During an emergency situation or a disaster, it is very helpful to have an emergency preparedness kit. A supply of survival materials may include first aid kits, medicines, food and water primarily and even money. It is also ideal to have supplies sufficient for the next seventy-two hours, equivalent to three days, while other members of the family, rescuers or emergency responders are focusing their attention to people with urgent necessities. Whatever the nature of the emergency situation, it is best to keep an emergency kit always.
Surprisingly, the items that are present in an emergency preparedness kit are very much available. You may be thinking about buying extra supplies that are hard to find. But no, much of the materials found in an emergency kit are the typical home supplies. The concern is actually on how you can put all these common household supplies into a useful emergency kit.
There are basically three things you need to consider when preparing and putting up an emergency kit. Consider a basic emergency kit, extra emergency supplies and an emergency car kit. A basic emergency kit can include water, food, manual can opener, candles, lighter or matches, two-way radio with extra batteries, first aid or medical kit, a special kit for baby formulas, medicines or prescription for family members with disabilities. Also include duplicates of your house and car keys, cash bills, coins for calling pay phones and a copy of your emergency plan.
Come up with a compact storage or a convenient-to-carry bag for these emergency kit supplies. Store it in places where it is easily accessible. Since some of the supplies are perishable like water, medicine and food, make sure to maintain and keep your supplies updated. You may opt for preserved or canned foods.
A back up of your basic emergency kit are the extra supplies. These include extra footwear and clothing, warm blanket, sleeping bag, whistle to call attention in case you are lost in a strange location, garbage bags and toiletries for personal hygiene, hand gloves, handy tools, screw drivers, Swiss knife, hammer, portable stove, extra liters of water, personal care products, family photo and individual photo of family members, important documents, like birth certificate, I.D. cards and passport.
An emergency car kit may include some of the supplies in the basic emergency kits, but with the addition of shovel or snowbrush, flashlight, road map, anti-freezing agents, rope, flares and fire extinguishers. Now, that you know how to put up an emergency kit, waste no time and start gathering those supplies. Your emergency kit could be your family’s only lifeline during a disaster.