Emergency Preparedness

Where you live is a major determining factor in what types of disasters you are likely to face. However there are some basic preparations you can make that will help you survive most natural and manmade disasters. Essentials such as food, water, and shelter will help you survive. Comfort items such as electricity and light will make survival less stressful. While there may not be a way to stop disasters from happening, prepared people will be in a better position to care for themselves and help others.

In order to minimize the loss of life, most towns and cities have created emergency plans. Sirens are placed in strategic locations to announce a major evacuation; the emergency broadcast system is in place in the event that power and electricity has been cut off. Most areas have a designated shelter as well as stockpiles of food, water and medicine.

At a minimum you can make sure you are familiar with the resources in your local area. The Red Cross is an excellent place to start gathering information relevant to your area. It is a good idea to be familiar with the State and local plans for emergencies likely to affect your area. It is an even better idea to take that information and develop your own plan.

If you are prepared for an emergency you won’t be caught in the long lines of hapless individuals who rush to the supermarket to stock up on food, water and other essentials. These include candles, batteries for the radio and the flashlight as well as fuel for the generator.

Areas subject to flooding, chemical spills, forest fires, and hurricanes should may require citizens to evacuate. In other areas you may be better off staying in place. Being prepared to do either is the best decision. To accomplish this you will need two sets of emergency supplies. One for a stay in place plan and another for a grab and go plan.

Most of the supplies you’ll need for either of these plans can be purchased at local stores. Another way to get the supplies and equipment you need is to shop online. These pages have the supplies you’ll need for both plans. Feel free to use them as a reference for cost comparison, or to order your supplies.

There are tons of resources to help you organize yourself and your family for emergency situations. In fact, I think there are too many. It is easy to become overwhelmed and not get anything done because you don’t know where to start. A great guide that I use and one that will take you step by step is a book called Making the Best of Basics. You can get this book at Amazon.com for around $27. This book is like having an encyclopedia of preparedness with the exception that it is organized in a way that allows you to build incrementally starting with the most important preparations.