One of the first steps to preparedness is to have a 72 hour
kit in case of an emergency. For example if your house were to burn down or
even your neighbors and it were to catch your own home on fire. Another
example, if there was a risk of flooding in your area, or hurricane. Bottom
line….you never know when an emergency will happen to you. Do you know exactly
what you would take right now? Do you know where everything is? I had no idea!
So here are some hints and tips to get you started!
Make sure you sit down with your family and discuss an
emergency evacuation situation. When it could happen and why it’s necessary to
prepare.
·
Make sure each family member knows where to find
their 72 hour kits.
·
Keep a flashlight by everyone’s bed just in case
the power goes out.
·
Choose a place to meet if something happens.
Choose one place right outside your house and also another place in the
neighborhood.
·
Practice evacuation routes in your house in case
of a fire, flood, etc. Also practice stop, drop and roll techniques.
·
Each family member should know how to use a fire
extinguisher.
·
Remember people in your family who have
disabilities and pets as well.
Here are some ideas of things to pack in your kit! Make sure
each family member has one kit.
Containers
·
Backpack
·
Duffle bag
·
Gallon bucket
·
Luggage
I personally like the backpack idea. It just makes it really
easy and convenient to carry, but use what is best for your family.
Water
·
One gallon of water per person per day. That
makes three gallons for 72 hours. You cannot carry all of this in a backpack,
so only carry what you can in your pack, but keep the rest in the same area so
it’s easy to grab and go.
Don’t use milk jugs to store the water. Use
commercially bottled water or plastic soda pop bottles that have been cleaned.
Replace non-commercial bottled water every six months.
·
You can also pack a water purification system
such as water filters or iodine tablets.
Medical Supplies
·
Prescriptions
·
First aid kit
·
Eye glasses
Food
You want at least a three day supply of
non-perishable items for each person.
·
Choose food you will eat on a regular basis.
· Remember special circumstances like for people
who have diabetes.
·
Choose food that will not require refrigeration,
cooking, or water. We learned that for dehydrated foods, it is very important
you rehydrate them because if you don’t the food will take all the hydration
out of you and during an emergency, water is so important.
o
Ready-to-eat meats, fruits, vegetables (fruit
cups, etc)
o
Can opener
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Protein and fruit bars
o
Dry cereal or granola
o
Peanut butter
o
Dried fruit
o
Nuts
o
Bottled juices
o
Dry milk
o
Vitamins
o
Food for infants
o
Comfort/stress foods (chocolate for all the
ladies! J )
o
Crackers
I went online to look for examples of actual foods people
pack and I found this example on a blog (http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com).
This is a list for one day.
o
Kelloggs Pop tarts (two in one package)
o
Two PowerBar Protein Plus bars
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Chef Boyardee Ravioli
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Murachan Ramen noodles
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Two fruit snacks
o
Del Monte Fruit cup
o
Sunmaid Raisins
o
Granola bar (one each of Quaker and Nature
Valley)
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Crystal light powder stick
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Two water bottles
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Germ-X hand wipes
o
Plastic fork/spoon
I think this is a good detailed list, except for the ramen.
Only because if you were on the road how would you cook it? But if you plan on
taking a propane stove or something like that with you then go ahead. Also,
just remember you can alter this list to make it things that your family will
eat. I would add beef jerky and packaged chicken or tuna.
Other supplies
·
Infant diapers
·
Extra keys to your home and vehicles
·
Copies of important documents (insurance cards,
vaccinations)
·
Battery powered or hand crank radio and
flashlight with extra batteries
·
Money –in small bills and coins. This is because
if the power goes out, some stores and places will not be able to use the cash
register. Also, the stores may not have enough change for big bills due to
other people trying to get cash all at once.
·
Whistle to signal for help
·
Toilet paper
·
Moist towellettes
·
Garbage bags
·
Complete change of clothing (keep in mind
weather changes: rain, snow, sun and also shoes)
·
Local maps
·
Mess kit- you can also use paper plates and
utensils; keep in mind that you will need to use water to clean your mess kit
·
Matches in a waterproof container
·
Feminine supplies
·
Lip balm
·
Paper, pen and pencil
·
Multipurpose tool
·
Cellphone with charger
·
Dust mask
·
Plastic sheeting and duct tape for shelter
·
Hand sanitizer-this is important because disease
is one of the first problems you hear about after a disaster as well as water
shortage, so you want to kill germs, but use as little water as possible
·
Toothbrush, paste
·
Anything for pets: leash, food, water, copies of
vaccinations and tag I.D.
·
Blanket or sleeping bag
Here are some ideas that I loved so much!
·
Put a list of the items in the kit near the top
of the pack.
·
Put a small index card of the persons
information (birthday, full name, address, parents name and numbers, in -own
contact, out-of-town contact and out-of-state contact). Place this in a
waterproof bag. This is especially important for children. Many times they
don’t know phone numbers and such by memory.
·
Put a recent picture of the persons family
(including pets) so that if you have, heaven forbid, lost your family member
you can show people a picture of what they look like. Put this in a waterproof
bag.
·
If in an emergency situation, it is going to be
very stressful and so having some comfort items such as a favorite stuffed
animal, games, cards, crossword puzzles, etc. will help relieve some stress.
·
Don’t forget scriptures! You can find them
travel sized.
We were given the idea to make 3x5 cards of items to grab in
the emergency. Make a few separate cards, such as items to grab in five
minutes, items to grab if you have 20 minutes, and items to grab if you have an
hour. Put these in a place you will know where to look such as on your fridge
or in the area where your kits will be found. Place next to your kit things you
would like to take if you have a bit of time such as a tent, photo albums, more
water and anything you would like to take. Make sure each person in your family
knows their responsibility when an emergency hits and what they should
grab.
So, now that you have your pack already to go, you need to
remember to rotate the items. You don’t want to have expired food or
information. Some ideas of when to rotate the items were to change a few items
every month, during each conference or every six months, and each year. You can
also change the pack on the person’s birthday! Get creative and make this a fun
event for your family!
Coming up! Water storage
