Preparing for an emergency is something that many of us often overlook until it hits us. So how do you put together a contingency plan to secure you and your family during dire situations? I’ve come up with a little list of all the things, including emergency food kits & supplies and emergency preparedness kits for kids and your family in order to successfully and safely brave through a crisis.
To begin with you have to draft a plan of action, where each individual is given a set of responsibilities. You can make hand out cards depending on the type of emergency so that the duties are clearly understood and divided.
If you have kids or elderly people at home, make a separate backup plan to prepare them for emergencies when they are alone. Regularly visit your children’s school to give them updates on emergency contacts and other requirements. Also find out what emergency plans the school follows and whether they have regular drills where children are taught the Drop, Cover & Hold and Stop, Drop & Roll evacuation routines. Teach your children basic personal information so that they can identify themselves during an emergency. Also teach them emergency contact details and how to dial 9-1-1. Prepare emergency cards for both elderly and children stating their full name, Address, contact information, your work and cell phone numbers also the complete address and contact details of a third emergency contact person(both in your state and an out-of-state contact person). Another important thing is to fix a meeting point in your neighborhood, and an alternative meeting point in case your neighborhood is not safe (depending on the nature of the disaster).
Besides the above, you also have to have an emergency grab-and-go kit that would help you survive the disaster. Prepare separate and handy bags for every member. You can even have emergency food kits & supplies and emergency preparedness kits for kids. Don’t forget to get one ready for your pet as well. A typical survival kit should help you and your family last out comfortably for at least a week. Here’s what it should contain:
Lighting and Communication: Flashlights (rechargeable squeeze preferred, LED also a good option.), Emergency glow sticks, bright sticks and candles, waterproof matches, AM/FM Radio, 5-in-1 survival whistle and a dynamo lantern.
Warmth and Shelter:Emergencies can happen at any time so always have everything ready, or seasonally pack your bag. The first option is always better as you might forget to rearrange your kit seasonally. You can put in Mylar sleeping bags, blankets, hand warmers or body warmers, hooded ponchos.
Tools: It’s handy to throw in a few essential tools to your kit. These are easy to carry tools which can be very handy during any crisis. A 6 Function Knife pen knife, Tarp, Tow rope or para-chord, N95 Respirator Dust Masks – NIOSH approved Notepad pencil, Duct tape, safety goggles, gloves, sewing kit, etc.
Hygiene and sanitation: This is a very important component of your survival kit, often during emergencies lack of hygiene leads to infections and diseases. So add these hygiene products to your kit: Toothbrush, toothpaste, Wet wipes, tissues, toilet bag with chemicals, air-freshener, soap, etc. I came across a very useful hygiene product on the internet – the Lyon’s firearms – emergency bucket kit with a toilet seat lid.
Food and Water: It is essential to prepare an emergency food kits & supplies bag. Stock up adequate food and water supplies to provide you enough nutrition for a week without access to additional supplies. Make sure these have adequate shelf life. You can search for emergency food kits & supplies on the internet. These kits usually contain freeze dried fruits and vegetables, cook-in-pouch meals as well as energy bars/ nutrition bars. Sufficient water pouches and enough water purification tablets to provide you with adequate water.
Miscellaneous: When you put together emergency preparedness kits for kids remember to add activity books to keep them busy, you can also put a deck of cards for entertainment. Other important things that you should include in every individuals kit are copies of identification papers, insurance papers and photos of the family so that they can be produced for identification.
A little planning and proper preparation would equip you and your family comfortably endure emergencies. Make it a point to equip you and your family with the necessary aids like well planned and packed emergency food kits & supplies and emergency preparedness kits as well as have practiced Action plan in place.