Your Survival Blog

Being Prepared for an Emergency

Every time there is a major fire, earthquake or tornado - or the electricity goes out for a couple of days - do you say to your family, We need to get organized for an emergency? Here, with the help of Costco members Marty Kuritz of Active Insights and Sam Brown of Your Survival is a guide to preparing for an emergency. 

Every time there’s a major fire, earthquake or tornado - or the electricity goes out for a couple of days, do you say to your family, “We need to get organized for an emergency”? Maybe the reason it’s so hard to make progress on this goal is that it reaches into so many areas:

  • Reviewing insurance policies and preparing a household inventory
  • Backing up important files, papers and photos
  • Gathering necessary supplies
  • Putting together a communication plan
  • Plotting escape routes from within your home
  • Locating nearby emergency shelters
  • Planning evacuation routes from your community
  • Determining what to do about pets
  • Education yourself about how to respond to potential disasters in your area
  • Creating emergency kits for your home, car and office
  • Getting the whole family to practice the plan

Here, with the help of Costco members Marty Kuritz of Active Insights (http://www.active-insights.com) and Sam Brown of Your Survival (http://www.yoursurvival.com) is a guide to preparing for an emergency. Kruitz, who himself needed to evacuate his family during recent fires in Southern California, swears by the checklist approach. It’s easy to get rattled when faced with danger, and a checklist helps keep everyone focused. Involving the whole family in this planning project, with regular deadlines, could be a real lifesaving effort.

DEVISE A CUMMUNICATION PLAN

Keeping in touch with loved ones or with emergency personnel is crucial during a disaster. Here are some things to consider.

Designate and out-of-town contact person
Often, during a disaster, it’s easier to call long distance than it is to call locally. Choose a friend or relative who lives out of town who can be your family’s point person in case you’re not together when disaster strikes. Be sure that each family member has the telephone number and e-mail address of the contact person and the resources to make contact (cell phone, coins, prepaid calling card). In the case of young children who might be at school or with a child-care provider, be sure that the school and child-care provider know to call the central contact in the event you cannot be reached.

Have several ways to communicate

  • Transistor radio. You’ll need to get news, information and advisories from authorities. For this, there is no better alternative than a simple transistor radio or a NOAA weather radio with built-in AM receiver.
  • Text messaging. To alert others to your location and condition, you’want to have a cell phone with text-messaging capabilities. Because of the narrower bandwidth required for text messaging, it’s more likely texts will get through (use a simple “I am ok” or “Need help"), even when phone calls can’t be completed.
  • Basic corded telephone. You should always keep at least one old-fashioned corded telephone around the house. That’s because it runs on the phone company’s power source. So while the circuits can still jam, a corded phone has a better chance of operating during a power outage which will immediately knock out cordless sets.
  • Two-way radios. Today’s basic units work within six miles on standard batteries. They can be an effective means of communicating during short forays for additional supplies or if family members evacuate in separate cars.


Pick a physical meeting place
Plan a rendezvous point where your family will meet both inside and outside your immediate area. Practice ahead of time getting to that rendezvous point from different locations at different times, just to get a feel for how it will go in and emergency.

Create in-case-of-emergency (ICE) contacts
Should paramedics or police officers need to contact designated next of kin during a crisis, have everyone in the family enter the acronym ICE (for “in case of emergency") into their cell phones along with the number of the person you’d want contacted if they were injured and couldn’t respond.

GRAB-AND-GO SUPPLIES

Experts suggest that after a disaster every household should be prepared to manage at least 72 hours on its own. That means putting together comprehensive survival kits for each member of the family as well as kits for your office and cars. Several sources give suggestions as to what to include in these kits, depending on your family’s needs. The following helpful information and lists are excerpted from Your Survival, by Dr. Bob Arnot (Hatherleigh Press, 2008).

There may come a time in a disaster when, no matter how much care you’ve dedicated to fortifying your home and stockpiling supplies, you may need to leave it all behind and just get the heck out or “bug out” in disaster parlance. In that case, you’ll want to grab whatever few essentials you’ll need on the road, and fast. Which is where the bug-out bag comes into play.

To create bug-out bags simply stuff a backpack for each family member with the items on the list below and store them with the rest of your supplies. Also get in the habit of storing your family’s sleeping bags nearby, along with a handful of other items that could be useful on the road, such as a couple of small tube tents, a leash and a small bag of pet food. That way, the entire family can sling their bug-out bags over their shoulders, help grab the med kit, vital financial records box, tents and sleeping bags, and just go.

Think of your car bug-out kit as a very mini, car-based version of your usual basement stockpile, for those times when you family is stranded on the road. If you own a pickup, a metal lockbox would be the perfect place to store it, if not, any sort of metal or plastic container will do.

GADGETS TO HAVE ON HAND

There are a handful of other gadgets that every family should have on hand to ease the burden of an extended utilities outage.

  • Water filter. A great backup to a bottled water supply, it will remove toxins and bacteria in the event tap water becomes contaminated or you have to rely on eternal sources such as rain or stream water.
  • Gas grill. An outdoor portable propane powered grill with at least one full tank of propane in reserve as a disaster spare can cook your meals.
  • Metal coffeepot. Caffeine withdrawal can be unpleasant, with symptoms mimicking the flu. Invest in a metal coffeepot that can withstand the extreme temperatures of a grill.
  • Kids’ entertainment devices. Buy yourself some much-needed peace with portable Game Boy systems or their equivalent.
  • Battery-operated lights. Spend the money for a powerful flashlight that can withstand hours of use and abuse during an emergency. You’ll also want to pick up a couple of battery-powered headlamps, so you don’t have to juggle a flashlight. Also stock up on some battery-operated LED hurricane lamps for ambient lighting to read and cook by.
  • Batteries. Even LED lights need to have their batteries replaced occasionally. Count on at least three refills of batteries per battery-operated gadget. Be sure to double-check which kind (D, C, AA, etc.) goes in each. And remember to replace all of the batteries in your disaster supplies once a year before they lose their juice.
  • Weather radio. This lifesaver is a great addition to any household in the possible path of severe weather. You keep it on 24 hours a day, and normally it remains silent, but the instant the National Weather Service issues a warning the radio emits a piercing being sound. In the meantime, pick up a NOAA radio. Look for a brand with “S.A.M.E.” technology, which enables you to focus the alert on your immediate vicinity. It’ll cut down on annoying false alarms.


PROTECTING THE STUFF YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT

In the aftermath of any disaster, the reports of victims who have lost all of their family mementos and treasures tug at the heartstrings. These items that insurance can’t replace are often what people hold most dear. To help assure that these items are protected, here are some steps to take.

  • Open a safe deposit box at a bank. Even with a water tight, fireproof home safe, it’s a good idea to keep items that cannot be insured or replaced in a bank vault. Keep a current inventory of the contents of the safe deposit box and appoint a trusted person who can access the box in your absence.
  • Obtain and copy all important papers, letter and documents; copy, scan or preferably digitize one-of-a-kind photographs, slides, home movies and videos; and store them on DVDs. Items that cannot be scanned or photocopied (e.g., coin and stamp collections) should be kept in the safe deposit box.
  • Duplicate your computer program files and a complete and current backup of your computer data. While it might not be feasible to store duplicate copies of all receipts, tax records, photo negatives and miscellaneous other papers in your safe deposit box, it’s a good idea to store the originals or copies at a safe off-premises location, such as your office of the home of a friend or relative.

The process of keeping valuables in a safe deposit box and storing copied and originals in two places will help protect that which you hold dear, regardless of whether you are at home or away if disaster strikes.

TIPS & TRICKS

Battery Use and Care Tips

  • Use the correct size and type of battery specified by the manufacturer of your device.
  • Keep battery contact surfaces and battery compartment contacts clean by rubbing them with a clean pencil eraser or a rough cloth each time you replace batteries.
  • Remove batteries from a device when it is not expected to be in use for several months.
  • Remove batteries from equipment while it is being powered by household (AC) current.
  • Make sure that you insert batteries into your device properly, with the (+) and (-) terminals aligned correctly. Caution: Some equipment using more than three batteries may appear to work properly even if one battery is inserted incorrectly.
  • Store batteries in a dry place at normal room temperature. Do not refrigerate Duracell batteries. This will not make them last longer. Most Duracell batteries will provide dependable long life even after five years of storage in these conditions.
  • Extreme temperatures reduce battery performance. Avoid putting battery-powered devices in very warm places.
  • To prevent battery shorting, leakage or rupture, never dispose of batteries in a fire, as they could explode. And do not attempt to recharge a battery unless the battery specifically is marked “rechargeable."¯

The “Bug-Out” Bag

  • Change of clothes (seasonal)
  • Socks/underwear
  • Sturdy shoes
  • Extra set of car and house keys
  • Lighter (adults only)
  • Pocket knife (adults only)
  • Permanent marker
  • Notebook
  • Flash drive with important financial documents
  • ID tag on backpack
  • Stuffed animal
  • Deck of cards
  • AM/FM/NOAA radio
  • Batteries
  • Quart of water
  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Extra pair of contacts/glasses
  • Tissues
  • Deodorant

“Bug-Out" Car

  • Flashlight
  • Extra batteries
  • Water
  • Hearty snacks (such as granola bars)
  • Blankets
  • Additional jackets and spare items of clothing
  • Jack
  • Tire-patch kit
  • Signal flares
  • Metal lockbox or metal/plastic container to store items

Safe Use of Portable Generators sponsored by Powermate
A generator can be a lifesaving tool in the event of a power outage. But you must know how to operate it correctly to avoid deadly dangers. Follow these steps.

  • Always read and follow the operator’s manual and all operating instructions before running the generator.
  • Use your generator outdoors only, away from open windows, vents or doors. Never use your generator inside homes, garages or other enclosed areas. Fumes that can kill you can build up in these areas.
  • Use a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector when running your generator.
  • Allow the engine to cool at least two minutes before refueling. Always use fresh gas in your generator. If you do not plan to use your generator in 30 days, stabilize the gas with fuel stabilizer.
  • Keep your generator at least 5 feet away from any structures or combustible materials.
  • When using extension cords, be sure they are the grounded type and are rated for the application. Coiled cords can get hot, so always uncoil cords and lay them in flat, open locations.
  • If you are connecting a generator to your home electrical system, have a qualified electrician install a power transfer switch. Never plug your generator directly into your home outlet.


This article sponsored by Duracell. Part of the Procter & Gamble Company, Duracell is the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of high-performance alkaline batteries. For more information on the company, as well as resources to help you find the best batteries for you needs, visit http://www.duracell.com.

This article is reprinted from the Costco Household Almanac, copyright 2008, with permission granted by Costco Wholesale. The entire Almanac can be found at http://www.costco.com, search “almanac.”

Posted by Saba on 04/23 at 09:38 AM

This is a really helpful, informative article. Thanks for posting it.

Posted by Kathy  on  06/17  at  02:24 PM

Came across this survival info on costso almanac.  you should sell survival kits.

Posted by Mitch  on  06/25  at  10:22 AM
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