Being Ready for an Emergency One of the best things you can do to get through an emergency situation is to be properly prepared for it. Disasters can strike any place at any time and cause all kinds of fire, water, flood, and storm damage, so being ready well ahead of that time gives you a vital edge. There is a lot which potentially goes into being prepared for a disaster. While covering every last thing would be quite the lengthy undertaking, here are some of the essential basics.
Seventy-Two Hour Kits To begin with, every person in your home should have a seventy two hour kit. Having these kits should be the absolute minimum of preparation which is undertaken. These kits are going to have a few days’ worth of food and water in them, as well as spare clothing, emergency blankets, flashlights, and other important items. These are used as a baseline for ensuring that people will be taken care of for a few days. Of course, more expansive food storage is always recommended. By having a couple of weeks’ worth of food and water put away in a secure and accessible place, you will be able to deal with all but the most severe of disasters. The basic premise of these preparations is that while there will be help coming if there is an emergency, it is best to not fully rely on that help. As has been seen countless times in the past, even limited preparations go a long way toward ensuring that everyone has a safer experience overall.
Have a Plan A good plan is also going to be incredibly helpful in an emergency situation. Families should take the time to come up with a plan of action which addresses what everyone is to do if a disaster strikes. Delegating responsibility and giving everyone something to do is a good way to improve on awareness and to be ready. For example, families can go over where the food and water
is, how to prepare meals, taking a head count, turning off the gas and water lines, and possibly evacuating. By going over this information ahead of time, it should make it so that everyone will be able to respond to a threat in a much more effective way. When a disaster hits, the time you have to respond evaporates, and much of what happens will rely on the direction of others and instinct.
Practice Makes Perfect By drilling ahead of time and knowing what to do, families will be able to respond to the situation in the best and safest way possible. As a part of the contingency plan, everyone should know where the nearest emergency shelter is. In most communities, schools, churches, and community centers all function as emergency shelters. They are able to take more punishment because they are bigger and stronger buildings, and the fact that most of them will be centered within a community makes them a good meeting spot. By having supplies and being informed and ready about the area and where to go and what to do, you gain an advantage over the situation. When it all comes down to it, being ready is all about ensuring that the ones that you love and care about are taken care of and that they are going to be as safe as possible.
Photo Credit: D.Clow - Maryland, Trompoukis