Are You Ready For An Emergency?

Are you ready for an emergency caused by a man made or natural disaster?

Hurricane Katrina, closely followed by hurricane Rita, should have taught us all a good lesson or two about the value of being prepared.

For one thing it is not wise to think that someone else, especially "Big Brother", will bail you out, at least in a timely manner, should you be involved in a true disaster situation. You may well have to be your own first responders.

For another, unless you are well prepared for an emergency well in advance, there is little hope that you will be able to do much to improve your situation immediately after disaster strikes.

Even taking a few simple steps to prepare you and your family for an emergency may well be the difference between life and death. While that may seem to be a dramatic statement I expect that those directly in the path of Katrina and Rita would readily agree.

One of the most important things to do to be prepared for a disaster is to have a written emergency disaster plan in place for you and your family to follow in the event of an unwelcome event occuring. This written plan will serve you well regardless of the cause of the emergency. The plan should include the following items:
1. A predetermined place to go should you be separated.
2. ID bracelets or ID cards for all family members. This is especially important for small children.
3. A telephone number outside of your immediate area that is known by all family members. This number may be a willing relatives number or even an answering service. It is a good idea to include the number on your ID bracelets.
4. Enough food and water stored in a safe place to last for at least a week. MRE's and bottled water, plus water purification kits, are the best bet.
5. An emergency supply of extra clothing, blankets, soap, toothpaste, and the like should be packed away and ready to go.
6. If you or any family member require prescription medicines be sure to keep at least a few extra days supply on hand.
7. A complete first aid kit is an obvious but often missing item that should not ever be overlooked in any household.
8. Most importantly keep some reserve cash on hand. Don't expect ATM machines to work in a severe emergency situation.
9. Don't forget that gasoline may well be in short supply if evacuation is required. Be sure to keep a full tank of gas in your vehicle if there is the slightest possibilty that you may have to evacuate. Keeping a five gallon can or two of extra gasoline on hand is also worth thinking about.
10. Be sure to have access to a hand cranked radio.

Plan To Be Self Sufficient For At Least a Week Following a Wide Spread Disaster.

In a disaster it is unlikely that you will have electric power for at least a number of days. Having a hand cranked radio and being able to keep up with weather reports, the latest news, and instructions from the authorities before electric power is restored may well prove to be invaluable.

I'm sure that you can think of other items to add to the short list above. No doubt that it is expensive and difficult to cover all of the bases when the nature and full extent of an emergency may be unknown in advance.

However, even a modest amount of advance disaster planning can pay huge dividends for you and your family should disaster strike. In the dangerous world we live in everyone should set aside a little time and put together with your families participation a well thought out written emergency preparedness plan.

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