September 17, 2013
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September is officially national preparedness month, which makes it a great time to prepare your family for an emergency. If you’ve already created an emergency plan and built an emergency kit, now is a good time to update the plan and make sure all of your supplies are still in good working order.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a great resource for preparing your family, which can be found here. We’ve reprinted their suggestions for the items you should have in your emergency kit below:
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Emergency Kit
The CDC recommends that your emergency kit contain the following items:
- Water—one gallon per person, per day. Ideally you would have enough for 2 weeks in the home and containers to allow you to carry a 3 day supply if evacuation is needed. (Don’t forget to plan for your pets as well.)
- Food—nonperishable, easy to prepare items. Ideally you would have enough for 2 weeks in the home and containers to allow you to carry a 3 day supply if evacuation is needed. (Don’t forget to plan for your pets as well.)
- Flashlight
- Battery powered or hand crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
- Extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Medications (7day supply) and medical items
- Multipurpose tool
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items
- Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
- Cell phone with chargers
- Family and emergency contact information
- Extra cash
- Emergency blanket
- Map(s) of the area
- Medical supplies (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, cane)
- Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers)
- Games and activities for children
- Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl)
- Two way radios
- Extra set of car keys and house keys
- Manual can opener
Depending on the types of disasters common to your area the CDC also recommends you keep the following on hand:
- Whistle
- N95 or surgical masks
- Matches
- Rain gear
- Towels
- Work gloves
- Tools/supplies for securing your home
- Extra clothing, hat and sturdy shoes
- Plastic sheeting
- Duct tape
- Scissors
- Household liquid bleach
- Entertainment items
- Blankets or sleeping bags
- Additional Supplies for Sheltering-in-Place
- In the unlikely event that chemical or radiological hazards cause officials to advise people in a specific area to “shelter-in-place” in a sealed room, households should have in the room they have selected for this purpose:
- A roll of duct tape and scissors
- Plastic sheeting pre-cut to fit shelter-in-place room openings
A few minutes of preparation today can avoid hours or days of frustration for your family in the future.