Aid Kit (one that isn’t compromised by day-to-day use)
• A Flashlight
• A Transistor Radio that is energy efficient, portable, and doesn’t need to be plugged in (if the power is out for an extended period cell phone, internet, television, and eventually your home phone line will stop working – radio stations will continue to broadcast on emergency power and a battery operated radio will be your only link to updates about the situation)
• Plenty of Extra Batteries for your Flashlight and Radio (again, assume the power will be out for a minimum of 72 hours)
• N95 Respirator Masks – these masks will filter smoke and airborne particles that may be present during and after a major emergency. Make sure you have one for each family member, and ensure they meet N95 specifications because the cheaper dust masks do not offer adequate protection. Remember, this is one of those items that will keep your family healthy and self-sufficient
• Emergency Whistle – if you are trapped and need to attract rescue attention, you will need a whistle. Yelling will cause you to lose your voice in mere minutes while a whistle can give you a sustained call for help.
• Waste Bags – if there is no running water, your toilets will quickly stop working. While this is an unpleasant thought, waste bags are a necessary part of your kit!
• Plastic Sheeting and Duct Tape – although you have heard about using Plastic Sheeting and Duct Tape to create a safe room in your home, they are most likely to be used to temporarily repair damage like a hole in the roof, or patching a broken window. These items should be in your kit.

• An extra pair of Contact Lenses or Glasses
• A Change of Clothing
• Prescription Medication(s)
• Copies of important Personal Documentation like a driver’s license, passport and social insurance number (keep these in a zip lock or other watertight bag)
• Cash (credit and debit cards along with ATM machines won’t work if the power is out everywhere)

source: Artical on Emergency preparedness by expert Barbara L. Feiner on August 8th 2006





What should I consider in an family prepardeness plan?

When making your familys plan, please consider the following situations resulting from a severe disaster:

• It will take the Federal Emergency Response Agency (FEMA) time to bring help and order to a major disaster area. This is why it is deemed essential to have AT LEAST 72 hours of self-sufficiency as a family, so you can fend for yourselves until assistance can be rendered. This responsibility lies with you, not the government! (Think about what happened with Hurricane Katrina).
• Access to electricity, natural gas, and running water will likely not be available for anywhere from several days to over a week.
• It will not be realistic to drive your car for several days – expect roads to be blocked by debris from damaged buildings, flood waters, abandoned cars, accidents, and areas blocked off as un-safe. Bridges will be closed until authorities can verify they are safe to cross.
• When a disaster occurs, family members may be separated. It must be decided in advance what steps everyone in the family will take to get back together. This should be documented in an Emergency Family Communication plan, and everyone should have a small copy of this plan in their purse or wallet at all times.
• Communications will be difficult in the aftermath of a disaster. Please consider the following about emergency communication:
  1. Cellular networks will not be able to support voice calls, but *may* be capable of sending and receiving text messages. Cell phones however should not be considered a realistic form of communication after a disaster. It is essential to have an out-of-state contact person whom everyone in the family can call to check in with. You have a much better chance of getting a connection to someone far outside the disaster area than you would of calling the house next door. Use a landline to make this call. If all else fails, use a payphone and make a collect call.
  2. Internet and television will not function without power. The only way to receive important information about what to do (and what not to do) is by radio. You should have a very small and portable radio that uses very little power and runs on small batteries. Large stereos that plug into the wall (but can also take batteries) are not very portable, and require too much power.
  3. You may require rescue attention (for example if you are trapped in a structure), or you may need to attract an emergency responder to help someone else. You will lose your voice within minutes of continuous yelling. The only way to sustain a call for help is with a whistle. Your emergency Ready Kit should contain a waterproof whistle.
• Dust, debris, and materials like asbestos from damaged buildings; smoke from fires; and release of airborne toxins may contaminate the air in the area around you. Ensure everyone has an effective respirator mask to keep them healthy.
• Structural damage may make it unsafe to remain in the structure you were in when the disaster occurred – you may be forced to leave your home, office, or classroom with only seconds to react. You may also need to turn off the utilities like gas and water using a special tool to prevent severe damage to the building or your home.
• If you have products like food; water; a first aid kit; and flashlights in your home, you are to be congratulated for taking those steps toward having safety items for every-day usage. Since you clearly believe in safety, wouldn’t you like to have preparedness supplies that are kept on reserve and not used during everyday life? This way you can ensure that you will always have an adequate supply of these vital items on hand when you need them most. Please consider the following:
  1. It is humanly impossible to think carefully in an emergency. With only moments to spare, you either react according to instinct, or according to a plan you have trained to implement. Composing an impromptu emergency kit from items scattered throughout your home IS NOT REALLISTIC - you should consider having an emergency kit which allows you to “Grab-and-Go” in seconds.
  2. Bottled water expires! Typically, bottled water and canned food must be replaced every year. Failure to do so will mean relying on unsafe water and food, causing you to become sick and incapacitated when no assistance will be available.
  3. Canned food and large water containers are heavy and not portable. Canned foods also contain large amounts of sodium (salt) which will make you thirsty, and tempt you to drink your water reserves too quickly!
  4. Your emergency kit will be maintenance free, and will serve you better if you equip it with food and water rations with a long shelf-life, and special formulation to nourish and sustain your family.

 source:artical by Emergency preparedness expert Barbara L. Feiner  on August 8 2006





What should I have in a Disaster kit?

Winter Storm Preparedness: Weather Radios and Disaster Supply Kits

Release Date: November 27, 2007
Release Number: FNF-07-081

With winter rapidly approaching, every family should be prepared to face another season of destructive cold, storms and flooding. Every home should have a Disaster Supply Kit that includes a weather radio. The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urge all residents to act now to assemble their family's emergency supplies before the start of the winter storm season.

The National Weather Service forecasters provide routine weather programming at all times. During life-threatening weather conditions, the radios send out a special alarm tone. This is critical, because weather can turn deadly very fast. Ice Storms and flash flooding are two examples which can occur when people are sleeping or unaware of the forecast. Both can be deadly if people do not have an emergency plan or enough warning so that they can get to a safe place.

With a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio, you will be alerted to dangerous weather and have time to take shelter. NOAA Weather Radios also broadcast warnings and information regarding technological disasters, such as chemical releases or oil spills. They can be purchased at most stores that sell electronic devices. Most run on batteries or have battery back-up.

Every home should be stocked with a supply kit and when storing the supplies, keep them easily accessible in case of an evacuation.

A Disaster Supply Kit should contain the following:

• Water - at least 1 gallon daily per person for 3 to 7 days
• Food - at least enough for 3 to 7 days
  Non-perishable packaged or canned food / juices, foods for infants or the elderly, snack foods, non-electric can opener, cooking utensils / fuel, paper plates, plastic utensils
• Blankets / Pillows, etc.
• Clothing - seasonal, rain gear, sturdy shoes
• Medical supplies - first aid kit, medicines, prescription drugs
• Special Items - for infants and the elderly
• Toiletries - hygiene items
• Moisture wipes
• Flashlight - extra batteries
• Radio - battery-operated and NOAA weather radio
• Cash - (Banks and ATMs may not be open or available for extended periods.)
• Important documents - in a waterproof container
  Insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, social security card, etc
• Keys 
• Toys, books and games
• Tools -  keep a set with you during the storm
• Vehicle fuel tanks filled
• Pet care items
  Proper identification, immunization records, ample supply of food and water, a carrier or cage, medications, muzzle and leash.

Visit www.Ready.gov, and www.fema.gov/plan/index.shtm for a thorough look into disaster preparedness and a more detailed list of emergency supplies. Also, www.Ready.gov/kids is an excellent resource for information on how to involve children in the process of assembling the family's Disaster Supply Kit. 

Last Modified: Tuesday, 27-Nov-2007 11:46:47

     This is a great outline you will need to put an emergency disaster communication plan together. If you actually follow what I’m about to tell you, and distribute it to all your family it will make communication easier during a disaster. This is not something I just dreamed up. The department of Home Land Security developed it. It’s a great plan and everyone should have one. You never know when it might be needed.

First you need basic information like:  Out of town contact name

·         Home Telephone #

·         Mobile phone (cell phone) #

·         Email address

·         Name

·         Birth date

·         Social security number

·         Important medical information

Where to go in case of emergency:    Write down where your family spends the most time: Home, work, school and other places you frequent like daycare providers, and apartment buildings they should all have site-specific emergency plan.                  

Home:        

 Address       

  Phone #        

Neighborhood meeting place        

Regional meeting place                   

Work:        

 Address        

Phone#       

Evacuation plan                   

School:        

 Address        

Phone#       

 Evacuation plan                    

Other places you frequent:       

Address        

 Phone#        

Evacuation plan

Important information you should document and keep up to date:

Doctor:        

Name       

Phone #        

Policy #

Pharmacist:       

 Name        

Phone #       

Policy#

Medical Insurance:        

Name        

Phone #        

Policy #

Homeowners/Renters insurance:        

Name

 Phone #        

Policy #

Veterinarian/Kennel (for pets)        

Name        

Phone #       

Policy #

Now you are set! You have just made a communication plan in case of a disaster. I really hope that you take this plan an implement it. This plan is a terrific way to assure everyone is on the same page.  It is also assuring knowing where all your family members are or are going to be in the event something happens.