Keeping Your Family Ready With Emergency Preparedness Kits
Experience is always the best teacher. As we have seen on the Internet and cable television, disasters unfold anywhere in the world and the damages in properties and lost lives in the past decade appeared too real compared to reading them from history books.
The experiences speak of how modern technology made pivotal contributions to the efficiency by which rescue missions were undertaken and services were delivered. Yet, before help came, it is just the survivors and the raging crisis at hand. One lesson that is hard to forget: one can’t be too prepared during events like these. It underscores the importance of readiness and the value of having your own emergency preparedness kits and plans during times of crisis.
It is true that emergencies are unpredictable. But, it is also true that the extent of ensuing damages and effects of disasters can be restrained by the degree of preparation. While the national and state governments draft and align their own emergency preparedness frameworks and plans, each individual, family, community and the various sectors of the society must do their share. This starts with learning and sharing what they have learned with other members of the family and community.
One basic step to preparedness is getting a survival kit.
Emergency preparedness kits are also aptly called as survival kits because it is designed to support a certain number of people for a specific number of days. It is also designed to be contained in a compact and handy easily identifiable bag or case so that it can be carried while mobile and under various conditions. These are ideal carryall emergency kits during road trips, camping or hiking outdoors, during power outages and snow storms. If you are too busy for putting together your own kit, they can be bought from manufacturers that specialize in emergency preparedness. It can then be personalized by adding extra items which the owner needs, especially personal medicines. But, anyone who has the time to make a survival kit is better off because it can carry everything that you think is essential.
How do you make your own survival kit?
If you are not sure what to pack, why not check out what commercial survival kits contain? This is actually not a big deal because there are many tips and guides you can pick up here and there in the Internet.
What you should worry about is the estimation of how much you need per item which in turn depends on how many there are in your group. You cannot afford to forget the special needs of certain family members like the kids, the elderly and those who need maintenance medicines. Do not forget to make a short inventory of each item and its expiration. Nobody wants the packed items expiring and getting wind of it only when the emergency is already underway. Keeping tab of the expiration of the items can be simplified by placing it into your own PC. One danger that must be avoided is over packing items. To be very sure, more than one survival bag may be prepared: one can contain all the basic essentials and the other can contain items that one can live without but adds comfort and convenience. If it is possible to increase the number of kits, then make sure to add in extra food and water.
The most basic kits include dehydrated foods that are easy to prepare and be kept for a long time.
You’ll want water at one gallon per person per day. If there are babies or very young children with special needs (disposable diapers, milk and baby food), elderly as well as sick members with special needs, their supply must also be estimated for 3 days on evacuation. For people living in very cold or very warm climates which require special clothing to stand the extreme weather condition, a change of clothes will be relevant. The other most basic necessities include: extra cash, flashlight, battery-powered or hand-radio with extra batteries; cell phone with chargers, first aid kit, sanitation and personal hygiene items, medical supplies (glasses, cane, hearing aids with extra batteries, contact lenses, syringes), matches and multipurpose tools. A second survival kit bag can contain a can opener, personal documents, emergency blanket, games and entertainment for the kids, sleeping bags, surgical masks, rain gear and towels.
Putting together a preparedness plan for disasters or emergencies can serve you and your family well in any circumstance. Whether you are facing a natural disaster, a fire in your home, an economic hardship, or any other emergency, it’s a good idea to plan in advance. Learn how to protect yourself and handle disasters by planning ahead. You should discuss these ideas with your family and have them help prepare an emergency plan.
Because of the unpredictable nature of emergencies, anyone’s best hope to survive these events is to based on preparedness and one’s personal emergency preparedness kits. You may seem skeptical about the entire concept but make sure you keep one; do not wait for experience to educate you about what you must know already.
