Posted by admin | Posted in Survival | Posted on 16-03-2010
Tags: backpacking, camping, fire, fire starter flint and steel, fire starter flints, flint, Survival
Fire Starter Flint
Is Your Family Prepared for an Emergency? Part 1
My daughter’s soccer coach just lost his house to a fire. The incident was a so-close-to-home reminder to me that I need to review my family’s plans for emergencies. Is your family prepared for an emergency?
In addition to natural disasters, there are many other emergency situations that could leave you and your family without access to electricity, phone service, groceries, gasoline, etc. Emergencies that could temporarily leave a family having to fend for itself include terrorism, influenza pandemics, chemical spills, gas line explosions, etc. Yet, there are many things that we can do to protect ourselves and our families in the event of a variety of types of emergencies.
The government website www.ready.gov breaks down emergency preparedness steps into four basic categories:
- Get a Kit
- Make a Plan
- Be Informed
- Get Involved
Get a Kit: After an emergency, basic service such as running water, telephone service, electricity, etc. may not function for some time. As we all saw during Hurricane Katrina, we should not count on the government providing immediate and organized aid relief, so experts recommend that you should be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours. The way to do this is to prepare a 72-hour Emergency Kit for each member of your family.
Kits should be stored in a water tight container in a location that is easily accessible. What is easily accessible in one situation will not be easily accessible in another, so you need to consider which type of disaster is the most probable for your locality and prepare for that. As an example, where we live, earthquakes are the most likely natural disaster that we would have to deal with. As such, we are told to store our kits outside the home so that if our house collapses, we can still get at our kits. If you tend to be on the road a lot, you might want to keep your kits in your car.
Ideally, your kits should be moveable in the event that your home is no longer safe to stay in. Our family keeps our kits in backpacks, which we can grab and go with. A limitation to backpacks is that they can only hold so much. You also need to be realistic about how much each member of your family can carry.
You should update your kit at least once a year to make sure that all items are fresh, clothing is the correct size, and information is current. Be sure to keep all fluids sealed in extra plastic bags. Things that you might want to include in your kit include:
- Three day supply of food for each family member (take into account allergies and other diet restrictions and don’t forget formula if you have a bottle-fed baby)
- Water - 1 gallon/day/person
- Can opener, dishes and utensils, if necessary
- Some sort of food treats to help lift spirits and break the possible monotony of emergency rations
- Change of clothing for each family member that is appropriate for the season (you might want to include more than once change of clothes for babies and toddlers who may soil their clothing)
- Extra socks and under garments
- Shoes
- Diapers for babies and toddlers
- Rain coats or ponchos
- Blankets and/or sleeping bags
- Plastic sheet to be used as ground cover
- Small tents, such as tube tents
- Hand warmers
- Fire starters – water proof, matches, flint and steel kits, lighters, etc. (pack at least two methods)
- Candles
- Flash lights (head lamps not only allow you to be hands free, but also use very little energy)
- Light sticks
- Signaling devices – flares, mirrors, whistles, etc.
- Gloves, work type
- Duct tape
- Rope
- Pocket Knife
- Wrench (to shut off gas leaks)
- Ax or hatchet
- Pen and paper (so that you can leave notes for people)
- Compass
- Radio
- Batteries (we include batteries, but also have hand crank flash lights and radios)
- First Aid kit
- Toilet paper
- Kleenex
- Feminine hygiene items
- Hair brush
- Tooth brush
- Lip balm
- Hand sanitizer
- Bar of soap, shampoo, wash cloth and towel
- Prescription medications (enough for three days)
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellant
- Copies of personal and legal documents
- Photos of all family members and pets
- Maps of area with meet-up locations marked
- Cash (most likely you will not be able to use credit, debit, or ATM cards)
- Change for pay phones
- Things to do so that your kids are somewhat entertained in a very stressful situation
- Special items for elderly and disabled persons
- Supplies for your pets
Next time, I will discuss how to make plans and stay informed. In the mean time, stay safe!
About the Author
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