National Preparedness Month 2013

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.