Being Prepared
Important Things To Know Before a Disaster
Consider: When Disasters Strike... the first three minutes, hours, days, then what?
Waiting until an event occurs often leaves you controlled by the environment. A solid plan keeps you in control of your actions regardless of what craziness may be surrounding you.
What if, ask all the questions...
- Are you Home or Away?
- Contacting Family?
- Money On Hand?
Family Emergency Plan
Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance how you will contact one another, how you will get back together, and what you will do in different situations. More
- Identify an out-of-town contact. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
- Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone, coins, or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. If you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) in your phone. If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts.
- Teach family members how to use text messaging (also knows as SMS or Short Message Service). Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.
Food Storage
While not the most crucial item for longevity (that would be breathable air, followed quite closely by water), food is nonetheless a necessity for health and hope. Before you can begin a stockpile of edibles, you need a place to put it all. As you’ll most likely be dealing with a great many cans, barrels, and bottles, you need ample space. A basement or a large storage room will work provided they stay dry and at a constant temperature so as not to encourage mold growth; you can even rent a storage unit nearby, though keeping items on your personal property is preferred.
Drinking Water
In most Western nations, the availability of clean, safe drinking water is easy to take for granted. Purified water is widely available at drinking fountains in parks, in cases of bottled water, and out of the tap at home. In much of the developing world, however, access to safe water is much more restricted, and in a survival situation, you may be faced with the same problem. Contaminated water is a very serious threat to your health. Worldwide, millions of people get sick from contaminated water, and more than 2 million children are killed from waterborne diseases each year.
The First 72 hours
The world is an uncertain place. Although this may not be breaking news, many people argue that the dawn of the Information Age as made the economy more volatile than ever before. Rapid shifts in the economy are a direct result of technology’s ability to move vast amounts of money in an instant. Impending threats from terrorist organizations, a global nuclear movement, and changing political allegiances also impede upon daily life. When one of these events occurs, society could break down completely. Suddenly thrust into a life that resembles that of your ancient ancestors, how will you cope?
Water Filter and Storage
Food and Food Storage
You might never be impacted by a severe earthquake, flood, or tornado, but it’s wise to be prepared if a disaster strikes. Food storage services will give you peace of mind in disaster situations.